One of the most popular styles of earrings is the stud earring. Usually these are the ones inserted in your ear when you go to have your ears pierced and they come in various designs and sizes. Although the most common shaped stud used when for the initial piercing is the gold ball stud, there is a wide selection of other designs to choose from, including options ranging from cubic zirconia heart stud earrings to ones made of white gold with cut diamonds. Obviously I am biased and I love the heart jewelry options, but whichever ones you choose initially you will have to leave them in your ears for four to six weeks to allow your ears to heal and to stop the holes closing.

Once the healing process has passed you can take your studs out and move on to wearing the earrings of your choice – and believe me the selection is virtually endless. You can choose from studs, chandelier, drop and hoop earrings to name the most common types, although for the first few months studs are the best to wear until the holes have healed fully. One cautionary note, lots of people can be sensitive to non-hypoallergenic earrings so always try to choose those that are marked as “hypoallergenic’ or wear gold, sterling silver or platinum to help prevent any allergic reaction.

So which type of earring should you choose? This all comes down to personal taste, style and occasion. Personally for everyday wear I choose studs, whether it is my white gold heart stud earrings to match my other heart jewelry, my sapphire and diamond earrings to match my wedding jewelry or my gold studs from New York (these are so comfortable). Most stud earrings are subtle and understated and suitable to wear to the office, to the grocery store or for coffee with friends. The more elaborate ones with precious gemstones like diamonds, rubies and sapphires look really sophisticated when worn with a little black dress for more formal occasions.

Some women choose to wear hoop earrings on a daily basis and look really good in them. Some young women look great in the larger hoop earrings but as you get older, if you are going to wear hoops the smaller ones are less flamboyant and I feel that these suit the older women better.

Chandelier earrings and dangly earrings can look very feminine and glitzy especially for those special big ritzy events. Have you noticed how most of the celebrities choose these types of earrings for “red carpet” events and showbiz parties? Of course they are dressed up in their designer gown and want to show it off to perfection, so the more sparkling their jewelry the more it complements their outfit. Mind you, when you see the size of some of those earrings it is a wonder they can hold their head up! I’m not sure I could cope with the weight of these beautiful designs and if I had long hair I would be worried that my hair would get caught in them.

Having pierced ears certainly gives you more choice in the style of earrings available. However, if you don’t want to have your ears pierced you can still get heart stud earrings or even hoop earrings in clip on or screw back.

18k Yellow Gold Plated Sterling Silver Ruby and Diamond Accent Heart Earrings

When you want to express your appreciation for someone, words are not always enough to convey how much you value them.  Often it is nice to give them a gift to show them how much you care and a gift of jewelry makes the ideal gift for women of all ages.   Although heart jewelry is usually associated with love between a man and a woman, it is also ideal to give to others who you care deeply about such as a sister, daughter, Mom, Grandma or special friend.

There is an amazingly varied range of heart jewelry on the market to suit any style and virtually any taste.  Whether her style is traditional, contemporary, or maybe just young at heart, there will be a pair of gold heart earrings, a heart locket necklace or gold heart bracelet to precisely fit her style and taste.

Jewelry is particularly suitable to give to members of a wedding party.  For instance, a pair of gold heart earrings would be a very loving wedding treasure for the bride if given by her parents to show that although her heart now belongs to another she is still in their heart. A piece of heart jewelry is a thoughtful memento for a bride to give to her bridesmaids to say thank you to them for being such a special part of her wedding. For grown up bridesmaids an open heart pendant or sterling silver heart bracelet would make a lovely present.  And for the younger girls, a dainty silver heart locket or a silver heart charm with a fine chain or perhaps worn on a ribbon to complement their gown would fit the bill.

What better way to express your love and appreciation for Mom or Grandma than a gift of heart jewelry?  While a diamond heart shaped pendant would be ideal, there are a large selection of heart jewelry items which are far easier on the finances. Heart necklaces can be purchased in various metals, including yellow gold, white gold or silver and can be set with genuine or man-made gems. Since the choice is vast you’re sure to be able to find the perfect heart jewelry gift for those special ladies.  To ensure you get something that will complement her other pieces of jewelry take a note of the other jewelry she has in her collection to see which precious metal she usually wears.

The great thing about giving heart jewelry is that you don’t need a special day to give it.  It makes a wonderful “just because” or “thank you” gift.  If you have been going through a particularly difficult time and, say, your sister or friend have been there for you giving them a gift of jewelry will reinforce how grateful you are for their support. Practically all girls like earrings and heart earrings can easily be bought in silver or gold and can also be set with diamonds if you wish to be extravagant. Obviously you have to take into account the individual personality of the lady who will receive the surprise. Hoops and dangly earrings are great for the extrovert person whereas a pair of delicate stud earrings may be more practical for wearing to work. Take notice of the kind of jewelry she already wears as this can provide an idea of the colors and styles she favors.

A classic gold or silver heart design charm bracelet makes a magnificent gift for a young woman that she’s going to always treasure.  Most are sold with many charms actually positioned and this can be a great choice if you’re buying for a girl who wants to keep up with the latest trends.  The original locked heart is one “must have” adornment to the old classic form of charm bracelet in which charms are added gradually over a period of time. This particular approach makes it easy to buy further gifts for that girl later on because she would want to collect fresh charms to attach to her bracelet.

Finally, it doesn’t take too much thought to realize that an item of heart design jewelry can make the perfect gift when you want to show someone how much you value and care for them. Even here though the wide selection of items available can be so enormous that you need to give think carefully before deciding exactly what piece of jewelry you should get. While you cannot go wrong if you choose gold heart earrings, there are a limitless amount of other pieces of heart jewelry such as heart charms, heart rings and heart bracelets which will convey the message just as well.

But let’s focus for a few minutes on those gifts that you buy because you want to express your love for someone.  You have many choices – too many, really, in this day and age and often so many that it becomes confusing.  However, one tried and true way to express your love for a lady (and maybe even a man, depending on your relationship and his particular style!) is to give a piece of heart jewelry.

Even if you haven’t given much thought to it before, it is easy to see why a piece of heart shaped jewelry can make the right gift for your loved one. However, there is an enormous variety of pieces and it can be so extensive that you simply must give some thought to what specific piece of jewelry you should buy. So should you buy a gold heart necklace, a silver heart bracelet or a simple heart brooch?

In fact, the answer is really obvious, isn’t it?  For the maximum impact and to deliver the message you really want to send, you need to match the gift to the lucky recipient.  For example:

• If your woman favors silver or white gold, then a white gold heart necklace or a sterling silver heart locket could be a perfect option.

• Or what about a vintage heart locket that contains your photo as an ultimate depiction of your feelings for her?

• Practically all ladies like earrings and heart design earrings can easily be bought in silver or gold and can also be encrusted with gems if you want to be extravagant.

Naturally you need to think about the individual taste of the woman who will receive the surprise. Take notice of the kind of jewelry she already wears as this can provide an idea of the colors and styles she favors.  Here are some further thoughts to help you along:

• One major trend that many observers have commented on is the increasing popularity of silver heart jewelry.  Sterling silver’s physical qualities allow it to be made into an almost limitless range of jewelry designs, ranging from delicate silver heart earrings to big bracelets and chains. One big advantage that silver has is that it’s color gives the appearance of white gold or platinum at a fraction of the cost. Silver creates a superb setting for nearly any color of gem, making it an ideal choice for moderately priced heart pendants, rings and earrings with either precious or semi-precious stones. A range of birthstones such as amethyst, garnet and topaz regularly appear in stunning silver heart jewelry designs. Nowadays, synthetic and created jewels look so good that once set in silver they can look as if they cost an absolute fortune.

• As mentioned before, the beauty of heart jewelry is that you are not limited to just one type of metal or just one style of jewelry – and this variety results in jewelry products that can match almost any budget.  Despite the likelihood that a diamond heart pendant would be perfect for the lady in your life, there are a huge selection of other heart jewelry items which can be much easier on the finances. Heart shaped necklaces can be found in various precious metals, such as white and yellow gold or sterling silver and can be set with real or artificial gemstones. As the selection is so diverse, you’re certain to manage to discover the perfect heart jewelry gift for a loved one.

• A particular celebration to which a piece of heart jewelry is best suited is a wedding anniversary. It’s a gift which will demonstrate to your wife how much you really care. Take note of whether she usually wears silver or white gold or if perhaps she prefers classic yellow gold. A little detective work in advance will ensure you opt for the ultimate heart shaped jewelry gift.

• A timeless silver or gold charm bracelet makes a fantastic gift for a girl that she’ll treasure forever. These vintage jewelry items are experiencing great demand because they have become the favorites of celebrities. The traditional heart design lock is the essential accent to the vintage form of charm bracelet where the charms are usually added gradually over time. That type makes it easy to buy gifts for the young lady later on as she would want to acquire new charms to increase her bracelet. Although, the modern epoch of designer heart charm bracelets come with several charms actually in position and it is a top selection for the designer conscious female.

So as you can see – whether it’s a gold heart necklace, a pair of silver heart earrings or a diamond heart pendant, heart jewelry can indeed solve your problems when you need a special gift for that special person!

I came late to having my ears pierced, in fact I was thirty before I plucked up the courage to go to the jewellery store to get it done.  And the reason I eventually had it done was because I liked the dainty stud earrings that were not available in clip–on ones.  I already has a pair of clip-on silver earrings but I really wanted to wear these new gold ones.

Although I had talked about it for a few days I suddenly decided one afternoon as I was going to pick up my children from school that today was the day.  One thing I had forgotten was the fact that I was also picking up my friend’s two sons who were coming to play with my kids and staying for dinner.  Having made the decision I decided to go ahead with it as I thought if I didn’t I would chicken out and it would be a long time before I got the courage up again!

So with four kids in the car off we went to the local jewellery store.  Having told the children what I planned before we went home they were looking forward to seeing how it was done.  We duly arrived at the shop and in we all went.  I remember sitting in the chair with these four pairs of eyes avidly watching as I picked out a pair of studs and then had my ears cleaned with surgical spirit and a cross put on them as to where the holes should be.

Feeling very nervous I sat there as they put the studs in the gun and placed it against my ear.  I thought it couldn’t really hurt a lot because after all lots of baby girls have their ears pierced when they are only a few months old and a mom wouldn’t subject their infant to any pain would they?

Well I must be a wimp – because it did hurt!  But because I had the children with me I had to pretend everything was okay.  I gritted my teeth while the second ear was done and I breathed a big sigh of relief when it was all over.  Getting back in the car I remember my ears burning and being hot to the touch but when the kids asked if it had hurt I admit I told a white lie and said it didn’t.  I did all that was asked with regard to cleaning the site and turning the studs and fortunately I had no ill effects.

I couldn’t wait until I could take out the initial studs and wear some of the lovely earrings that I had so admired.  In fact, shortly afterwards my husband was on a business trip to New York and bought me a beautiful pair of 24 carat gold earrings which I wear more than any others – with perhaps only the exception of my heart earrings.