Heart Jewelry Choices, Heart Jewellery Allure

Double Heart Diamond Promise Ring ( Availabe Sizes 4-9)

The promise ring is not a new phenomenon, it has been around for centuries. It was originally given as a token of commitment by a boyfriend to his girlfriend as a “promise” of marriage when they could afford it. Although this tradition is still being followed, today promise rings are also being given and worn to cement many different promises made between two people. And the increasing popularity of them means that there is a huge variety of designs to choose from, whether you are looking at the whole range or whether your goal is something narrower such as cheap promise rings or promise rings for men.

10K White Gold Diamond Promise Ring, Crossover Band

Probably the most widely worn promise rings are those given for romantic reasons. Before he is ready to take the step of looking at engagement rings, let alone diamond or cubic zirconia wedding rings, a  young man may wish to give a promise ring to his girlfriend to signify that he wants their relationship to be exclusive. The message given with the ring could be that in the future he will replace it with an engagement ring or that he will remain faithful to her or that he will always be there for her. These promise rings are especially significant if the young couple are going to be apart for a period of time, such as when they are going away to college or for their work. It is a constant reminder of the promises they have made to each other.

Exchanging promise rings is also an ideal way for a couple in a long term relationship who do not want to go down the traditional marriage route, when they wish to show that although they don’t have the traditional wedding band on their finger they are in a committed relationship and not available. There are lots of retailers offering matching promise rings such as the Claddagh ring or the Jane Seymour open heart collection to name just a two examples.

Three Stone Diamond Heart Shape Promise Ring in Sterling Silver ( Sizes 4-9)

Although a promise ring can be worn on any finger on either hand, usually those representing romantic, everlasting love promises are worn on the ring finger of the left hand. Many societies believed that a vein in this finger is connected directly to the heart, which is a symbol of love, therefore any ring given as a token of love should be worn on the fourth finger of the left hand.

But a promise ring is not just given for romantic reasons. Many parents give a chastity or abstinence promise ring (also called a purity ring) to their children to symbolize a promise made by the child to stay pure until their wedding day or to refrain from drinking, drug taking or smoking. They also make a great friendship rings. The gift of a promise ring is a way of cementing a friendship forever whether you see each other every day or live a continent apart you are promising to be there for each other.

There are lots of different designs and price ranges available when it comes to choosing a promise ring. They come in all precious metals such as silver, gold, white gold and tungsten and the ones for women often have stones in them.

Infinity Diamond Promise Ring in 10K White Gold, Size 7

If you are looking for one to give as a precursor to an engagement ring, there are lots of heart shaped designs to choose from with birth stones or even diamonds if your budget stretches that far. When choosing a ring for a man a plainer design ring would be more appropriate as most men prefer not to wear rings with stones in them.

One thing to remember if you are giving a promise ring to someone is to make sure that they understand what the promise is so that there is no misunderstanding. Giving a written note with the specific promise spelled out that can be read before the gift is opened will prevent any heartbreak.

Personalised Family Tree Dangle Necklace and Jewelry Box Gift

If you are struggling to think of a gift to give those special people in your life, then why not consider an item of personalised jewellery? Choosing a piece of personalised jewellery as a gift for someone will show that person that they are very special to you. There are lots of items of jewellery that can be personalised so pick the one that you think is most appropriate for the individual you are choosing it for, whether that is Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, teens, children or a close friend.

When thinking about giving jewellery as a gift, especially personalised jewellery, it is the females in our life who we normally consider as the recipient. Perhaps the most obvious ideas are a diamond ring or a pearl necklace. But the men in your life need not miss out even if they don’t usually wear jewellery, whether it’s heart jewellery, gold jewellery or whatever. Perhaps the most obvious items that spring to mind are identity bracelets (these could be engraved with his name or initials) or a pendant that could have a name or personal message put on it. However, some men would definitely not consider wearing either of these items but most men wear watches so this may be a good choice. You could have a special message engraved on the back of it to make it a more personalised gift. If they are professional men who wear a suit for work then a pair of cuff links or tie clip with their initials on them would make a nice gift.

Finding a suitable piece of jewellery for the ladies on your list is a much easier task no matter whether they are seven or seventy. So let’s consider some of the things that are available. For young girls, and maybe even young teenagers, a gold or silver necklace or bracelet with their name spelled out in letters on it is something they will love to wear. For an older teen a signet ring or a charm bracelet or heart earrings with her initials and her birthstone inset into it is something she may like.

When looking for something for your Mom or Grandma, a locket necklace is an ideal gift. Not only can you have it inscribed with a special message, or the birth dates of her children or grandchildren, you can add a family photograph inside so that she will always have the reminder of her family with her.

If the gift is for a wife or girlfriend then a really romantic gift to give her would be a heart charm bracelet with memorable dates and personal messages engraved on each heart charm. Another good choice would be a ring or necklace with both your birthstones inset into it and a romantic message such as “I love you” inscribed on it. But really any piece of jewellery that you can have a personal message put on to it will show that you have given a lot of thought into choosing the perfect gift for her.

But personalised jewellery does not have to be something that is engraved with messages or initials. Selecting an item of jewellery that reflects the interests or hobby of a friend or relative is another way of personalising a gift. For instance, if you have a friend who loves to buy shoes, or loves to shop or collects handbags (I have friends that love all these things!) then you could give her a necklace, earrings and a bracelet with the relevant charms attached to them. They are sure to make her smile and it will remind her of just what good friends you are because you know the things that make her happy.

Yet another great idea for personalised jewellery is to make it yourself. This would be a truly unique gift as there would be no other piece like it. You can buy jewellery making kits from craft stores or online retailers. For the more adventurous and artistic these stores sell all the equipment and books you need to help you create your individual design of earrings, necklaces and bracelets. But if you don’t feel confident enough to make your own jewellery then you could always look at craft fairs or on the Internet for handmade jewellery. You may even be able to have a design of your own made up.

So if you are looking for a unique gift for a man or a woman, take a little time to think about their personality – then do a bit of research and you are sure to find the ideal piece of personalised jewellery for them.

Following on from my previous posts about heart jewelry for men and it not being something anyone can see becoming fashionable any time soon, because it would look silly or girlie on them, I decided to have some fun and ask family members and friends which males they would like to see being made to wear say heart shaped earrings, a heart ring, heart pendants or other heart jewelry to make them look ridiculous and a laughing stock.

Most of the people I asked could come up with someone they wanted to look stupid without too much thought and not all of them chose celebrities or people in the public eye.  For instance, one of the people, who used to work for one of big five consulting firms, chose as their candidate one of the partners in the firm.  This guy was a typical little man with a big ego “puffed up and full of his own self importance”.  He should be made to wear heart shaped earrings because he was an “obnoxious twerp who deserved to be made to look silly”.  Knowing the commentator as I do, it must have been entertaining to see the working relationship that the two had!

At the time I did this survey the World Cup was in full swing and the England team was playing particularly badly and without any enthusiasm for winning a match.  My husband is a big soccer fan and was absolutely disgusted with his team’s performance and so he chose the whole of the England football squad to wear heart earrings, heart bracelets, heart rings, and necklaces.  His reasoning was that they played like a bunch of girls and so they deserved to be made to look like girls.  While I agree that they were anything like the macho men they think they are, I thought his comments were cruel and unfair to women!

Recently there have been surveys done that have found that couples have a sixth sense and often know what the other is thinking and have similar ideas.  This proved true when I was talking to friends and family even though I spoke to them separately.  One of the couples independently chose the Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Renaldo and they would both like to see him wearing heart earrings.  The husband said that he chose Renaldo because he is so arrogant and he wants him to look stupid.  His wife’s reasoning was that Renaldo is so conceited and full of himself.

Yet another couple chose Simon Cowell of American Idol fame and again they both picked the same item of jewelry – a heart necklace.  The lady said she would like to see him wearing a big heart medallion as the heart shape and its symbolism is the polar opposite of him because he comes across as quite heartless.  On the other hand the guy chose the heart necklace for Simon Cowell because he’d look ridiculous and because he is so in love with himself.

As I said earlier, not all of the respondents picked famous people to nominate.  One guy selected one of his neighbors who he would like to see with big heart shaped hoop earrings or a big heart necklace because he is such a big homophobe.  On  the other hand, another of the guys wanted his brother to wear heart rings “because he’d look funny and silly so I could laugh at him and he’d be embarrassed”.  Obviously some sibling rivalry there!

I was rather surprised that only one politician was on the list.  This was Jack Straw, a British Labour Party MP and former Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Justice Minister. The person who suggested him also chose an unusual piece of heart jewelry – a tiara with diamonds on it.  When asked why they would like to see this particular Member of Parliament wearing this the answer was, and I quote, “To make him look like a complete fool as everything he says is wrong and he’s a complete waste of space”.  Not much love lost there then!

My own choice would be any number of the car salesmen I have come across over the years (both in the USA and the UK) who even in this day and age think that women have no knowledge of what they are talking about when it comes to buying a car.  There was one occasion when the salesman actually told me to come back with my husband when I asked to go on a test drive!  I would like to see these guys wearing the biggest, flashiest, vulgar pieces of heart jewelry so that they can look as stupid as they sound when they come out with sexist comments.

So have some fun of your own and think about which male celebrity, politician or work colleague you would like to see looking ridiculous wearing heart shaped earrings or any other item of heart jewelry.

In a recent post I wrote about the increasing trend for celebrity men to have both their ears pierced and to wear diamond stud earrings. Recently I saw Jerry Rice on the TV, when his shirt was being retired, and he was wearing a pair of fairly large hoop earrings and once again my views on men wearing earrings were brought to the fore.  I have already said that maybe my views were perhaps outdated and not shared by the younger generation and even people of my own age, so I decided to find out if this really was the case by asking my friends, family and their children what they thought about men wearing jewelry, earrings in particular.  In particular, could they ever see a time when men would choose to wear heart jewelry? The ages of those I asked ranged from early teens to middle age and of both sexes.

The responses I got from the teenagers really surprised me as I thought maybe it was a generational thing and that I was no longer up with current trends and fashions. My friend’s thirteen year old daughter, the youngest of the group and very into fashion and modern trends, wrinkled her nose and said that she thought earrings on men were weird and she didn’t like them.  She suggested that some men’s jewelry was acceptable (a gold chain, an identity bracelet, a wedding ring and watch maybe) but nothing flashy or vulgar and certainly not any heart jewelry.

Another friend’s fifteen year old son said that “jewelry doesn’t look very good on men”. The only piece that he thinks is acceptable for a man is a watch and he believes that earrings look stupid, especially the silver heart earrings that he has seen!

An older teenage girl was more accepting of men wearing some form of jewelry but she said that it would have to be very subtle and it would depend on the man wearing it.  Although not totally against men having pierced ears, she was not keen on the idea of having both ears done or the wearing of diamond studs.  She laughed at the idea of men sporting a heart necklace or heart earrings but was more accepting of a pair of heart cuff links such as the open heart design because they are not overtly heart shaped.

Moving on to the next age group, twenty to thirty year olds, their answers were very similar to those of the teens. One of the guys said that lots of men look ridiculous in jewelry of any kind although he did go on to say that some guys do look okay with two ears pierced.  He went on to say that men’s jewelry pieces should be simple such as a wedding band, a simple chain or cuff links.  On the subject of heart jewelry his comments were “I’ve never seen heart jewelry on a man or for a man and I don’t see it becoming fashionable or being something that men would wear”.

Yet another of the guys was not a fan of men’s jewelry apart from wedding ring, maybe a pinky ring and cuff links.  He too could not imagine heart shaped jewelry becoming fashionable for guys especially not heart earrings.  The only piece of heart jewelry he could ever see himself wearing would be a pair of cuff links if somebody bought them for him.

The ladies in this age group were equally not keen to see men wearing earrings. As one of them put it: “Men shouldn’t wear earrings not even celebrities. No guy looks goods in these”. They also agreed that if men were to wear jewelry it needed to be minimal and understated not big and chunky perhaps a simple ring or a thread bracelet.  And in their view “there should be no hearts whatsoever on men’s jewelry”.

One of my good friends who is very into the latest fashion trends surprised me when she said that she hated men with pierced ears especially if both of them were pierced this – the word she used to describe it was “chavvy”.  She was also not keen on jewelry for men generally and certainly not heart jewelry which would be far too effeminate.

Two other friends (married to each other but asked at different times) shared similar opinions on the idea of men wearing jewelry.  Both were very much against the idea of guys having their ears pierced and while the wife said that it was okay for men to wear a wedding ring or watch her husband said that any sort of jewelry on a man was “girlie”.  One thing they both agreed on was that heart jewelry was feminine and definitely not for men.

Lastly I asked my husband and his best friend their thoughts on the subject of men’s jewelry and whether they would ever wear heart jewelry.  My husband’s reaction to the idea of heart jewelry for men was that it would be a contradiction as these designs are feminine and seen as “soppy” rather than macho and masculine.  When it comes to other jewelry items for men he is very much a traditionalist and is okay with signet rings, wedding rings, watches and cuff links but thinks that chains, earrings and bracelets are worn by men to show off.  In his words “fine if they want to wear them but I think they look silly”.

His friend had similar things to say about the wearing of jewelry by men suggesting that it was “used as a status symbol and as a way to attract women”.  The wearing of a gold medallion by a man, he implied, is a peacock type thing displaying his finery to attract the opposite sex.  Unlike most of the other men he thought that there was certainly one piece of heart jewelry that should be available for men to wear, a cheating heart pendant for guys who are unfaithful to their partners!

So, if my friends’ views are anything to go by it doesn’t look like heart jewelry and in particular silver heart earrings will become a fashion accessory for men any time soon.  However, if you had asked me a few years ago if guys would be wearing diamond studs in both of their ears I would have said I don’t think so.  Shows how much I know doesn’t it?

When you you reach a certain age, like I have (let’s say middle age and maybe even a little more, for the purposes of these notes), you realize that you have some pretty entrenched views: for example, ladies are the gentler and fairer sex and have an affinity with jewelry such as heart earrings and diamond necklaces, while men are rougher and often less refined and regard the wearing of jewelry as somewhat effeminate.  But you also realize that other younger people, and maybe the fringe element of people your own age, have some very different views and these can take you by surprise.

Which brings me on to the question I want to pose: have you noticed the increasing trend of men, especially celebrities and NFL and basketball players, having both ears pierced and wearing matching diamond stud earrings?  Is this the start of a trend that will spread?  Maybe history can give us a clue – because while the idea of pierced ears for both men and women goes back centuries, there was a time when the practice for men went out of style.  With it’s resurgence, and the fact that men are now wearing a style that one would usually think of as more for women, does it follow that they too will begin to choose other more traditionally feminine designs such as a heart earring?

As far back as early civilization both men and women have been adorning themselves with jewelry including earrings.  The ancient Egyptians were very accomplished jewelry makers and not only was the wearing of it a sign of wealth and status, it was important in ensuring a safe and trouble free journey to the afterlife.  When the tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt were discovered, such as that of Tutankhamen, the range of different pieces of jewelry found was quite staggering – there were bracelets, amulets, rings, necklaces, earrings, head bands, belts, anklets (and gold vests which were unique to the Egyptian culture).

In Old Testament biblical times there is a reference to the wearing of earrings by both of the sexes in Exodus chapter 32 verses 1-4.  When the Israelites were in the wilderness and they were waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain they asked Aaron to make them an image of a god that they could follow.  Aaron agreed to this and told them to bring him the gold earrings which were worn by the wives, sons and daughters.

Wearing earrings remained fashionable for both men and women until the Early Middle Ages but then the trend died out for a while.  During the 1900s, sailors made the wearing of earrings by men popular again.  One reason for the return of this trend was they believed that if they were lost at sea, when their body washed ashore, whoever found it would take the earring and use it to pay for a proper burial for them.   Having a pierced ear also signified that the sailor had crossed the equator or sailed round the world.

The modern trend of men having their ears pierced goes back to the hippie culture of the 1960s and 1970s.  Lets be honest, this was a time of breaking away from conventionality and the perceived stuffiness of the older generation (my father was in the Royal Air Force, and my father in law was in the Royal Marines during World War Two and I somehow cannot imagine them wearing an earring!).  During this time there was a debate as to which ear a man should have pierced depending on his sexual orientation; gay men should have their right ear done while heterosexual guys should choose the left.  Nowadays, this no longer applies as having both ears pierced is becoming increasingly the norm and even if only one ear is pierced (whether left or right) it is does not signify a man’s sexual preferences.

Now that some men are becoming “metrosexual”, taking more pride in their looks and wardrobe, using products such as moisturizers and make up (things I know my parents would have thought “unmanly”) maybe jewelry designs for men will change as well.  In an earlier post I suggested that men are still not seen wearing a heart chain, but maybe if one of the professional athletes or a male celebrities started wearing some heart jewelry then maybe we would see a heart earring, or heart chain selection in the men’s jewelry section in stores.  So look our for heart bracelets, heart necklaces and heart charms to populate the men’s jewelry section and join up with the heart earring offerings as well.

When you give heart charms as a gift it is a way of telling the person you are giving it to that you love them.  The most common date for giving heart related presents is February 14th, St Valentine’s Day.  Stores are filled with heart cakes, heart cookies, heart shaped boxes of chocolates and of course heart jewelry.

Telling someone you love them is not confined to Valentines Day or to that special partner.  There are many occasions that can be commemorated with personalized heart charms.

Give them as a special anniversary gift, for a special Mother’s Day present, to let Grandma know that she is loved or to thank a special friend for just being there. Whether the recipient wears gold or silver jewelry, they are sure to appreciate the fact that you have sought out something special just for them.

How about a heart charm with the birthstone of the recipient set into it?  Or how about giving one to a new mom with the birth date and name of their new baby on it?  And I really like the padlock and key heart charms from Things Remembered that you can have engraved with your own message – there’s a picture to the left and just click on it for more details.  In fact Things Remembered has a whole selection of charms for every occasion in their charm story collection.

The great thing about heart charms is that they can be worn on a bracelet or chain around the neck or even on a keyring.   And there are so many different sorts to choose from depending on your budget and taste.  The saying goes that “diamonds are forever” so maybe the perfect gift for the love of your life would be a diamond studded heart charm.

One of my favorite collections of heart charms is “The Open Heart” designs by Jane Seymour.  These make ideal gifts for friends or family and are really beautiful.  My husband bought me one of these charms for Christmas and I never take it off.  You can now show that special man in your life how much you love him as there are Open Hearts cufflinks in  this collection!

Very popular throughout history have been locket heart charms.  Some ladies kept pictures of their husbands or fiancé in them with a lock of their hair especially if their loved one was in the military and away from home.  Moms often keep photos of their baby and their first curl when it is cut off.  These are lovely keepsakes and very personal as the wearer can keep their loved ones close all the time.

There are many different kinds of heart charms to choose from to suit any occasion so remember you can give your heart to that special someone any time not just on St Valentines Day.

I love heart jewelry and a pair of white gold heart earrings that my husband bought me a few years ago is one of my favorite and most precious pieces of any type of jewellery.  That’s quite fitting because the heart has long been a symbol of love.

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.

10k Gold 3-stone Diamond Heart Pendant with 18″ Chain (1/10 Cttw; I-J Color)

NFL Atlanta Falcons Reversible Crystal Heart Pendant with 16″ Chain

Sterling Silver & Created White Sapphires Journey Heart-Shaped Pendant w/18″ Chain

Have you ever seen a man wearing a heart chain? We’ve all seen men with gold bracelets, gold chains and fancy, over-the-top rings, even if it’s only in a gangster movie or a soap opera. But have you seen a man wearing a heart chain while you’ve been out in the Mall or in the local restaurant?  Or what about other types of decoration such as a heart bracelet, a heart pendant necklace or a heart brooch?  Doesn’t seem quite right – does it?  Are men really into heart jewellery of any sort, whether it is a heart chain, earrings or anything, even in this day of political correctness and “girly” men?

With the advent of the Baby Boomer generation, jewellery for men has evolved at a high-speed rate, with many exotic innovations now commonly accepted even though they at first appeared eccentric – but there remain some “beyond the limit” items and a heart chain is just one instance.  For example, one product available at a leading jewellery seller was engraved with the words “The heart and key are timeless symbols of the singular love between two people.” – this implies a unisex appeal for the product, but do you know any men who would wear it?

Times have changed rapidly since the 1960s and the hippie/free love generation.  Until that time, twentieth century jewellery for men in western societies was generally confined to watches, cuff links and tie pins.  Understatement, refinement and quality was the goal.

And any suggestion that it was appropriate and fashionable for men to wear earrings, to display gold medallions around their necks or to have piercings in their eyes, nose, tongue (or whatever else has now come to be commonplace) would have been regarded as fitting only for savages.

Such decorations were for women only.  Western societies believed that men’s jewellery should focus on functionality, leaving colour and beauty to the arena of the female of the species.

Yet in the four decades since then we have seen a cultural transformation.  So in 2009, for example, we have completely accepted the “metrosexuals,” men who take such great pride in their looks and clothing that it is vitally important for them to be not just presentable but fashionable as well.

They believe that masculine jewelry such a silver earring makes them good to look at without being “girly” or effeminate.  In fact, there is a huge selection of fashion jewelry for men.  They boldly wear necklaces, bracelets and earrings to complement their hair or eyes because this “accessorizing” enhances their looks.  Rings, necklaces, bracelets and cuff links all emphasize their confidence, achievements and status.

Even the more conventional male members of society have been caught up in the enthusiasm of new ideas.  Large gold rings or medallions, fancy cuff links and even bracelets can be found at all levels of society.  What was once a caricature from a Hollywood film or a TV series and accepted as show business exaggeration (for example, Shaft, Starsky and Hutch or Miami Vice in the USA; Minder or Only Fools and Horse in the UK) is now commonplace in Denver or Dallas or London or Liverpool.

But there are some limits that remain to this day.  Gold and silver medallions would be regarded with any sort of disdain by very few people these days and especially the young.  But even in the age of equality of the sexes and equal rights for people of any color, religion or sexual persuasion, I suggest that a man walking down Main Street USA or High Street UK would be considered more than a little eccentric if he sported, for example, a gold, silver or diamond heart chain.  Some heart jewellry is acceptable for men and some just isn’t!  When you give it much thought though (or at least, when I do!), it does seem as if a man wearing a heart trinket (for example, a heart brooch, a heart locket, heart charms or a heart bracelet) is not exactly, how should we say, “mainstream”.

Am I living in an insulated part of the world or do you agree?