Help with Choosing Jewellery for Yourself & Others

Good jewellery is a long term investment.  With a little planning we can build up a great wardrobe of jewellery that will complement all our clothes & suit any occasion.  Start with the basics; something you will wear everyday.  Depending on your tastes, a good pendant, earrings, ring, necklace or brooch would be a good starting point.  Start with either your favourite colour, or something like diamonds or pearls that can be worn with any colour.

Currently very fashionable, this Circle of Diamond pendant has a long history as a symbol of unending love or friendship.  As such it makes a wise gift idea, that will never age.

 Diamond Stud Earrings are another classic that have stood the test of time.  These never truly date or go out of fashion.  Ofcourse they can be a very romantic gift;  but also can be a suitable gift for any female of almost any age with pieced eyes.  They come in variety of price ranges.  A moderately expensive pair can mark a special occasion such as a graduation.  If you are a little unsure of the lady's tastes, white gold is always a safe bet.

This is an example of a diamond dress ring that never goes out of style.  Your only choice is price range & gold colour.  Surprise her with diamonds!  A 14k ring such as this is easily resized, so relax, she loves you and your gift.

What coloured Gemstone Should I Buy or Give  Again start with the colour you will wear the most frequently.  What colour/s do you prefer?  What stone/s match these?  Next you can get more adventureous with other colours that match or contrast. 

Fiery Gems for Dark Colours  If you enjoy wearing black, navy or grey dress these up with fiery red garnet or ruby or hot Pink Tourmaline or bright blue Topaz  These brilliant colours will really stand out against the dark hues of your clothing.

 Bright, bright Blue Topaz looks great with dark colours.

 Briliant Ruby Pendant dress up black or navy.

Fiery Garnet Earrings

Gems to Match Autumn Colours

Is your wardrobe based mostly on earthy or orche colours?  Then jazz it up with the help of citrine, peridot, garnet, emerald or tsavorite.  Champagne diamonds also blend in well;  as does such stones as tigereye & amber, all illustrated below. 

Autumn Gems 

Citrine Earrings go with Autumn Tonings

 Autumn Gems

Peridot Pendant

Gems to Enhance Pastels

Do you enjoy wearing pastel coloured clothing?  Emphasis its softness with such gemstones as PEARL, OPAL, Aquamarine or soft shades of Tourmaline, TOPAZ or TANZANITE.  Diamonds are always a star with pastels.  White gold can also have a softening effect.

Soft, but bright Pink Sapphire

 Gentle but Sophisticated Aquamarine looks great with pastels.

Tanzanite & Opal combine for a soft look with Pastel colours

Colourful Gemstone to Enhance or Contrast Your Colouring   Up until this point we have considered matching colourful gemstones to your clothing.  But have you considered using jewellery to enhance or contrast your hair, eyes or even skin tones?  This can help you decide on what colour stones you should buy first & build your wardrobe around.

Gems to Match Your Skin & Hair   Do you have red, golden or orange highlights in your hair?  You can emphasis these by wearing citrine, yellow sapphire, garnet or even champagne or cognac diamonds.  A brunette might consider emphasising her darkness with black pearls or onyx earrings, pendants or necklaces.  Or a blonde might like to show off her skin tones by wearing white pearls & opals or even soft aquamarine.  As with clothing you can also create an effect by contrasting light with dark, or extreme opposite colours.

Gems to Enhance Your Eyes   Blue eyes can be emphasised by wearing either sapphire or blue topaz, depending on your shade.  Turquoise can show blue eyes off nicely.  Aquamarine will draw attention to large grey eyes. People with hazel eyes can show these off by wearing citrine, peridot, amber or tigerseye.  Very dark eyes can be matched with dark tones of amethyst.  Cognac or even black diamonds can also a good choice for dark-eyed lovelys.

Show off your dark, dark hair (or skin)

with these lovely onyx & marcasite earrings

 Who's got deep Blue Eyes?

Show them off with these Sapphire Blue Earrings

Hair or Eyes - these Amber Earrings show up auburn highlights

in either your hair or your eyes

Completing Your Jewellery Collection    Once you have a set of what you can wear most of the time - eg. perhaps you have bought yourself (or perhaps aquired as gifts....) a sapphire pendant, earrings, bracelet, brooch & ring set to match your dark blue eyes, you can begin to get complementing & contrasting stones.  Perhaps our example might like to get some pink tourmaline & blue topaz or tanzanite.  Concentrate on what you wear the most of - eg. pendants or earrings.  Over time you may get quite a collection, and if you follow the rules I have outlined above you will always have lovely, glimmering jewellery that suits you and your clothes and even your moods!

Buying for Others   These same rules apply no matter who you buy for.  Match the stones to their colouring (or their favourite clothing colour) & you will give them something they can wear & remember you by forever.