I’ve never been a ring person, although I’ve always really loved medieval gauntlets and also arm warmers and fashion statement gloves. I can’t say I’m against all hand accessories. The truth is, as a guitar player, I hardly ever even get a chance to enjoy a fresh manicure or coat of nail polish, let alone wear rings. My best friend and roommate, however, is a ring fiend. She must have about four or five different hands to display them on her dresser. It is a diverse and impressive collection – something for every occasion.

Le Vian Red Carpet® 14k Strawberry Gold® Ring

She has so many different kinds of rings housing beautiful polished stones, such as amethyst, citrine and tourmaline, but also some of the classics from the matriarchs of the family – a silver ring housing an exquisitely cut sapphire, our shared birthstone, is the crown jewel of this collection. It was a gift from one of her grandmother’s, given to her as a baby, and saved until she was old enough to appreciate it and wear it, first to family functions, then to school dances, and eventually to prom and graduation. Me, on the other hand? I’m more of an earrings person. I love the simplicity of a well-made stud, and the way that it catches the light. We all have different types of jewelry that we’re attracted to, and it makes sense as a reflection of who we are personality wise and stylistically.

I found that my family, in contrast, never really passed rings along. We seemed to be more of a necklace family. My brothers have always worn corded necklaces that host Celtic crosses, and my mother and grandmother love necklaces. One commonality is that I too received a birthstone piece, just in a different format; a small but bright sapphire dangling from a precious, thin silver chain. I hardly have an occasion formal enough to wear it. I’m also still kind of a young punk at heart, and I wear a lot of absolutely gaudy statement pieces. I have a necklace that features nothing except a huge silver pair of lips, for example, and I like it that way for daily outfits and ensembles. But there’s a difference, I think, between wearable pieces like that and real jewelry – it’s something that can hardly be explained, but it’s deep in the craftsmanship, the style, and the formality of it.

The biggest challenge to choosing any gift, no matter who it is for or what the occasion may be, is choosing something that promises to stand out and be memorable. The closer you are to the person, the more important that becomes. I routinely buy gifts for the office grab bag at the deli on the corner of my business on my way to the party, but buying something for my wife on our anniversary requires a little more thought. This year, I decided I would surprise her with pearls.

7 Strand Pearl Necklace

I wish I could take credit for coming up with the idea, but it was actually her mother who planted the seed. When we were visiting over the holidays, she shared with us old family photos that a friend had helped her convert to digital files. We saw pictures from when she and her girlfriends, all single ladies, would dress up for a special occasion, and it seemed like most of them were wearing either pearl earrings or a pearl necklace. My wife mentioned something about it, and I could tell that something in the way they looked struck her.

Pearls certainly aren’t your everyday type of fine jewelry, and that was part of what appealed to me. There is plenty of jewelry out there that goes with everything, it seems, and can be worn all the time. That’s certainly a benefit because you know that you’re getting your money’s worth, but my way of thinking is that our anniversary isn’t just an everyday type of occasion. I wanted to find something for her that really spoke to how special a day it was between us.

As beautiful as something may be, if you wear it all the time, it becomes easy to forget just how special it is. Part of the joy of fine jewelry is being reminded of its rarity. I don’t think my wife needs to be reminded how much I love her and how special I think she is, but at the same time, I’m excited about giving her something that she can save and wear sparingly. That way, I’ll know it’s going to be a special type of night when she decides it’s time to wear the pearls.

After all the time I spent shopping for Christmas gifts, I wanted to make sure I took as much time as I could before I started looking for something to get my girlfriend for Valentine’s Day. I knew I could procrastinate because I already had a pretty good idea of what I was going to buy her. Of course, the calendar started flipping too fast and the next thing I knew, I only had a few days left to find that special piece of fine jewelry. Turns out, I didn’t have to panic after all.

Sterling Silver and Diamond Heart Bracelet

I told the sales associate the same thing that I’m sure he heard from every other guy who came rushing into the store at the last minute: I wanted to get her something special that wasn’t the typical Valentine’s Day gift. He asked me what kind of jewelry I thought she needed. The problem was, when I pictured her all dressed up for when we went out, I already saw her wearing diamond earrings, gold necklaces and fashion rings. I didn’t want to get her something she already had, but I couldn’t think of anything she didn’t have.

He showed me a selection of diamond tennis bracelets and I realized if it wasn’t for him, I never would have thought of that. I remember when I was younger, they seemed to be much more popular, but I guess times change and so do fads. The bracelets he showed me were all stunning, and they ranged from simple silver chains with a single mounted diamond to thick bands with diamonds studded all around.

What made me most excited about the diamond bracelet I selected for her was that I know it is something she can wear all the time. If she was dressing up for a night out or just wearing casual clothes around the house, it would go with everything. She could even play sports with it. I mean, they don’t call it a tennis bracelet for nothing! I just hope I’m as lucky when it comes to finding the flowers and chocolate as I was picking out the jewelry for her.

When it comes to decorating your house for the holidays, what is your favorite part of the process? Some people like getting in the Christmas spirit the night of Thanksgiving by turning on some Christmas music and decorating their homes with all of the red and green decorations they can find. Other people do not go overboard at all and will simply ignore the holiday as it passes. No matter what you do or do not do for Christmas, you can still save a ton of money if you decide to do some Christmas shopping. Even if you do not celebrate Christmas, you can still save hundreds, even thousands of dollars on items you would have purchased anyway. If you are going to buy something you may as well buy it when it is on sale! Everything from cars to engagement rings will be on sale for you to buy for yourself or another person.

View our Great Gift Selections at Amidon Jewelers

Many people enjoy the process of going out to buy and put up a Christmas tree. Some people like the fake trees because they are less work to clean up. These trees also only need to be purchased one time. Just like an engagement ring, you can typically buy one in your life and be okay for a very long time! Eventually you will need to upgrade your tree as you move from home to home and you may even have to buy her a new diamond ring on down the road to keep her happy, but for the most part, one item is more than enough! Real trees have some pros and cons to them. One of the biggest pros is the smell. Real Christmas trees smell so good! They fill your home with the smell of Christmas and allow everyone who comes in your house to feel the love and warmth of this very special time of year. It is also a very special time with your family to decorate the tree and house together. If you have children, this can be quite the production! Their little faces will light up as you place each and every ornament on the tree for them to see. Your wife will also enjoy opening up her gift from under the tree – a lovely diamond ring!