She said: “The jewels. It’s all about the jewels.”
I posed a question to my female friends on Facebook: what Valentine’s gift would be the most fun — flowers, chocolate, lingerie, or jewelry? I got a variety of responses, but one of them pretty much summed up the majority. “The jewels,” she said. “It’s all about the jewels.”
So, while your sweetie may really appreciate flowers, lingerie, or candy, the bottom line is you simply can’t go wrong with jewelry — on Valentine’s Day or any other day.
There is just something impressive about precious gems, gold, and silver. They don’t call face-centered, cubic-crystalline-structured allotropes of carbon a “girl’s best friend” for nothing. And diamonds aren’t even the most precious mineral. Flawless rubies are rarer. And more valuable still (per carat) are alexandrite and jadeite.
Often more important than what the jewelry is made of, however, is how it is made — a wonderfully-designed necklace or bracelet of semi-precious stones and cleverly-wrought metal can be more appealing than a gaudy but aesthetically less-pleasing design incorporating diamonds. It’s all a matter of taste. Still, beautifully-designed jewelry that features one or more of the “big 5″: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and pearls (technically not a ”precious stone”) is always going to be impressive.
But why?
No human society has ever been found that does not adorn the body. What is more, all bodily adornment has some type of significance. In the case of jewelry, the meaning is clear: we associate ourselves with some of the rarest, purest, most beautiful substances found on earth. Gemstones sparkle like stars. Thus do we enhance our splendor. They also last longer than any natural object. Thus do we increase our importance. Spiritual meanings are ascribed to jewels as well. The gem-studded crowns of kings and queens were as much about channeling esoteric “power” as they were about material status. All jewelry has meaning.
And thus, the wearer of jewelry – which women seem to instinctively understand better than men – becomes more precious, more important, more beautiful. That is the message you send when you wear jewelry. Or give it as a gift.
I have been hunting for places on the Web that I can recommend where you can go to find great jewelry for that special person. I’ve found a couple.
B2C Jewels
The first is B2C Jewels. “B2C” stands for “Business to Consumer,” which means they provide wholesale prices to you, saving the middle-man markup. They have been diamond wholesalers for over 20 years and their website has become one of the most popular online sources for elegant jewelry at great prices. They offer loose diamonds and the capability to design your own ring online. They also offer lookalike jewelry similar to that which famous celebrities have worn for thousands less than the originals you see on the red carpet. They have educational info on jewelry-buying and an online chat feature so you can ask questions. They also support the Kimberly Process that works to halt the trading of “conflict diamonds.”
I am impressed with their customer service and pricing. And their selection is quite good. On their homepage, click on “View Media Page” in the right sidebar to see video news features and coverage of B2C Jewels from such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Redbook, and Modern Bride.
Here are some of their products:
Are you planning on proposing soon? They’ve got you covered for that, too (click the text link):
Perfect Engagement Ring for Your Valentine
Here’s my other recommendation for excellent jewelry…
Wishgiving
Wishgiving.com is jewelry artist Vanessa Leu’s site. She creates unconventional designs inspired by a variety of sources — nature, literature, music, the philosophy of Lao Tzu – and each piece is intended to “deliver blessings” to the wearer. Her interesting designs, which incorporate a variety of precious and semi-precious stones and symbolic emblems, have caught on with discerning jewelry buyers and have been worn by actresses who have appeared on Grey’s Anatomy and Heroes. The business is dedicated to sound environmental practices, including making jewelry boxes from 100% recycled material and obtaining silver for their pendants from recycled silver from film processing.
Here is a sampling of what they offer. (Note: the emerald earrings below are currently discounted to $278):
Black Silver Lariat Necklace with Long Crystal Quartz
Pink Pearl & Heart Filigree Necklace – $ 115.00
Click the banner below to browse through all the unique designs from Wishgiving:
From these outstanding jewelry sources you should be able to discover something excellent to adorn your significant other. Her smile will let you know you chose exactly right. (It’s all about the jewels, remember.)
And now that you understand jewelry’s significance in conveying a message, you should consider some for yourself. Both B2C Jewels and Wishgiving have cool items for men. After all, you’re uniquely valuable, too. Express it.
