Dappered Classics – How to Buy a Woman Jewelry

Tips for Buying Her Jewelry

Originally Published 2/11/10

(Many thanks to the Dappered.com Panel of Women for their contributions to this post. To see more of what they’ve had their hands in on this site, go here, and here.)

Short of meeting her parents or getting down on one knee to propose, there’s hardly a more nerve-shredding experience than buying a woman jewelry. Buying a woman jewelry is big. It’s extremely personal. Each woman has her own tastes and guaranteed they’re specific.

This requires careful thought, planning, and observation. The stakes are high. Screw this up and she’ll be left with a trinket worth a couple hundred bucks (or more) which she doesn’t actually like, but feels obligated to wear.

Here are the five best tips to keep in mind when buying a woman jewelry.

#1: Don’t. Just… Don’t.

Seriously consider not doing this. It’s a minefield. This isn’t as easy as picking up a dozen flowers on the way home. There are so many ways to go wrong with this that it’s often better to just give her something else.

If you’re early on in the relationship, you really shouldn’t be buying her jewelry. You risk sending the message that you’re moving too fast.
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#2: Pay attention to what she already wears. Don’t stray.

Does she ever wear yellow gold? No? Then don’t buy her anything made out of yellow gold. Never seen her wear long, dangley earrings? Then steer clear of those. Does she hardly ever wear necklaces? Stick to earrings. This is really a process of elimination. Go back through old photos if you have to, sneak a peak (but don’t touch, they’ll know when something has moved) in her jewelery box.

Get an idea of what she wears, and more importantly what she doesn’t wear. What would you think if you played pickup basketball every weekend, and for your birthday she got you a Lacrosse Stick? No different.
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#3: Save the receipt. Get a Friend’s approval.

Listen carefully when they tell you what the return policy is. A lot of places won’t take anything back if you take a single tag off the piece. Keep the receipt, hell keep the BAG you walked out of the store with it in.

Go find one of her friends who can keep a secret, and show the piece to her. Approval? Applause? Squeals of delight? Keep it. If they make a weird face, or pick it up and examine it as if they were picking at a hangnail, take it back. And maybe take the friend with you for help.
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#4: Quality over Quantity

This goes for engagement rings all the way down to the “just because” earrings you got her. Bigger does not equal better. A higher quality half carat diamond will look 10x better than a cloudy, dim, inclusion filled stone that’s much larger. Make sure the piece sparkles, the stones bounce light well, and the materials used to put it together don’t look or feel inferior.
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#5: When in Doubt, stick with the classics.

And what are the classics? Diamonds, pearls, white gold and sterling silver. Nothing too big, nothing too dangley. Keep it simple.

*Final Note: Anything from Tiffany is a winner. Seriously, ask around.
She’ll love it.