If you don’t know someone well, choosing a gift of jewelry can be a bit daunting. My honest advice is "If you are worried about giving a jewelry gift, it is probably better to stick to a gift certificate." Of course your Sweetheart will love most anything you give her, and the sentimental value outweighs whether or not it is something she would have chosen for herself. At least most of the time.

But unless you are choosing a "fun" necklace or pair of earrings for a child, try to get your intended "giftee" to tell you what he or she would prefer. Especially if you are spending over $50.00. An expensive jewelry gift hidden in a  drawer is worse than useless.

Why does shopping have to be drudgery? It’s unreal to me that choosing a beautiful jewelry gift for someone special could be anything other than intensely pleasurable. I like to set aside a special time to go looking, either in person or on line. If I’m shopping at home, I make sure to have a nice glass of red wine to hand, or maybe a little eggnog this time of year.

The trick is to not be in a hurry. Kick back, put on some classical music (or hip hop, folk or punk- whatever suits your fancy) and let your imagination soar! Yes, shopping can be an imaginative adventure if you just think a little outside of the ordinary. People do like to be surprised, you know.