The Art Of Gift Giving

How do you choose the right piece of jewelry? To be a good jewelry gift giver, one must study the personality of the RECEIVER. Jewelry.com offers you advice and personality profiles so you can successfully plumb our Retailers vast selection of jewelry.

'Tis better to give than to receive. If the receiving part is performed successfully, it stimulates the giver, but generally it's the givers who have to rack their brains to find the right item to make a good impression. Jewelry is one of the best choices for ensuring success, but what to buy? TRUE Gift-Giving, an art at which we Americans are especially adept, includes some research beforehand to pinpoint the tastes of the recipient. As with all jewelry purchases, there is that inevitable juggling act between available funds, the size of the gem and the desired effect one wishes to achieve. Jewelry, a gift that's meant to last and not be consumed in the present like so many objects nowadays, should be offered and received with a certain respect, even if it has no great intrinsic value.

On Receiving

There's the story of Zelda Fitzgerald, who, in a fit of anger, threw the diamond watch that F. Scott had just given her out of the window of a train. It's best not to follow that example. Mae West always declared she'd never collected diamonds "they just kind of accumulated around me". False Modesty? Not!!! Better to follow the shining example of the great Elizabeth Taylor, true queen in the art of receiving jewelry, since Richard Burton presented the most valuable diamonds in the world to her. Or copy the grace of the Duchess of York, Wallis Simpson, who knew how to steer husband Prince Edward's

wealth towards the most exclusive and innovative jewelry of the time.

Faux Pas Prohibited

If your finances have you singing that 1928 Dorothy Fields hit I can't give you anything but love BABY, Jewelry.com wants to help you and all those who have decided to give a precious gift by proposing profiles of contemporary personalities based on their tastes and lifestyles. Jewelry is no longer a rigid law unto itself. It's now widely influenced by current trends. The Fashionista wouldn't appreciate a classical row of pearls any more than the Retronista woman would be disappointed with a modern silver bracelet. Better not risk making a mistake; the cost of failure could be higher than that of the gift. Just ask F. Scott Fitgerald!!

FASHIONISTA

Personality
Always basking in the spotlight, both on and off the catwalks, half Sharon Stone and half Elizabeth Hurley, the fashionista woman is bold but feminine. This fashion addict catches on fast to the latest trends and follows the jet-set extravaganzas as well as the new lifestyle trends. She never misses the inauguration of a via Montenapoleone boutique, just as she'll never refuse a cup of tea with friends at the feng shui tables of Corso Como 10. To discover the latest styles, she might just as well travel on weekends between the London boutiques of Bond Street to New York's West 14th Street (Manhattan's latest shopping Mecca). She devours fashion magazines, from Vogue to Vanity Fair, to find ideas for adding to her ever-fashionable wardrobe. Her status-symbol accessories will include the Birkin comfy and always trendy handbag or Louis Vuitton's new shopping bag in fluorescent green or orange. To have one of these she's prepared to wait months on the waiting list. On her feet she flaunts Byblos' big boots or Manolo Blanhik's shoes, worn by all Manhattan's top models not to mention every woman's fave television Fashionista, Kerry Bradshaw - Sarah Jessica Parker on Sex In The City. She very rarely spends an evening at home. If she does, she naturally has a take-out from the ultra-chic Japanese restaurant Nobu.

Her Jewelry Du Jour
For neckwear she has stylized crosses, contemporary signs of a revival halfway between the sacred and profane or the necklace with circles in white gold and diamonds. She also prefers a ring characterized by a breathtaking movement of colored stones, suitable for special occasions as well as an informal function. On her wrist she prefers oversize bracelets with an aerodynamic design.

RETRONISTA

Personality
Classic but intriguing and seductive. She transforms the essential into sex appeal and elegance. She's graceful and discreet in her extreme femininity. Like a modern Paloma Picasso, one of the first to wear vintage clothes in the1960s, she loves to find rÔtro clothes in the flea markets to match with the new fashion must-haves. She combines basic contemporary with Victorian lace and needlepoint in a mixture of past, present and future. With a soft spot for modern 1950s-mania, she recreates the era of fashionable society in an Yves Saint Laurent coat or a suit to be combined with Valentino glasses and hat, stepping into a world evoked in Zeffirelli's new film, Callas Forever. In her Vintage Papillon handbag she always keeps a wonderfully flowery and persistent scent by Blumarine, in an atomizer bottle recalling those of early last century. Next to her antique compact of pale powder is her vermilion lipstick that transports her back to the magic atmosphere of old Montmartre, reminiscent of the style of Nicole Kidman's Satine, the splendid star of Moulin Rouge. For evening, alone at home she wears a soft, silk slip, like the 1930s sirens Jean Harlow and Joan Crawford. In bed, under her hand-made lace embellished sheets, she reads a few pages of a Victorian period novel using an antique, powder-scented silk rose as a bookmark.

Her Jewelry Du Jour
Deco diamond brooches or cameos to pin on tiny polo-necks. An esprit classique has to have a cascade of pearls to wind around her neck or earrings with solitaire pearls matched with sparkling diamonds. For affairs of the heart, the solitaire, the engagement ring par excellence. Long, sleek grande soirÔe gowns, like those popular at the beginning of the last century demand the super-chic dangling earrings.

ECLECTICNISTA

Personality
She is the new hippy with a passion for mix-and-match: an extrovert, exuberant, ironic and romantic woman. She was one of the first to see My Best Friend's Wedding, but she also loved the eerie and haunting atmosphere of The Sixth Sense. She prowls art galleries, museums and theatre shows (she spells that word t-h-e-a-t-R-E). She has diverse taste in books and possesses classics, New Age esoterica, art catalogs and coffee table volumes ... oh and she owns heaps of travel guides. You'll find modern paintings mixed with period furniture and designer pieces adorning hard wood floors and hand-woven carpets throughout her house. She loves to travel, passing from the restless atmosphere of Prague to the sunny colors of the Latin countries, with a deep passion for Africa. Always a traveler but never a tourist, she manages to return from her globetrotting experiences with a new idea and a new way of combining fabrics and precious objects. Hers is a joyful elegance, with class but without slavishly following any trends. Her watchwords for clothes are "melting pot". From grandma's closet or the local markets all the way up to Ferretti's classic Philosophy shoulder bag and Dolce & Gabbana's Autumn-Winter 2002/2003 offerings.

Her Jewelry Du Jour
Restless and curious, she is fascinated by Oriental philosophies, holistic medicine and crystal therapy; she naturally chooses talisman, handcrafted jewelry in one-off pieces. Depending on her mood, she might wear crosses with big, semi-precious stones, mosaics and yellow gold or flowery rings. She has a real passion for long earrings and also multi-strand necklaces with great centerpieces. Without losing her customary verve and free spirit, for a special evening she could casually wear all of the above with a pair of jeans and a lace shirt.

POWER WOMANISTA

Personality
By day, you could just as easily find her on Concorde as in her office with a cup of tea. When she isn't working, on the road or out at an important function, she likes to unwind with a film or a good book. Her bookshelf has titles as varied as The Tao Of Management, the Where To Wear ( 2003 guide to how to dress in cities around the world). Her DVD library is a mix of escapist

romantic comedies, independent films and Pilates workouts. When not in a name designer "power suit," this glamorous businesswoman dresses down but definitely doesn't go too casual. To suit her style, she favors up-to-the-minute spring/summer 2003 collections of the top designer stitchers - in such colors as black, white, red and espresso brown. She may not be easy to buy for, but one thing is certain, she pays attention to detail from her hairstyle all the way down to her business suit cufflinks.

Her Jewelry Du Jour
Fortunately this season has plenty to offer her. For day-to-day wear, she prefers her jewelry collection in gold and diamonds, which is forceful and feminine at the same time. This is a woman who would appreciate a tennis bracelet any time of year. Oversized citrine and yellow gold rings let them know she is all business and with good taste. She is attracted to gold and bold geometric shapes and would wear a simple but smart collection of gold and diamond rings for a casual stroll around the city.

See our "Tips for Men buying Jewelry for Women"