Together Is Better: Bring Your Beloved In To Choose Jewelry Together
If you're considering getting your significant other a gift of jewelry, you might want to think carefully about how to tell them. Many people have commercial-worthy scenarios in their heads, where they surprise the person with a particular piece -- and of course, the person loves it. But in reality, jewelry can be a touchy subject. So many meanings and superstitions about stones and metals abound that, unless you know the recipient very, very well, you could end up creating more discord than joy. It might be better if you bring the other person to a jewelry store to choose a piece both of you like.
Misunderstood Meanings
Gemstones and metals have lots of lore surrounding them. If the recipient of the jewelry tends to believe the lore, or believe the "meaning" assigned to a specific stone or metal, then you risk offending them by giving them a particular item. For example, onyx used to be thought of as a demonic stone, bringing bad influences with it. Nowadays, it has more of a protective aura about it. But if you give someone onyx, thinking it will serve as a nice representation of protection, but the recipient knows only about the previous associations with bad luck, then your gift could backfire.
Much of the lore tends to be obscure and can turn a "good" stone into a "bad" stone arbitrarily. For example, Snopes.com notes that emeralds have a host of wonderful benefits ranging from curing snakebites to ensuring legal victories -- unless you give the stone to someone on a Monday, which can weaken the benefits of the stone. Yes, that's right; the almighty emerald bows down to Monday. There aren't enough Garfield jokes in the world to do that one justice.
Cultural Confusion
Cultural and literary knowledge also influence how someone interprets the gift of a particular stone. For example, Snopes notes that in Eastern cultures, opals are considered to be lucky. In Western cultures, black opals are lucky while white opals are not -- unless the recipient knows his or her Sir Walter Scott, in which case he or she will remember that the idea of an unlucky opal is a myth. People into things like astral projection will also appreciate opals.
If you've been with your significant other for a long time and have a pretty good read on what they think of certain stones -- and you know they have a favorite -- you're pretty safe choosing something for them. But if gemstone preference isn't something you've discussed, don't take a chance. Bring the person to a jewelry store and choose a piece together to ensure that both of you are happy with what you end up with.
Want to find out more about gemstone and metal lore, or to choose a piece of jewelry with a particular stone? Contact jewelers in your area and start looking at selections. Find stores that have the most diverse stock available, and spend the day with your sweetheart, choosing a jewel that he or she will treasure. To learn more about jewelry, visit Jackson Jewelers.
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