Finding the perfect piece of jewellery for your significant other is rarely easy. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we asked leading luxury jewellery designer Theo Fennell to share his do’s and don’t’s for making the right choice on February 14
Fitting her personality
Ideally the piece should reflect both of your styles and personalities, even if only one of them is in a subtle way. This will all depend on how well you know your partner and how long and how intense the relationship is. If we assume this is for a life-partner, for example, then the hope is that you know them pretty well!
What are her interests, favourite things, her birthstone? The more you are armed with specific details, the more special a piece can be. Even if you are not going the bespoke route, these things are important. Think of what form the piece is going to take and what little details it might have. Remember, even adding the date or entwined initials can transform a piece.
We recently made a ring for two lovers, one from Canada and one from London. We used a gold Maple coin from the year of her birth and a Sovereign from his, melted together to provide the gold for the ring. Not even visible, but it made a huge difference to the emotion of the piece and provided a story for them to tell forever. With all due modesty, we are very skilled at finding small ways to individualise pieces for both the most theatrical tastes and the less adventurous.
Bring her breakfast in bed with a small piece of jewellery in a hollowed-out egg and watch the reaction!
Bring her breakfast in bed with a small piece of jewellery in a hollowed-out egg and watch the reaction!
Fitting her style
This depends on two things: how you read her and how imaginative you are. Has she mentioned anything specific that she likes, are there any colours she loves? What will she actually wear? Does she like earrings or pendants or even a brooch?
Women tend to be much braver in what they wear than most men believe, and are much more receptive to emotional and sentimental heft in a piece than most men would care to get involved in.
A great piece of jewellery will go on eliciting the same emotional reaction for ever, so open up your inner self and allow your creative side to breathe. It sounds a bit Californian but it really works and it is great fun to get involved in the creating or choosing of something really special. Imagine her wearing it, looking for it and putting it on and it will give you a sense of what she will like. The sort of jewellery we are talking about should be beyond fashion.
The suitable amount
Vulgar as it may seem, you have to know what you are prepared to spend and to know what choices are open to you. So be upfront with yourself. Think of a price… then double it!
When to go bespoke
Really this is down to time. If you have the time you should always have something special done, even if it is to an existing piece. However, we try to keep a really broad range of very individual pieces here that suit even the most outlandish requests and many pieces that can be simply tweaked.
When she should wear it
There is absolutely no right or wrong way to wear jewellery; it is purely down to personal style and nerve. What Dolly Parton wears to work will not be the same as Angela Merkel. Plus, look how blinged up Her Majesty can get.
Presenting it
We try to take as much trouble over the box and presentation of a bespoke piece as the piece itself. However, if you want added effect, some of the most hackneyed are often the best. On the London Eye, hidden inside another present, at the front of an aeroplane on the way to the sun. Here is where you really need to know your partner well.
Giving it to her
Bring her breakfast in bed with a hollowed-out egg in an egg cup with even a small piece of jewellery and a short, romantic note hidden in it and watch the reaction. Size isn’t everything and you will only thank me.
Find out more about Theo Fennell
The post Theo Fennell’s top tips for buying Valentine’s jewellery appeared first on Beyond Bespoke.