Make your gift more personal
Make your gift more personalJudaica Webstore

Once upon a time, cavemen carved rocks and tusks into shapes and hung them on pieces of animal sinew around their necks. Ancient Egyptians created extravagant pieces crafted from gold and semi-precious stones which were so highly prized, they were buried alongside their wearers. When they weren’t building legendary empires, the Romans and Greeks advanced the processes involved in creating jewelry, so that by the Middle Ages, jewels were commonly found adorning the necks, ears, arms and hands of the wealthy. Until this point, precious metals were rare and jewels even less common; beautiful pieces of jewelry were specially commissioned as generous, impressive gifts and were highly coveted items.

Fast-forward to 2016. In a consumer-driven market, cheap replicas of expensive, iconic jewelry can be found in every mall and street market (Kate Middleton’s engagement ring, anyone?), and high-end jewelers charge extortionate amounts for stones and bands that can in no way replicate the sheer decadence and opulence of previous generations. Your engagement ring is on hundreds of fingers; the charm you bought your mom for her bracelet is already on thousands of wrists across the world.

Given how generic luxury has become, it’s no surprise that we are constantly trying to make our lives more personal. Laptop lids are engraved with messages of love; keyrings and fridge magnets are plastered with our children’s smiles; our phones’ backgrounds show our partners caught off guard and smiling radiantly, naturally, at you and not the camera.

The same is true of the jewelry industry. In an attempt to reclaim the bespoke beauty of the jewelry we wear every day, and recapture the sentiment and meaning ascribed to the pieces we give to those we love most, personalized jewelry has become hugely popular.

There are two ways to personalize jewelry. The first involves commissioning a bespoke piece – for example, my wedding band was created especially to fit around my unusually-shaped engagement ring. In the case of a plain gold band this is an accessible option; for more elaborate pieces (such as the engagement ring itself), this can become an impossibly expensive undertaking.

The more popular method is to customize beautiful pieces of jewelry with your loved one’s name – and luckily, there are countless designs that you can personalize to create a gift that’s as special as the person you love!

If you want to surprise your loved one with something sparkling and personal, there are thousands of designs available in a huge range of fonts and styles. You can spell out your loved one’s name in their favourite metal – gold and silver are never-fail classics, and white gold personalized jewelry is unbeatably beautiful! If you’re looking for something different, think about a gleaming piece of initial jewelry, or a one-of-a-kind monogram necklace. These pieces are stunning and sophisticated, and a fabulous way to celebrate the special person in your life.

For something even more unique, consider a gorgeous piece of retro name jewelry – these extraordinary pieces are unusual and elegant, and make the perfect finishing touch to a lower-cut outfit! You can even create a birthstone name necklace decorated with a gleaming precious stone to add an even more personal touch to something that’s already pretty perfect!

For something a little more traditional, consider a Hebrew name necklace; it’s as versatile and adaptable as its English equivalent, but somehow even more special and unique! There are also several gorgeous love jewelry designs that let you combine your names, creating a sentimental keepsake that means she’ll always carry you close to her heart.

Maybe your house is covered in little handprints, and mornings now involve harried last-minute searches for shoes and lunchboxes instead of long runs and trips to Starbucks. If that’s the case, consider a piece that celebrates your whole family by choosing a beautiful piece of personalized jewelry for mom. You can add your little one’s names and even their birthstones to create something she’ll treasure forever!

Why settle for commercial concepts when something personal is going to be so much more meaningful? Personalized jewelry is a great way to show the special person in your life exactly how much you love them, and with such a fantastic array of designs, you’re guaranteed that your custom creation is going to be as unique as your loved one!