Best Valentine’s Day Gifts for Her in 2023: Diamond Jewelry
This Valentine’s Day, make her feel special with diamonds. Learn how to shop for diamond jewelry Valentine’s Day gifts for any budget and style.
12 Minute Read
How to Shop for Valentine's Day Diamond Jewelry
Let's start with some tips for finding that special gift.
Set a Budget
Before you start searching for a Valentine's Day present, set a comfortable budget. Nothing kills romance and joy faster than spending more than you can afford. A budget will also help you narrow your search criteria for diamond jewelry.
Choose Your Metal
You have options to suit every budget and style.
Silver
A great, inexpensive option, sterling silver for diamond jewelry has recently experienced a jump in popularity.
However, keep these three things in mind before choosing silver:
- Silver tarnishes. This means your jewelry gift will need to be polished often.
- Given the low cost of silver, you'll have a hard time finding larger, high-quality diamonds set in this metal. Instead, look for pieces featuring pavé diamonds.
- Some people have skin that's sensitive to silver. Before you buy, find out if this affects your loved one.
Gold
For diamond jewelry, you'll most likely see gold alloys in 10, 14, 18, and 22 karats (K). For most consumers, 10 or 14K gold is probably the way to go. Anything with a higher karat weight will have a similar look but a much higher price tag.
For diamond jewelry that will see heavy wear, 14K gold is actually the recommended option. Higher karat gold alloys are softer and, therefore, more prone to scratching and denting. This holds true for all gold colors, including popular yellow, white, and rose.
Platinum
Platinum has a look that resembles silver or white gold but often costs more. However, it's a stronger metal than gold or silver and less likely to break or accumulate blemishes.
Tantalum
Silver, gold, and platinum are traditional jewelry metals. However, you have more options available on the market, including metals such as tantalum.
Durable and shatterproof, tantalum can take a high shine as well as a textured finish. Black tantalum will really bring out the brightness of diamonds. Although often used for men's ring designs, tantalum can also add a bold look to a Valentine's Day diamond ring for her. It makes an excellent alternative to platinum.
Decide Between Natural vs Lab-Created Diamonds
Perhaps the biggest question you'll face when shopping for diamond jewelry Valentine's Day gifts is whether you want natural or lab-created diamonds.
Lots of reputable online retailers, including James Allen, Blue Nile, Ritani, and With Clarity, offer lovely lab-grown diamond jewelry options. The synthetic stones offered by James Allen, Ritani, and With Clarity come with laboratory reports. The diamonds available from James Allen come guaranteed free of any post-growth treatments to enhance color or clarity.
Many people have strong opinions on natural vs synthetic diamonds. The internet is full of strongly-worded thoughts on the subject. For your Valentine's Day gift, however, it comes down to what your loved one wants.
Does she want a big stone and isn't bothered by the prospect of wearing a lab-grown diamond? Well then, it makes sense to find the biggest, high-quality, synthetic stone you can afford for her to enjoy and show off.
On the other hand, does she feel there's a special magic associated with diamonds created inside the Earth? In that case, you better stick with natural diamonds, even if it means choosing smaller stones. Natural diamonds generally cost more than synthetic diamonds of the same size and quality.
The stone on the left is a laboratory-grown diamond from James Allen. It weighs 1.50 cts and has E color and VVS2 clarity. The stone on the right, also from James Allen, has the same carat, color, and clarity as the synthetic stone, but it's natural. It currently costs over four times as much as the synthetic stone.
How to Take Advantage of Valentine's Day Sales
Many retailers offer sales in the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, hoping to profit from the increase in shopping associated with the holiday. This applies to brick-and-mortar stores as well as online sellers like Angara.
Shopping for seasonally discounted diamond jewelry can make a world of difference for your budget. Nevertheless, avoid promotions that seem too good to be true. If sellers mark down items significantly, they may have initially listed the jewelry with a high markup. When in doubt, look elsewhere.
Generally speaking, shopping online for jewelry may be faster and more convenient. Locating Valentine's Day deals via a simple internet search is certainly easier than going door-to-door. Additionally, online retailers have lower overhead costs than vendors in retail spaces. This may allow them to keep their prices slightly lower than brick-and-mortar retailers can.
Classic Valentine's Day Diamond Jewelry Motifs
Many different motifs often find their way into diamond jewelry designs. Here are some of the more popular options for Valentine's Day gifts.
Celestial Themes
Suns, stars, moons, and zodiac signs are timeless designs. There's something dreamy and hopeful about wearing jewelry with these symbols. These designs are suitable for all ages, budgets, and styles.
Names and Dates
Personalized diamond jewelry featuring important initials, names, or dates has remained a popular trend across demographics. Some prefer to wear jewelry spelling out their own name. Others may choose the initials of their children or other loved ones. You can also have important names or dates engraved into a jewelry piece.
Words
Jewelry that incorporates simple words or phrases like "love," "beauty," "peace," and "hope" can have tremendous meaning to the wearer. An item that incorporates these kinds of words would make a great gift for her.
Spiritual Symbols
If religion is an important aspect of your loved one's life, diamond jewelry with a religious theme would make a wonderful Valentine's Day gift. You can easily find jewelry featuring a cross or a Star of David.
Some people consider symbols like the Hamsa, the Tree of Life, or an ankh to have protective spiritual powers. The evil eye motif has also been used for millennia as a shield against harmful external energy.
Hearts and Lock-and-Key Motifs
You'll find many shapes incorporated into diamond jewelry sold as Valentine's Day gifts. Two of the most popular are hearts and lock-and-key motifs.
You may also frequently see arrows and heartbeat lines with heart designs.
Other popular Valentine's Day jewelry designs include infinity loops as a symbol of honesty and vitality.
Types of Diamond Jewelry for Valentine's Day Gifts
Now let's take a look at different types of diamond jewelry that would make great presents for Valentine's Day. Although not exhaustive, the following list will help you start shopping.
Diamond Rings for Valentine's Day
Perhaps the most well-known and popular type of jewelry, diamond rings are the best place to start. However, you must understand that these pieces are strongly associated with marriage proposals and engagements. If your loved one opens her Valentine's Day gift and sees a diamond ring, it's probably the first thing she'll think of.
If you're not planning on proposing to your significant other, it's probably best to avoid diamond rings. On the other hand, if that is indeed your intention, a diamond ring for Valentine's Day is a great opportunity. For committed couples in an established relationship, a diamond ring also makes a great way to reinforce that bond.
So, if you think a diamond ring gift is appropriate, here are three types to consider: promise, engagement, and anniversary rings.
Promise Rings
Generally associated with younger individuals, promise rings signify a couple is in a committed relationship but not quite ready for a formal engagement. These rings tend to be less expensive than engagement rings and feature smaller diamonds. Nevertheless, like engagement and wedding bands, they're traditionally worn on the fourth finger of the left hand.
Engagement Rings
Proposing on Valentine's Day, the most romantic holiday of the year, remains a popular choice.
Although a diamond solitaire ring is a traditional favorite, there's no single accepted design for engagement rings. Rather, you can choose from many options featuring different diamond shapes, numbers of primary stones, and types of ring metal. Nevertheless, engagement rings typically have one or more significant primary diamonds.
For many people, an engagement ring may be the most expensive jewelry item they'll own. Setting a budget and finding a ring discounted for Valentine's Day might save you a lot of money.
Many retailers offer bridal sets, which feature complementary engagement and wedding rings. Choosing a bridal set has many advantages. Most importantly, you and your partner won't need to worry about shopping for a wedding band that will look good next to the engagement ring. Purchasing both rings together will likely also save you some money.
Anniversary Rings
Traditionally, anniversary rings are given to a spouse to celebrate a specific anniversary or to commemorate a special event like Valentine's Day. Many couples choose eternity designs for their anniversary rings. These designs feature diamonds or other gemstones encircling an otherwise undecorated ring.
The straightforward design of eternity bands makes pairing them with other rings easy. They're also stackable. However, this design does have a disadvantage. Often, these rings can't be resized. If this concerns you, consider a modified eternity design, sometimes simply called "anniversary rings." These leave some of the metal of the ring shank naked, allowing for future modifications.
Diamond Bracelets for Valentine's Day
Unlike diamond rings, diamond bracelets are popular Valentine's Day gifts that don't have any associations with marriage. You can choose from one of these three basic designs: charm, tennis, and bangle bracelets.
Charm Bracelets
People often wear charm bracelets to commemorate important events in their lives. Specific charms may represent the birth of children, wedding anniversaries, graduations, moving to a new home, and so forth. Charm bracelets are especially popular as gifts for younger individuals.
Tennis Bracelet
A simple yet versatile design, the tennis bracelet became popular in the late 1980s. Individual links with set diamonds form a flexible circle. The bracelet may be worn casually during the day or dressed up for evening wear.
Bangle Bracelets
Unlike flexible tennis bracelets, solid diamond bangle bracelets will hold their shape.
Diamond Earrings for Valentine's Day
Since diamond earrings frame the face, they have the power to complete any outfit. There are three primary types of diamond earrings: studs, drops, and hoops.
Diamond Stud Earrings
Like the tennis bracelet, the diamond stud can go with casual or formal dress.
Some jewelry enthusiasts feel studs featuring a one-carat stone or smaller per earring are appropriate for daily wear. On the other hand, a pair with larger diamonds is best reserved for evening events. However, there are no rules set in stone for stud earrings. She can wear what makes her feel happy!
Diamond Drop Earrings
Drop earrings can create a flattering, elongating effect on the neck. These earrings may be stiff or flexible and can hang to any desired length. With tiny diamonds, drops can appear delicate. However, they can also feature seriously large stones for a very dramatic look.
Diamond Hoop Earrings
Like drop designs, diamond hoops can be as small or large as you like. The smallest hoops, which reach just under the ear lobe, are called "huggies." Larger sizes may reach all the way to the shoulders or lower.
Diamond Necklaces for Valentine's Day
Diamond necklaces can epitomize luxury. They may feature a simple diamond pendant, a locket containing a picture or other memento of a loved one, or no pendant at all. Necklaces may also be entirely encrusted with gems.
Pendants
Pendants are designed to hang from a chain and slide freely along it. The loop, which links the pendant to the chain, may or may not be visible. Pendants can be anything you like, including lockets, symbols, or single gemstones.
Tennis Necklaces
Diamond tennis necklaces are simply the longer cousins of tennis bracelets. Individual links holding single diamonds are strung together to create a flexible necklace that moves with the wearer.
Like tennis bracelets, tennis necklaces can go with day or evening wear. It depends on the piece's carat weight. You may see tennis necklaces referred to alternatively as "eternity" or "rivière."
Diamond Cufflinks for Valentine's Day
You don't have to stick to rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. There are many other kinds of diamond jewelry you can give as a Valentine's Day gift.
Although traditionally considered a masculine jewelry item, cufflinks can also be worn by women. They're a suave way to elevate the professional dress shirt.
Emily Frontiere
Emily Frontiere is a GIA Graduate Gemologist. She is particularly experienced working with estate/antique jewelry.
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