The Perfect Gift – Personalized Jewelry
Jewelry is an individual preference. Like a favorite pair of sneakers, we find ourselves wearing the same pieces of jewelry daily. Since the jewelry we wear is commonly an expression of ourselves and our individual taste, a lot of us prefer go all out and put on personalized jewelry. These items are almost always custom made jewelry, and very likely it is given as a gift.
Throughout history, personalized jewelry has had an important role. To begin with these objects were used by the upper classes – titled nobility and other people of importance – to authorize administrative documents like licenses by embossing or dropping a little softened sealing wax on the document and embossing their seal. As time passed, signet rings became fashionable and ordinary citizens started to wear them. In modern times, signet rings are any ring that features a flat, polished surface that can be etched with initials. The face of the signet ring can be oval, round or square; some people have a single initial etched into the metal; and some two or three. Signet rings are ordinarily purchased in silver or gold.
Another favorite personalized jewelry item is the name plaque necklace. These are normally a first name, cut from sheet silver or gold with a jeweler’s saw and connected on the ends to a length of chain. Nameplates are available in many designs and in a variety of metals; gold and silver are easily found, but if you search you’ll see they are also available in copper, brass and even platinum. Nameplates can be bright cut, to give them highly reflective areas; some contain small jewels; there are even nameplate necklaces colored with enamel available.
A version of this design is the personalized anklet; a small size plaque is employed, almost always on a fine chain with petite sized pearls or gem beads.
A very easily found personalized style for men and women, the I.D. bracelet has been a favorite for many years. Commonly engraved, these can also be created by soldering raised die cut letters onto the metal plate in the center of the bracelet; almost all are made with curb or cable chain and can be very nice bracelets.
Imprinted disc necklaces have gotten to be very common recently. They’re similar to dog tag chains, but ordinarily are put together with circular discs. Sometimes referred to as Mother’s necklaces, they’re a favorite of new mothers; when a new baby joins the family, a disc stamped with the new arrival’s name can easily be added to the chain. These are made of silver, but it is possible to find gold filled Mommy Necklaces as well. These are commonly stamped by hand by using steel alphabet stamps.
Another name jewelry item is created with letter cubes; these are commonly called Name Bracelets. For many years, hospitals created them with pink beads (for girls) or blue beads (for boys) as a gift for children born there; now letter beads are made from metal for adult jewelry – commonly in silver or pewter, and paired with gem beads, art glass beads and crystal. Mother’s bracelets made with many strands are also popular; they can be created with up to six strands, each featuring a different name as new kids are born.
Personalized jewelry can be functional, it can be attractive, and a reminder of the important things in your life!
Written by Robert Edwards, a metalsmith in New York City who is also the webmaster of a popular website that features silver jewelry and silver chains. license is given to copy and publish this article on websites or blogs provided the entire article including all links and this author’s statement remain intact and unchanged. Copyright 2010 Bob Edwards.
