A Man's Guide To Buying Jewelry For A Woman

Men, men, men! Can't live with them, and can't—well, you know the rest. I adore men, much to my own detriment, I really do. Now, don't draw conclusions that I am one of "those blondes." I just simply love men in that I actually, truly, emphatically can find something appealing and lovable about almost any guy I meet. Young, old, short, tall, dark, light, funny, not—well, okay, they do have to be funny (and smart but mostly funny). But guys, even in my mind, there are a few things you need to learn about giving jewelry. Here's your crash course from someone on the inside:

Does this say "I'm sorry" enough?

Gift giving, even as an apology, should be a joyous act of generosity. Gifts are symbols of an emotion. (I know you've heard of it.) So say "I'm sorry" with meaning. Don't say it with a card from CVS and flowers from the market. A great apology gift is jewelry, but be very, very careful. Don't buy cheap jewelry (by "cheap," I mean poorly made or a reproduction piece), and do not order jewelry from a shopping mall jewelry store unless you're certain it's something she wants and loves. Please do us all a favor and, under no circumstances, should you ever apologize with an engagement offering of any kind. Trust me on this; it will not go well, in either the short run or the long run.

The best choice for saying "I'm sorry" is being super thoughtful. Try to dig down deep in all those mushy feelings you like to hide and recall something that she has seen and really loved—and go get it! Take a peek in her jewelry box and see if you can determine her style. Then, go online to a cool and unique indie place and get her something interesting. Even if it’s not a dead-on match to her style, the effort will be enough to make her light up—and maybe even forget whatever you're trying to recover from.

You want inside our heads—buyer beware!

Now, if you are in a situation where you feel as though your girl needs to be "tested," there is a way you can do this with jewelry. Though I don't recommend this, there is only one right way to go about it.

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For women, certain pieces of jewelry can trigger certain responses. There's only one store on the planet whose packaging alone will cause a woman, if she has any sense of history, design and style, to absolutely swoon. Be prepared: if you purchase anything from this shop, it has meaning, serious meaning. They have cost points for gifts that can meet most budgets. But don't purchase a gift that fits in a ring box, unless you want to see someone faint, run or start to call her mother.

A ring box does and should mean only one thing for a woman. It means you are proposing marriage, and if it comes from this shop, it most certainly means engagement with class. Clearly, any shop that has a color named after it must have some value in the hearts and minds of women! And that store, of course, is Tiffany's. If you buy from here, then you will definitely see what she is thinking—but buyer beware!

If you want me to feel special, how about giving me something "just because?"

Just-because gifts can be amazing. From a lovely bouquet of fresh flowers to something a little more special, a just-because item can truly help make or break a relationship. The act of thinking of someone should be enough, and often it is, but if you get gifts that show no thought was given, it takes away from the meaning. Try to think of places you’ve been together, the favorite activities of your love or even her favorite color. Take a risk. Meaningful gifts don’t need to be expensive. Blow her away with a gift that will be worn, so she can think of you regularly and remember how smart and thoughtful you are. Plus, she can brag to her friends, and she'll never look in another dude's direction!

Do you really, really love me? Let me know!

If you really are looking for something to say "I love you, I really love you," jewelry can be a great choice. Everyone knows that a ring can symbolize eternity, love and marriage. A ring is a piece of jewelry that will symbolize your intention of forever to almost any woman on the planet. If this ring also happens to hold precious stones and metals, then it is most certainly a serious symbol of commitment.

The cost of diamonds and engagement rings can be huge. If you are flush, now is your time to actually spend the dough. Just do it. If you think she's the girl, show her. If you are not as well-off, or you are an atypical couple, there may be no need for a traditional ring. There are loads of amazing artisans who live to create one-of-a-kind engagement rings. You can search for someone who can help you design a ring that means something just to her, and the cost won't matter if you've spent time and effort to make it special.

There you have it, guys: a quick list of what, and what not, to do when it comes to buying jewelry for your girl. Take your time and be cognizant of who she is, how you feel about her, and where your relationship is. If you take these three things into consideration, she will be one happy girl and she may just decide she can't live without you!

Christine Lorenzo is a Boston-based designer and founder of SariBlue, an earthy, bohemian jewelry collection centered on the Turkish evil eye bead. As a member of The Artisan Group, her collection has been featured at the GBK Productions Luxury Lounge honoring the 2012 Golden Globes, the 2012 Oscars and the 2012 MTV Movie Awards nominees and presenters.