Burl Ives once sang a Christmas song expounding the beauty of silver and gold during the holidays. Though the lyrics refer to starlight and glistening decorations, jewelry particularly sparkles during the gift-giving season. Savvy shoppers can find unique and personal selections at affordable prices in traditional display cases of local jewelers as well as in places off the beaten path.

Among their many gift choices, Day’s Jewelers of Auburn carries Chamilia, a line of jewelry that harkens back to the days of the old-fashioned charm bracelet. With its modern twist, Chamilia features its popular bracelet designed in sterling silver which is also available in braided leather and mixed golds. Necklaces are also available in the line. Once a Chamilia piece has been selected, beads commemorating special occasions, colors, or themes can be added to create a thoughtful, very personalized gift. The line offers jewelry and beads scaled for children as well. A line of Disney beads include classic characters as well as Cinderella’s pumpkin coach and Winnie-the-Pooh’s “hunny” pot to name just a few.

Day’s assistant manager, Tricha Sierra, confessed she has six different theme bracelets created in the Chamilia line. “You can do so much [with Chamilia],” said Sierra. “You can create pieces that are dressy or casual. It’s ageless.”

A piece of Chamilia jewelry can be designed one bead at a time or can be completed with creative abandon. Decorative “lock” beads can be added to keep beads from sliding around the bracelet or necklace or to serve as separators between beads.

A newcomer to jewelry showcases this season is Karisma, a sterling silver jewelry “system” designed with interchangeable jewelry tops. “Karisma is this season’s ‘it’ jewelry,” said Chrissy Ames, Republic Jewelry and Coin manager. “We’ve just gotten Karisma in our store and we are very excited to see how it is received. Having just been featured on the Today Show, people are already talking about it.”

For the woman or girl who likes versatility in fashion and her accessories, Karisma moves easily from day to evening wear. Jewel toppers range from fun and funky to sophisticated and topper styles include, but are not limited to, classic initials, dancing tops with floating stones, pearls, birthstones, floral and feather patterns.

The look can be changed with a simple key inserted into the back of the piece and releasing the topper from its magnetic foundation. A new jewel face can then be dropped into place to create a whole new look. Karisma, like Chamilia, offers a choice of bracelet styles as well as necklace, earrings and choice of ring settings.

Away from the glistening lights of the jewelry display cases, Internet websites lead shoppers down less-traveled paths to discover different jewelry with its own unique appeal. At www.dailygromet.com, Treasured Impressions is a featured company specializing in fingerprint jewelry. Artist Jackie Kaufman utilizes wax casts to create one-of-a-kind fingerprint jewelry. The company supplies a mold-making kit to the customer, the wanted print or prints are captured in the mold, and returned to the artist. She then creates a charm from the custom mold. Each charm comes with a 17-inch sterling silver chain which can be engraved with a name.

A mother can have a necklace with all her children’s fingerprints; a grandchild can have a grandparent’s touch forever. And for those people whose dogs or cats are part of their family, the company can also create key chains and jewelry from nose prints and cat paw prints!

All around are businesses and business websites at the ready with unique jewelry gift-giving ideas for the holidays. It doesn’t take diamonds to make a gift of jewelry meaningful nor does it require a hefty price tag. Invest a little time in thoughtful shopping, use some creativity and imagination and that special gift of jewelry will really shine on Christmas morning.

Copy the Story Link