Giving the Gift of Jewelry...

The holidays mean so much too so many. It means good-eating, cozy decorations, happy children and spending quality time with family and friends. The holidays are a time for all to reflect on the year that has so quickly gone by and most importantly, it allows us to show our appreciation to the ones we love by giving them a special gift. Fortunately, we have many people to show our appreciations too but that also means finding the perfect and most sincere gift for too many! It is undeniably stressful until the day that gift is opened and the smile on your recipients face makes it all worthwhile!

PortiaJewelry.com will try to help you along the way! Consider some of the following when locating the perfect gift for your grandmother, mother, sister, wife, girlfriend or any other spectacular women in your life.

Consider her style and personality: Perhaps she is ultra conservative or just loves simplicity. If this is the case you should opt for a simple one-stone cz pendant, petite sterling silver stud earrings or go with pearl jewelry. If she likes to get glammed up for a trip to the grocery store, you can be a bit more bold and daring with an oversized cocktail ring or glitzy panther necklace!

Consider her favorite color: This should be an easy one! Every girl has her favorite color or you can safely go by her birthstone! You can easily locate jewelry by color in Portia's jewelry collections by color. Pinks, purples and ruby red can be found under fiery flush, aquamarine, sapphire blue and baby blue can be found under cerulean hues, canary yellow and fiery orange jewelry can be located under citrus keen, shades of green and peridot can be found under green gluttony, smoky black and grey jewelry can be located under smoked sway. To view more color collections, click here!

Is she high fashion? Snag jewels that were showcased in top fashion magazines like Glamour, Essence and People. Choose an enamel bangle from Glamour's November issue or hot jeweled-toned cocktail rings from the December issue or the peacock necklace and crystal threaded necklace featured in Essence. You can also visit Portia's Celebrity Picks section to give her jewelry worn by her favorite celebrity. You'll find Angelina Jolie's canary princess earrings, Britney Spears' silver sword necklace and Rihanna's adorned heart hoops to just mention a few! Click to view more Celebrity Picks!

Symbolism: Portia Jewelry offers many pendant necklaces to reflect her sweet side, her sexy side, her urban side and her religious side. Does she love fairies and butterflies? A good luck clove pendant or ivory horn necklace may be just right for someone who feels a little luck by their side is needed at this time. Perhaps a high-top sneaker pendant, handcuff bracelet or dog tag necklace would help with her self expression when wearing a uniform to school everyday. Lastly, holidays mean religion to most and the gift of a Cross Necklace or Star of David would be most appropriate and will surely be treasured by your loved ones.

Shopping for Costume Jewelry Rings

Rings serve many purposes and can hold deep meanings. Promise rings serve as a long term assurance between sweethearts and lovers. Engagement rings serve as a pledge to marriage and wedding bands represent a lifetime commitment.

A ring compared to most other types of jewelry seem to also hold more importance when given as a gift from say, mother to daughter, grandmother to granddaughter or friend to friend.

A cocktail ring can enhance an evening gown, cocktail dress or your everyday working attire. Many women will even tell you that their hands seem to automatically move more elegantly when they have on a stunning ring.

Costume jewelry and sterling silver jewelry has evolved tremendously in the last few years and cocktail rings have grown in demand. Bold, bright and glitzy rings are not just worn by the rich and famous. Designer styles are inspiring costume jewelry and sterling silver jewelry manufacturers to step up their product lines, the materials they use and the styles they produce.

There are obvious cons to buying costume jewelry rings. The most prominent of all being, how long will it last? I'm sure most consumers would love to see an expiration date on the costume jewelry they purchase! Another con is skin discoloration. Chemical reactions from metals used to craft costume jewelry rings can sometimes leave a black or greenish-black discoloration on your skin, which can most often be rubbed off. Besides the obvious "pro" of being able to wear the latest styles in rings without breaking the bank, there are ways to prolong the life of your jewelry and avoid the "cons" just mentioned!

Storage is crucial. The absolute best place to store your costume jewelry ring is in a zip lock bag. Make sure your ring is dry though! Do not store your ring right after you've washed your hands or were perspiring. Moisture is public enemy #1 for costume jewelry rings. You should remove your ring when in direct contact with water, lotion, perfume and any other types of cosmetics.

Now, if you have a tendency to get that greenish-black ring around your finger from costume rings, there are two things you want to look out for when shopping. First, silver rings that have been plated in rhodium will provide a barrier from the underlying metals that create this reaction with your skin. The second thing to look out for when shopping for gold costume rings is to make sure that they were created using gold over a sterling silver base. Normally, these rings will be stamped with a sterling silver marking (e.g. SS925, 925 etc.).

At PortiaJewelry.com you will see a variety of costume jewelry rings and each description will tell you exactly what the ring was crafted out of. Many of Portia's silver rings are sterling silver and rhodium plated. Many of Portia's gold costume rings are created with gold over sterling silver. Don't be afraid to get that gold or silver tone ring you've been eyeing even though it is not made of sterling silver! With proper storage, our favorite being zip locks, and avoiding moisture, you can wear all costume jewelry rings without fear. Best of all, with the low cost of costume rings you can sport all different designs and colors to coordinate with all your outfits!