Buying A Necklace for Her? Check Out Our Best Shopping Tips

One of the best things about fashion is the fun of it all. Dressing to the nines to impress everyone around you, creating a wardrobe that reflects your unique personality, and finding the perfect accent pieces – like dazzling necklaces, for example – are just a few of the satisfying joys of fashion. But what if you’re shopping for someone else?

The Gift Advisors at The Bradford Exchange were just having a discussion about this recently and decided to develop a guide for shopping women’s necklaces. When she’s shopping for herself, it might be obvious which necklaces are the ideal fit. But if you’re shopping for a gift for her, it might not be as apparent.

This is why we’ve come up with a list of questions – shopping tips, if you will, that you can ask yourself when buying her a necklace. It is our goal that these questions will not only help you find her a beautiful necklace that matches her sense of style, but also that we continue doing our part to make shopping easy and fashion fun.

Questions to Ask When Shopping a Necklace for Her:

Is There a Special Occasion Involved?

Of course, it’s always a good time to surprise someone you love with the gift of jewelry. But we understand that sometimes people are shopping for a specific occasion. Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, formal events and important dates in a relationship are all perfect examples. If the necklace you are looking for is meant for one of these special moments, why not think about a design to complement that.

Personalized necklaces make a great choice when a special occasion is involved. That’s because you can complement the jewelry design with a personal touch for your gift recipient. A thoughtful engraving or birthstones relevant to her and/or those she loves can add another whole layer of meaning to her necklace, so it’s always a good thing to consider.

What Is Her Personal Style?

This is a big one because her personal style could influence all the other questions here. If you’ve purchased jewelry gifts for her before, you might already have a good sense for what her style looks like. The kinds of things she usually wears. The colors, patterns and shapes that often show up in her wardrobe, etc. But if this is your first time shopping for her, no worries at all. Here are 5 quick tips to help you figure it out:

• Get a peek at her closet and jewelry collection

• Know her general body type

• Find out her style icon or a celebrity she admires

• Get her to tell you her favorite color

• Ask her what her favorite outfit is

Once you know these things, it is a lot easier to connect the dots and deduce which necklace would be a good match for her personal style.

Which Length Is Right for Her?

A great-looking necklace design always makes for a great-looking necklace, regardless of length. But there are still a few basic principles that can affect the results. Consider the general shape of her neck, her typical neckline and the type of outfits she usually wears as a gauge when shopping these common necklace lengths:

14- to 16-Inch Necklaces (36-41 cm) – these fit tight to the neck, right between the collarbones, and are sometimes called Chokers, when closer to 14 inches or smaller.

18-Inch Necklaces (46 cm) – one of the more popular necklace lengths in today’s marketplace is 18 inches, often called Princess style. These are an ideal length for showing off pendants.

20- to 24-Inch Necklaces (51-61 cm) – these usually fall between the collarbone and the top of the bust and are referred to as Matinee style.

30-Inch Necklaces (76 cm) – these necklaces rest on the bust or an inch or two below, a great length for both formal and casual wear.

35-Inch and up Necklaces (89 cm and up) – this lengthiest style is called a Rope necklace and can reach as far down as the middle of the torso.

What Is the Best Size, Shape and Color for Pendants?

We certainly understand there is a big, wonderful world of necklaces that opens up once you start looking around. And it’s especially true when you’re shopping at The Bradford Exchange. The stunning pendants are usually the first thing to catch the eye, but picking one for her doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

If you think about the questions we’ve already discussed in today’s blog – what is her style, what does her wardrobe look like, what is the shape of her neck, what are her jewelry preferences – these are all questions that can make finding a future gift simpler.

The key is to connect all the things you know about her with the sizes, shapes and colors of the pendant necklaces to determine the right match. Will the solitaire diamond necklace be the perfect fit? Or will it be a family birthstone necklace? Would she look amazing with a sparkling cluster of precious gems around her neck? Or with the gleaming elegance of a single heart pendant? Consider it a fun fashion matching game where she wins every time!

Thanks so much for reading! Now that you’ve heard our best tips for finding her something special, we’d like to remind you that an incredible selection of women’s necklaces is just a click away. In fact, you can try out our tips right now if you’d like and we sincerely hope you have a great time in the process. Happy shopping!