Can Mommy Have Jewelry?

“My wife loves jewelry, but we have a new baby. What to do?”

Mazel Tov, and here's the good news: while dangles (both pendants and earrings) are out, for the moment--little ones love to tug, and Mommy's jewelry goes flying--there is still plenty of jewelry Mommy can wear*. 

Studs 

Stud earrings are a great way to go. Choose from gold, platinum, and sterling silver studs, either plain, with a pretty pattern, or set with diamonds, pearls, or whatever gemstone you prefer. 

“Hi. I'm a guy. I know zero about gemstones.”

Well, the Jewelry Doctor thinks you're being too modest. You probably know a fair amount about gemstones. But here are posts specifically designed to help you purchase gemstones with confidence. 

Is your wife a blonde?  Here are some ideas for jewelry that looks great on blondes. http://myjewelrydoctor.blogspot.com/search/label/blondes

You say she's a brunette?  Have a look here. http://myjewelrydoctor.blogspot.com/search/label/brunettes

“What about redheads? My gal's hair is red.”

Lucky you. Here are great ideas for you. http://myjewelrydoctor.blogspot.com/search/label/redheads 

Where were we? Ah, yes. Stud earrings. When the baby goes to college--okay, when Baby stops pulling on Mommy's jewelry--those gemstone studs can fit perfectly in earring jackets.

“There are jackets for earrings?”

Yes. An earring jacket is a flat or slightly curved piece of jewelry designed with a little opening for the stud. (Jackets are also a fine choice for those wanting to update stud earrings they bought years ago or were given as a gift for a special occasion.) 

Button Posts 

Moms can also enjoy "button posts." As the name suggests, these are earrings that sit flush against the ear the way a button does on a coat or sweater. They come in a wide variety of designs, from tiny ones similar to studs to larger ones that make a statement. (Clip earrings are often button posts, and most can be converted to pierced.) 

"Mommy Necklaces"? Maybe. Maybe Not. 

"What about those necklaces advertised for new mothers?"  

The jury is still out. Some people think they're fine; others raise concerns about what exactly Baby is chewing on. 

Rings  

Rings (especially right hand rings) are a wonderful choice. Those with a bezel setting are ideal. (Bezel settings are the kind that wrap around the stone: no prongs to get caught, or to tempt those tiny fingers to see "What's that?") And that ring can be set with a gemstone--cabochons are best bets, with a smooth, half-moon surface that won't scratch when Baby comes in for a hug.

*Yes, it's also fine to give the new mother a "push" present. But if she's a smart mama, anything that dangles will be saved for "Mommy and Daddy's night out." 

"What's a "push present"? These are gifts given after the birth of a child. They range from an especially luxurious bouquet of flowers to--well, Beyonce's gift from Jay Z after the birth of Blue Ivy was an eight-to-ten carat blue diamond ring :>.  Feelings are mixed about push gifts.  Some say the name isn't ideal, and neither is the concept.  Others say, "Hush, I want to give my wife a gift. She just carried our baby for nine months." If that's you, let's put our heads together about a push present your wife will treasure. 

©2015 Laynie Tzena.

Veronica Has the Floor

Sorry, Betty: a British study investigating “hair color and the intensity of attraction” (we’re all ears, Wikipedia), found that a sizable portion of the male population favors brunettes. (Okay, 51 percent, but we’ll take it. 62 percent said that we were stable and competent, 67 percent said we were independent and self-sufficient, and 81 percent noticed we were smart.)

You say there are brunettes from the Americas to Asia and Africa, and how on Earth can you generalize about so large a group? You may be right. So here are some pointers when shopping for jewelry for your favorite brunette.

Those with fair skin are ravishing in red; choose ruby or garnet for her. The right purple is wonderful: amethyst comes immediately to mind, but have a look at iolite, tanzanite, and grape garnet (yes, the color is natural, and stunning), too. Sapphire—from Ceylon blue to indigo—is a great choice, and so is lapis. In the green family, consider emerald, malachite, and jade.  Smoky quartz, red tiger’s eye, and mahogany obsidian are good choices in brown; in gray and black, choose hematite, gray labradorite, black diamonds, snowflake obsidian, and onyx.

The chatoyan in both tiger’s eye and red tiger’s eye catches the light and will be lovely on a brunette with honey-colored skin; moonstone and labradorite are great on her, too. Citrine, carnelian (especially the light one that looks like melon), yellow sapphire, yellow jade, and amber are fine choices, along with two different garnets: Mozambique, and that Spessartite garnet we were talking about for redheads.   

If her skin is a deeper, richer color, diamonds and pearls are stunning, and she is oh, so pretty in pink, whether it’s a ruby, a pink sapphire, pink tourmaline, rhodolite garnet, rhodonite, or rhodochrosite. Tsavorite garnet, a beautiful green gemstone, is wonderful on her, and so is peridot. If she loves blue, choose aquamarine, a sky blue topaz, or larimar. Both blue and green turquoise are also great choices for her.

Oh, and thanks, Wikipedia, for reminding us that Leonardo’s mysterious friend, the one the world has been trying to figure out ever since she sat for that portrait, was, let us say it in unison: brunette. No information has been recorded as to what kind of jewelry she favored. Just another part of her allure.

©2012 Laynie Tzena.