5 Times a Gift Becomes a Cherished Holiday Memory

Many women remember, as little girls, waking up on Christmas morning to open another charm for their charm bracelet. Or another pearl for their add-a-pearl necklace.

Those charm bracelets and pearl necklaces became endearing mementos of childhood Christmases. Maybe the pearl necklace was worn on her wedding day. Or maybe it was passed down to her daughter to wear on a special occasion, like a first communion or grade school graduation.

Jewelry, of course, is passed down from generation to generation as a family heirloom, but a thoughtful piece of jewelry also can make the holiday season even more memorable. If you're looking for a gift that has special meaning, here are five ideas from Jewelry Creations in downtown Dover:

1) Build on her bridal jewelry. Some families celebrate an anniversary or the birth of a child by stacking another band with the engagement and wedding ring. Another option would be a bracelet or earrings that match the cut and style of her bridal jewelry. She would celebrate and acknowledge the occasion behind the jewelry every time she put it on.

2) Commemorate a great vacation or memory from the year. The Bella Etoile Blue Oceana earrings and pendant might symbolize special time near the water. Or the Bella Etoile Butterfly pendant might symbolize her love for nature, gardening or the outdoors. (Jewelry Creations carries all three items.)

3) Mark a promotion or major milestone with a high-quality watch. Watches communicate style, professionalism and status, so if a loved one is starting a new phase in their life, a new timepiece could celebrate their accomplishment and help them put their best foot forward.

4) Create something unique. Jewelry Creations' two full-time bench jewelers can make your vision come to life, whether it's designing a ring or bracelet from scratch or removing the gems from a cherished (but outdated) family heirloom and resetting them in a more modern design.

For example, they took the diamonds out of the pendant on the right and placed them in the ring on the left:

5) Refresh an existing family heirloom. If you'd like to pass a pearl necklace, charm bracelet, family engagement ring, or other significant piece of jewelry onto the next generation, you might want to have a jeweler look it over first to fix any imperfections or signs of wear.

Jewelry Creations has been voted Best Jewelry Repair Shop for 26 years in a row. They can evaluate the piece, show you any concerns under a microscope and give you an estimated cost and time to repair.

Family owned, Jewelry Creations is committed to helping you find the right piece to create a holiday memory that your family will tell again and again. Their philosophy is simple:

We believe every client is and should be treated as the most important person in the world. We believe that we should treat everyone with respect and honesty, provide everyone with the best quality for their money, and always do what is right for the client. We will always be personally responsible for our own actions as well as the company's actions.