The Best of Boodles: What to buy her this Christmas…
Words: Violet
Nothing says love (or lust), like jewellery, so it will come as no surprise that we turn our attention at this time of year to Boodles.
Established over 2 centuries ago, the iconic British family jewellers shine as bright as ever still today. So, where better to head to in order to find that perfect piece. Here we bring you the best of Boodles, for every woman in your life.
The Goddaughter…
The Godparent role can be a mine-field at this time of year. When your best friend bestowed upon you the responsibility of being their beloved child’s Godfather, they were essentially trusting you with said beloved’s life; a chance to guide them morally through the trials and tribulations of life whilst imparting your wisdom onto them. The reality of this role, in fact, is that on that day inside the church, you were actually being given the opportunity to become that child’s really badly behaved guardian…a chance to regale your Godchildren with tales of their parents debauchery, get them tipsy on champagne at their 14th birthday and allow them to stay out past curfew and give them their first cigarette when the parents weren’t looking.
The trickiest part of the role, however, is gifting. Whilst you probably should be buying them life changing novels or humbly engraved bibles and simple understated silver plated pendants, what they really want from you, is something a little bit too extravagant. The sort of thing that need not bare the attributes ‘classic’ or ‘practical’, in fact the term practical is the perfect way to judge exactly what it is you should not be buying them. Another rule to go by, is the less you see them, the more you should spend on presents.
Take this beautiful necklace…youthful, fun and not remotely practical or subtle. No doubt it certainly won’t fit with the schools dress code, and her parents will be outraged at such an extravagance. This will further add the rebellious delight of your grateful Goddaughter. Just make sure you can match it when it comes time for 18th’s and 21st’s.
Beetle Tsavorite Pendant, 18ct yellow gold with tsavorites, £3,800, boodles.com
The Mother
The most important woman in a man’s life, or so they say. Christmas is the perfect time to make up for missed Sunday lunches, cross words and that bouquet of wilting flowers you produced a good week after Mothers Day.
The key here is to stick to something classic, and there is little more classic or motherly than pearls. These pair of white gold earrings with pearls and diamonds are the perfect way to show her how much you care – they can be worn daily and will ensure you’re let off any un-returned phone-calls for at least the next year. And all this whilst simultaneously securing your position as the favored child!
Rococo Pearl and Diamond Earrings, white gold with pearls and 0.20ct of diamonds, £2,500, boodles.com
The New Girlfriend
Another gifting dilemma that can cause a man to come up in hot sweats at the mere thought of, is The New Girlfriend. If you have been dating less than 6 – 8 months then this is the category for you.
You probably like each other enough to have had the ‘relationship chat’, hopefully aren’t seeing other people anymore, but haven’t been together quite long enough for the L-Bomb to have been dropped. The likelihood is you will not be spending Christmas day together, which relieves some of the pressure; it will be opened in private and won’t be sat under a tree for a week whilst she tries to guess what it is. That said, this is your first festive period together and a new boyfriend brings about a strange occurrence in the female tribes – there’s no such name for the epidemic, but can be characterised by an unruly interest and subsequent evaluation and severe scrutiny of the meaning surrounding any gift that another female receives. Too sentimental and you’ll be deemed too keen, obsessed, or too nice/verging on dull; she’ll have dumped you by New Year. Not nice enough, however, and her friends will convince her that you’re cheap, not interested and she deserves better; you can kiss goodbye to her right now.
It may seem like there is no winning on this one. However, fear not as Boodles have you covered with their Velocity Yellow Gold Diamond Bracelet. Fashionable, rather than ‘classic’, this accessory can be worn day or night and the glint of diamonds will have her heart a flutter and friends green with envy.
Velocity Yellow Gold Diamond Bracelet, 18ct yellow gold 0.35ct of round-brilliant cut diamonds£3,950, boodles.com,
The Long term Girlfriend
Unless you are actually proposing to her, do NOT buy her a ring…if she catches sight of the little square box under the tree she will instantly expect a proposal, which will no doubt cause her to call her entire speed-dial list; cue throwing herself into a whirl-wind of excitement, only to be disappointed on the actual day and, therefore, giving herself a free pass to be furious with you for the rest of the festive period. You can wave goodbye to your New Year’s Eve kiss, along with any thought of a canoodle beneath the mistletoe.
In this vane, stick to something that will come in a large box, (preferably flat), and ideally significantly heavier than a ring could ever be. With this in mind, we recommend this stunning diamond bracelet. A wrist-full of diamonds in the perfect way to tell her that you’re in it for the long run, without any premature commitments.
Boodles Diamond Line Bracelet, 18ct white gold with diamonds, £12,710, boodles.com
The Wife
Finally, we come to the least mind-boggling of all the various females in your life…your wife. This is the one woman you can buy a ring for – totally stress free. And we suggest you go big or go home. This knock out cocktail ring screams luxury, is completely un-missable on her hand, leaving fellow wives coo-ing over it at Boxing Day celebrations, whilst clipping their own husbands ears upon leaving for not getting them something as glamorous. A real show-stopper, we defy any woman not to love the Double Vintage Emerald Ring.
Double Vintage Emerald Ring, Emerald with diamonds in platinum, £42,000, boodles.com
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
