Christmas shopping challenges the Christian. We want to find our joy in the gift of Christ, not just the presents and the seasonal traditions. So we seek gifts that have meaning and significance beyond the latest gadget or trinket.

Our Diamond Crosses bring together great natural beauty with the spiritual beauty and significance of the cross. Apples of Gold collection features a wide variety of styles and designs–there’s a diamond cross to suit all tastes. From modern, minimalist designs to ornate and intricate patterns and stone placement, the crosses are eye catching and elegant.

The 0.60 Carat Diamond Cross Pendant in 14K White Gold featured above is one of the most exquisite in our diamond cross collection. Featuring a line of larger diamonds surrounded by a string of smaller ones, the total carat count is 0.60 carats. The pendant also comes with a 14k white gold box chain.

This Christmas, give a gift of lasting significance and breathtaking beauty with a diamond cross from Apples of Gold.

From heart-shaped pendants, to rings, earrings, and cross pendants bearing hearts, the heart is a classic symbol of love—God’s love for us in Christ and the love we are then to extend to each other. Here are a few of our favorite heart-shaped gems to celebrate your loved ones this Christmas.

The Cascading Heart and Cross Diamond Pendant in 14K White Gold (shown left) has the heart at the center of the cross symbolizing the motive at the center of Christ’s death: love. This pendant, crafted of 14k white gold and accented with diamonds makes a meaningful and memorable gift this Christmas. This piece comes with an 18” chain and is also available in 14k yellow gold.

Simple yet special, the Titanium Heart Pendant Necklace (shown right) is a perfect Christmas present for a woman of any age. The minimalist design of the necklace pairs well with the strength of the titanium from which it is crafted. Comes with an 18” steel chain.

Take a look at more heart jewelry!

Certainly we’re not advocating a ban on Christmas generosity and giving. Traditionally this is a time when we love to extend gifts and hospitality, and when we delight in merriment with family and friends. This is a beautiful thing. We are, however, offering a suggestion for making the season a little less stressful.

One way to simplify the season is to give fewer gifts, but more significant ones. There will always be one more toy, trinket, or gadget, but what about giving a very special gift that is certain to last—maybe even for generations?

Consider the gift of fine jewelry. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting some of our most meaningful and memorable pieces, designed to delight ever person on your Christmas list. Rather than several items soon to be forgotten, a piece of well-chosen jewelry is a gift that never stops giving.

Christian Jewelry is especially significant for remembering the true meaning of Christmas and for celebrating the coming of Christ. Cross necklaces are classic, but some of our favorite items also include the 14k Gold Bible Pendant With Lord’s Prayer Inside and the 14K White Gold Onyx Cross Ring.

Stay tuned for more special jewelry gift ideas to celebrate the season!

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When people think of jewelry gifts, they tend to think of elaborate, costly items—maybe the sorts of things suitable only for major anniversaries and milestone occasions. But attractive, quality jewelry comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and price tags. A delicate bangle or a funky pair of sterling silver earrings are affordable enough to make an appearance on less momentous days.

The Gemstone & Sterling Silver Bangle is a great piece to kick off the festive, holiday season with it’s deep red garnet, blue violet iolite, and smoky topaz. The bracelet is 100% sterling silver, crafted in a funky wave design. It’s the perfect adornment for your Christmas outfit.

The Sterling Silver Sea Anemone Earrings are subtle and delicate—making an attractive and affordable gift for a special woman. Handmade, each earring is one-of-a-kind. Show mom or your wife how much you appreciate all those years of turkey dinners and pumpkin pies.

Who are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? How are you showing your appreciation?

See more of our Bestselling Jewelry.

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

Today Apples of Gold wishes to honor the nation’s veterans and those who are currently serving in the Untied States Armed Forces.

The U.S. Army Cross Pendant in Sterling Silver or the U.S. Navy Cross Pendant in Sterling Silver are a meaningful way to honor a Christian serving in the armed forces, and to remind him or her of your support and the Lord’s protection. Both crosses are crafted of 0.925 sterling silver and measure 1 1/8’’ in height. The pendant can be purchased with a sterling silver box chain.

As we move towards the season of gift giving, keep checking our Top 100 lists to get ideas for the special people you’ll be buying for this year. Here are a couple of recent favorites to get you started!

The Men’s 7 Stone CZ Ring in14K Gold brings class and elegance to the hand of the man who wears it. The six cubic zirconia stones flank a one-carat center stone, measuring two carats in total.

The Men’s 14K Gold Polished Cross Pendant is one of our most popular items for men and a special gift for a strong man of strong faith. This masculine pendant measures 1.25” in height and is also available in white gold or platinum. Can be engraved and purchased with a box chain.

Click HERE to see the rest of the Best Seller List.

Select a band that expresses your individuality in a way that is tasteful and true to your style. If the standard yellow gold wedding band isn’t your bag, check out one of our white gold or rose gold bands, like the ring featured here. Engraving and diamond accents can also help to make the ring seem more “you.”

The 14K White and Rose Gold Rope Design Wedding Band, shown above, combines individual style with classic sensibility. The white gold band incorporates rose gold, representing two separate elements coming together into one, with a rope running through the middle to symbolically bind them together. This superior quality 14k gold band not only expresses your personal style, but also your deepest sentiments.

To browse the complete collection of Apples of Gold wedding bands, click HERE.

Consider A Colored Gemstone. Colored gemstone engagement rings have gained significant popularity in the United States in past years and women love the unique look of a sapphire, emerald, ruby, or chocolate diamond. It’s unexpected, special and intriguing. Colored gemstones are also usually priced far below diamonds, which means you can often get a more substantial stone for far less money. Bold and uncommon, the colored gemstone engagement ring is perfect for the rare beauty you’ve found. She’ll love having a ring that none of her friends already has. And British royalty have favored the colored stone for centuries.

The Three Stone Sapphire Engraved Ring in 14K White Gold shows off the lustrous appeal of the colored stone. Three intense sapphires crown this stone, flanked by a series of 8 small diamonds in a close-set pave setting. Sapphires total 0.75 carats. Check out more engagement-worthy colored gemstone rings HERE.

Count Your Karats. The higher the karat count in the band, the more expensive the ring will be. If you have started to scope out your own ring design you know that the higher the karat weight, the higher the percentage of pure gold is present. That’s attractive, but it’s also important to remember that gold is a characteristically soft material. The more alloy (and the less gold) the higher the durability rating. 14K gold (in any color) is the perfect combination of durable and beautiful. 14k gold is also far more affordable that 18k or 24k gold. It’s an ideal choice for your wedding jewelry.

Buy A Set. You know how it works: buy one, get one free. Well, not exactly, but you will definitely get a better price when you buy a bridal set over a separate engagement ring and wedding band. The other benefit is that rather than trying to perfectly match the engagement ring to the wedding band (not as easy as you think), you have two pieces of jewelry that were essentially “made for each other.”

The 1/2 Carat Diamond Bridal Set is a perfect harmony of two diamond-studded bands in 14k white gold. The large center diamond rounds out the total carat weight at 0.55 carats. Stones are color graded H-I (near colorless).

To browse more bridal sets, click HERE.

Ask Her. Many men assume that a woman desires a diamond ring. In reality, many women might actually prefer a tasteful, simple wedding band. If you want to propose, but you want it to be a surprise, consider buying the band first and not the engagement ring. After you have your ‘yes,’ talk to her about what she wants in an engagement ring. You may find that her tastes are less extravagant than you expected. By talking to her realistically about what she would like, you can make a smarter purchase.

The Handmade Paisley Floral Wedding Band in 14K Rose Gold is a band that can easily stand alone. Its intricate engraved design exhibits the kind of independent elegance that requires no companion engagement diamond. This ring, handcrafted of 14K rose gold, is a beautiful symbol of your enduring love and devotion. She’ll cherish it always.

Shop wedding bands for both of you HERE.

While women have babies everyday, there is nothing ordinary or common about bringing new life into the world. This is a miracle, a special moment, an event worth celebrating. The baby shower is filled with all the gifts intended to help mom and dad take care of their new little bundle of joy. They’ll have the bottles and burp cloths in abundance. And while these items are indeed necessities, it’s also fun to give mom a little something to honor her as a mother and to celebrate the new life she has brought (or is bringing) into the world. Pregnancy, delivery, and the newborn stage, while significant and special, can be daunting and exhausting. A little gift for mom—something especially for her—is a gesture she is sure to appreciate.

Making the decision to have a child – it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body. Elizabeth Stone

Special Gifts to Celebrate The New Mother

The Personalized Baby Shoe Pendant With Gemstone. Is there anything sweeter than little baby shoes? So quickly babies grow out of them, but this little pendant will help  mom to always cherish those tiny baby days, and it makes a great gift to celebrate her as a mother. Select the corresponding birthstone for the top of the shoe and engrave baby’s name on the sole. Available in 10k or 14k yellow or white gold and can also be purchased with a matching chain.

Ecclesiastes 11:5 ~ As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

Engraveable Boy Gemstone Pendant and Engraveable Girl Gemstone Pendant. These fun girl and boy pendants are a sweet gift for a new mom or a veteran—several can be strung on one chain to represent each of her children. Choose the boy or girl pendant as appropriate and engrave the child’s name on the back of the body. The front displays the child’s birthstone. The pendant is available in 10k or 14k white or yellow gold, and can be purchased with an 18” chain to match.

Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, an ever-fresh and radiant possibility. Kate Douglas Wiggin

Hand Prints Sterling Silver Pendant with 14K Gold Accent. This pendant by Special Expressions is a sweet reminder to mothers that no matter the messes their little ones create, there is something in their little hands and in all those little messes that is as precious and silver and gold.  The pendant measures 1 5/16” in height (including bale) and comes with an 18” matching sterling silver chain. The necklace is packaged in a special gift box with the “Hand Prints” poem in English and Spanish.

Proverbs 22:6 ~ Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Gold isn’t simply a thing we treasure today. People have been mining and using gold for thousands of years! The Bible makes frequent reference to gold as an item of highest standard and value. But the Bible is clear that the beauty and value of gold will never equal the wisdom that comes from the Word of God itself. This is true treasure. As it says in Psalm 19: the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Answers to a few common questions about gold:

What is a carat? In order to understand gold values, a little instruction on carats is in order. Carat is an indicator of how much pure gold is present in relation to alloy. 24k gold is pure gold, while 12k gold would be 50% pure gold and 50% alloy. However in jewelry making, you will most commonly see 14k and 18k gold. The more pure gold present, the higher the worth of the item.

Besides jewelry, what else is gold used for? Because of its ductility and resistance to corrosion, gold is a versatile metal with a multitude of uses and applications. Gold has been used for currency, and still plays an important role in setting the value of money. Gold provides fillings for teeth, is used in electronics and automobile parts, can be made into thread for embroidery, and glitters over the tops of foods and baked goods in the form of gold flake and gold dust. Some health practitioners have even identified the medicinal properties of gold.

Is white gold real gold? White gold is most definitely real gold! While gold is naturally a yellowish tone, you will easily find gold in various colors such as ‘white’ (silvery in appearance) or ‘rose’ (reddish). The color of the gold depends largely on the alloy metals used. In the case of white gold, pure gold is alloyed with palladium to give the metal its lustrous appearance. Rose gold contains higher levels of copper, coloring it a reddish hue. Even traditional yellow gold is alloyed with metals to bring out the rich, shiny golden color you are used to seeing.

Is gold the most durable metal? While gold is not the most durable of the precious metals (platinum is), gold has been revered for centuries as a precious metal that stands up to wear and tear. It remains the most popular metal used in the crafting of wedding bands and engagement rings. While gold in pure form is naturally a softer metal, the higher percentage of alloy, the more durable it becomes. Thus a 14k gold ring will be stronger than 18k gold because there is a greater quantity of alloy. However, many consumers will still opt for 18k, desiring more pure gold. When selecting your wedding band, you will want to consider factors such as your level of manual activity, as well as your budget (the higher the carat number, the higher the price). This will help you to select the ring you’ll love, and that will suit your needs, for years to come.

And a few of our favorite pieces that display the unique beauty of gold:

Two-Halves One Flesh Wedding Band Ring. This unique wedding band (above left) is made of two-tone 14k gold. White gold meets yellow gold in one design that symbolizes the coming together of man and woman in marriage, making one flesh. Measuring 7mm, this unique ring is suited for both men and women.

Love Knot Earrings in 14k Yellow Gold. These delightful stud earrings (above right) make a great gift—perfect for a young woman’s first piece of fine jewelry, or to add to the collection of a mature woman! Perfect in size and charming in shape, these 14k gold knots will be an everyday favorite.

14k Gold Crucifix Pendant. This detailed and ornate pendant features the body of Jesus on the cross, surrounded by an engraved leaf design. Crafted of 14k solid yellow gold, the pendant measures 1¼” and can be purchased with a matching gold box chain. A precious and powerful remembrance of God’s most valuable gift!