One reason we love gifting a pretty key pendant this Valentine’s Day is that it’s a beautiful, romantic piece of jewelry that isn’t overtly Valentine’s. Heart pendants, earrings and bracelets are undoubtedly lovely, but one can only give heart-shaped jewelry so many times before the gift idea becomes trite – especially when dating the same person for a number of years. Instead, consider an equally gorgeous and meaningful key pendant necklace as a symbol of your love; give that special someone the ‘key to your heart’ to demonstrate your devotion.

Apples of Gold recently introduced two stunning antique-inspired key pendants that make such pretty gifts. The first pendant is inspired by a 17th Century Armory Key . An armory key was traditionally used to secure a collection of weaponry and belonged to individuals of high social status. Two carved lions on the key pendant guard the earth between their paws, representing valor and courage.

Another one of our favorite key pendants is the delicate Zodiac Skeleton Key. Antiqued sterling silver is adorned with the twelve signs of the zodiac, hidden within the key’s design. This key pendant is slightly smaller than the first, but is beautiful in its delicacy and offers a touch of whimsy with the concealed zodiac symbols.

Personalized Silver Jewelry As a Gift

If you are in hot pursuit of a beautiful yet budget-friendly gift for someone special, consider personalized silver jewelry. Personalized silver jewelry is a great option because of the forethought that goes into having a gift inscribed for the recipient.

Unlike buying them an unpersonalized piece of jewelry, a piece of jewelry that is engraved with their initials, birthday, a special phrase or meaningful words is incredibly heartfelt and special. Personalizing silver jewelry can be done in so many unique ways; the options of what to engrave are only limited by the imagination. Here are three of our favorite ideas for engraving personalized silver jewelry:

1. Significant Dates

For a romantic present, personalize silver jewelry with significant dates. The date of your first date, first kiss, engagement, anniversary or other special experience is a sweet, romantic way to forever commemorate a day in the history of your relationship.  Both the trio letter sterling silver bangle and the trio letter sterling silver necklace are great choices for this personalized idea.

2. Initials

Engraving personalized silver jewelry with initials is an oldie but a goody, and a true classic. Also, if there is room to engrave three letters you can think outside the ‘initials box.’ Shorten a special phrase shared between the two of you to an acronym or think of funny, meaningful three word phrases. The two of you will always share the inside knowledge of what the initials stand for, but outsiders won’t be able to guess what it means.  Jewelry designer Kira Ferrer’s trio letter bangle and necklace are ideal for initial engraving.

3. Special Quotes

For personalized silver jewelry pieces that have room for more than a word or two, adding a special quote is a unique way to make the gift more meaningful.  Special quotes can be gleaned from novels, poems, cards between the two of you, or even from current pop culture with movie quotes and song lyrics. For this idea, we suggest jewelry designer Kira Ferrer’s personalized sterling silver bangle, which can be inscribed on the inside so the quote lies next to the skin.

Personalized Silver Jewelry for Yourself

Even if you are looking for a pretty new piece of jewelry for yourself, personalized silver jewelry is an option to consider.  Our beautiful sterling silver ’secret inscription’ bracelet holds a personalized message on the inside of the band, keeping the words a secret to the wearer. This would be the perfect place to personalize with your favorite life mantra, inspirational quote, New Year’s resolution, or private words of wisdom. The outside world only sees the beautiful sterling silver bracelet, but you will always wear your sacred message close to your body, a constant reminder of being your very best.

But for the moms, girlfriends, wives, sisters, aunts and grandmas in your life, there is one gift that is guaranteed to light up their eyes – a lovely piece of jewelry.  Jewelry is a personal gift that will last a lifetime, and if it’s not overly trendy it can be worn forever. Our favorite jewelry pick that is great for gifting is a pair of gemstone earrings. Gemstone stud earrings make such a great holiday gift because they are small and neutral enough to go with nearly anything.  Design-wise they are incredibly simple, which means that they won’t clash with the gift recipient’s personal style.  Here are three of our personal favorite gemstone earrings for gifting this holiday season, all of which come in white gold, yellow gold or platinum settings.

Emerald Stud Earrings:

Emerald earrings (shown at top left) are ideal for holiday gifting thanks to their rich green color.  Emerald hues also look great against pale skin, which is another reason they are perfect for the holidays. Our emerald stud earrings are natural, super high quality emeralds, and can be ordered with twist back closures or standard push back closures.

Aquamarine Stud Earrings:

The pale blue wintery hue of aquamarine gemstones are another lovely choice for a holiday jewelry gift. Our aquamarine stud earrings are all natural and high quality, and an absolute steal for their quality and beauty.

London Blue Topaz Stud Earrings:

For sapphire lovers, London blue topaz is a smashing substitute that’s as easy on the eyes as it is on your wallet.  Our London blue topaz stud earrings, like the emerald and aquamarine, are all natural and high quality (AAA grade). They’re a perfect holiday present for the woman in your life who loves a rich, regal look with her jewelry.

According to Ferrer, her designs are inspired by the lush, natural beauty of Maui. Her designs are meant to enhance the beauty and individuality of the person wearing the jewelry, and many pieces can be customized with initials to create a truly one of a kind jewelry statement. We are very excited to introduce her lovely pieces into our collection of fall and winter jewelry, and think they make fantastic presents for a friend or loved one.

Kira Ferrer's Romantic Besos Bangle

Three of our favorites from Kira Ferrer’s line include her sterling silver rustic lotus earrings, her sterling silver trio letter charm bangle bracelet (or the trio charm necklace if you prefer), and her besos bangle. The rustic lotus earrings would be a brilliant choice for women who love dangle earrings, the charm bangle and necklace are customizeable with three initials of your choice, and the besos bangle is a charming, romantic bracelet with a row of small hearts dangling from the bangle. Each one is beautiful in their own way, and is perfect for your favorite jewelry-lover… or perhaps even for yourself!

Since diamond crosses are such a great gift, Apples of Gold carries a stylish assortment for our customers to choose from. Our diamond crosses range from strikingly modern to traditional and ornate, making it easy to find the perfect pick for yourself or a loved one.  Since we know every penny counts, we are also proud to present an affordable selection of diamond crosses that make a big impact without the need to pull out the plastic. Here are a few of our favorite affordable diamond crosses, which just might inspire you to start the Christmas shopping a little bit early this year:

Modern 14K White Gold Diamond Heart Cross

This modern looking cross strikes the perfect balance between style and symbolism. The single diamond in the center of the cross symbolizes the light and love of God, making it the perfect gift for the modern Christian woman who love minimalist design.

14K White Gold Cross and Heart Diamond Pendant

A beautiful solid white gold cross (shown at top left) lies nestled in a diamond-studded heart, creating a powerful symbolic statement and beautiful piece of jewelry.  This lovely cross necklace is the perfect present for a woman who steers toward classic, traditional style.

10K Yellow Gold Heart and Diamond Cross Pendant

A cross and heart are forever intertwined in this gorgeous jewelry design. The yellow gold cross has a natural, organic shape that complements the diamond-studded heart beautifully.  A twist on the traditional yellow gold cross design, this diamond cross necklace is just the pick for the girl who likes contemporary style with a traditional influence.

We love taking the jewel toned trend to the next level by adding a stylish piece of gemstone jewelry that echoes the look.  After all, since the trend is named after jewels, is there a better way to embody the spirit than wearing gorgeous, richly colored gemstone jewelry? We think not, which is why we have been lusting over this spectacular 5.2 carat emerald-cut blue topaz cocktail ring with matching emerald cut earrings.

The blue topaz cocktail ring is modern in design and vintage in spirit, with .4 carats of emerald cut diamonds flanking the whopping topaz center stone for a stunning sparkle. Add to the mix the solid 14K white gold setting with delicate band, and the effect is irresistibly delicious. If this ring were being picked for a team, it would undoubtedly be picked first. If it were in a beauty pageant, it would be crowned the winner. And if it were the one piece of jewelry purchased this fall, it would unquestionably be the best wardrobe decision of the year.  Not only because it is absolutely stunning and encompasses the loveliest of fall’s trends, but also because this is the kind of ring that you wear a lifetime and pass down as an heirloom. Not only because it’s beautiful, but also because it is a complete steal at the current price. And now that we’ve convinced ourselves of its undeniable beauty, value and usefulness, please excuse us a moment while we add it to our shopping basket….

Rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets are most often carefully crafted into precise shapes featuring smooth edges and exacting designs. Gemstones are valued based on the quality of the cut, which is an art in itself. Getting light to reflect perfectly off of a diamond requires a talented jeweler wielding finely tuned tools. Throughout history, the perfection of a piece of jewelry has had an important impact on the item’s price.

However, with fashion’s recent focus on the natural, green and organic, the more abstract, flowing shapes are becoming trendy and preferable to carefully uniform designs. Irregular shapes, gemstones left rough and natural and uneven patterns etched into gold are edging out the sleekly polished look. It’s a refreshing, untamed style that adds an unexpected pop of rebellion into both classic and laid back wardrobes.

One of our favorite pieces that typifies this jewelry trend is our 14K solid gold fashion ring. Crafted with careful irreverence, this hefty statement piece is a devil-may-care twist on the classic wear-all gold ring.  It would look equally lovely paired with a ladylike little black cocktail dress as it would with a long, free-flowing 70s style maxi dress or worn jeans and a v-neck tee.

The ring is nearly an inch wide at the top, a nice size that’s not for the faint of heart. But, if you’re looking for that perfect stylish piece of jewelry to turn an outfit from blah to amazing, our fashion ring is the perfect addition to your jewelry box.

A baroque pearl is identical to a regular pearl, except for its unique shape. The unusual oblong look of baroque pearls are formed due to an irregularity in the typical coating process of the mussel or oyster. Since baroque pearls are comprised of the same material as round pearls, they come in a an equally wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Though baroque pearls are most commonly found in freshwater pearl varieties (due to the way the mussels are nucleated to form the pearl), gorgeous baroque Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea pearls also exist and are used in fine jewelry.

At Apples of Gold, we appreciate the beauty of round and baroque pearls alike.  The funky, organic shape of baroque pearls is a must in every woman’s jewelry box, which is why we are proud to introduce our stunning baroque pearl necklaces.  The shapes of the baroque pearls vary from slightly oval to very elongated with swirls of color gradation, making each necklace a truly unique treasure. Every pearl lover should own a beautiful set of baroque pearls, as should all women who desire a well-rounded jewelry box.

Our scintillating selection of baroque pearl necklaces can be found on the Apples of Gold website. Though fine jewelry is usually all about perfection, we’d like to encourage you to go for baroque and embrace the beauty of imperfection.

One of our favorite ways to wear this new, trendy color palette is to integrate the pretty soft pastels into your jewelry box. Amethyst (and green amethyst), pale citrine, aquamarine and morganite are the best gemstones that embody the muted color palette, although we also love the idea of pastel freshwater pearls.

Freshwater pearls are not only affordable, they also come in a range of pastels. Lavender, baby pink, champagne and peach are the best freshwater pearl colors to rock the muted pastel trend.  Though pearls might not be the first gem that comes to mind when thinking of a fashion-forward jewelry look, freshwater pearls are a bit hipper and trendier than their more expensive counterparts. Not only because they can be used generously to create interesting looks (thanks to their lower price), but also because they come in more fashion-forward hues.

Two Ways To Wear The Trend

One of our favorite ways to wear the lavender and pink freshwater pearl jewelry is to layer long different colored necklaces on top of each other. The colorful layers create a pretty gradient of pastels, and look super stylish paired with a simple black or gray cocktail dress.

Another look we love is a pearl necklace that mixes South Sea pearls with freshwater pearls for a stunning single strand. Since the necklace encompasses so many different colors, it can be worn with virtually anything, year round. Although it certainly embodies the muted pastel trend, the darker pearls interwoven with the pastel give is to much versatility that it transcends one season’s trend. Plus, multicolor pearl necklaces are just so chic that it’s hard not to fall in love with the look.

Don Ed Hardy has been reinventing the art of the tattoo for the last four decades. Known as the ‘godfather of the modern tattoo’, he is inspired by many different subcultures and their respective iconography. As a result, his tattoo creations are a mixture of American, Japanese, Cholo, tattoo, surf and hot rod imagery; giving his designs a wide range of cultural appeal.

Apples of Gold is proud to introduce an extensive selection of watches from the coveted Ed Hardy brand. His watch designs range from a slight twist on a classic to bold and edgy, and we’d like to share with you some of our favorites. They’re perfect for gifting, although you can’t hold us responsible

if you end up keeping them for yourself.

Ed Hardy Antoinette White Watch 

The white Antoinette leather strap watch is perfect for a punk rock princess or glamourous lover of gothic romance.  Beautiful tattoo style red roses pop against a stark white background, framed by sparkling crystals around the watch face. The white face is paired with genuine leather, crocodile embossed white straps that add glamour and luxury to the overall appearance.

Ed Hardy Gladiator Eagle Watch

The Ed Hardy Gladiator Eagle Watch is a bold twist on the classic leather cuff watch. Red suede lacing and a screaming eagle design lend interest and attitude to the typical cuff watch silhouette. It’s a cool spin on an established design that makes the watch simply irresistible.

Ed Hardy Warrior Hollywood Watch

The Ed Hardy Warrior Hollywood Watch is a study in contrast with its two juxtaposed images. On top is a curvy, sexy Hollywood pinup girl and beneath her is a snarling black jaguar. The jaguar is one of Ed Hardy’s trademark tattoos, and ups the ante of this otherwise demure watch.  The beige cuff of the watch keeps it tame enough for the everyday, while a closer look at the images on the face reveal a wilder side.

Ed Hardy Love Child Black Watch

The Love Child watch is just what your inner rockstar ordered. A black leather cuff is studded with metal and sparkling black gems while the sleek stainless steel face features a black tattoo-style rose.  It’s perfectly Ed Hardy, and undeniably fabulous.