What are you giving your sweetie for Valentine's Day?

Every once in awhile I post this question because I think it’s
important, as jewelers who are ultimately just selling love, that we
remember (in between all the stress of making and selling our
jewelry) that we, too, have loved ones and they deserve a nice piece
of jewelry once in awhile to show just how much we do love and
appreciate them. So the question is: What are you giving your
significant other for Valentine’s Day? And if you’re not giving them
something why not?

I’ll jump right in by telling you that I’m making my wife an 18k and
22k gold bangle in the shape of two hearts with a beautiful 3+ct.
round Nigerian green/blue tourmaline bezel set in one of the hearts.
It will probably have some diamonds in it too but I’m still working
on it so I’m not completely sure. Plus it will have some roses on it
because after all it’s always nice to get some roses on Valentine’s
Day (of course mine are 22k gold roses but it’s always nice to get
flowers!)

Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.
Daniel R. Spirer Jewelers, LLC
1780 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-234-4392
@Daniel_R_Spirer

Hello Daniel,

My Alex turned to me last night and said, “I know you like to give
me jewelery, but this year, could I just have chocolate?”

Truly, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. :wink:

Happy Valentine’s Day, Everybody!

Susannah Page-Garcia
Moonshine Metal Creations
@Susannah_Garcia

What are you giving your significant other for Valentine's Day?
And if you're not giving them something, why not? 

Well, Daniel, you’re right-- so what do I give the man who doesn’t
have anything, and doesn’t want anything? I made my honey a
beautiful gold ring, some years ago, long after he outgrew his
original wedding ring. He keeps it on his desk. He doesn’t even wear
a watch. Or tie tack, or money clip. I might be able to get him to
use a belt buckle-- he does wear a belt, after all. Good idea!
Thanks, Daniel!

Now, why didn’t you bring this up sooner?

–Noel (with two dots over the e, that don’t come through on Orchid)

My sweetie and I don’t exchange much for Valentine’s Day since our
anniversary is two weeks later. This year is our 10th wedding
anniversary (and no one thought we would last) so I did something
special for him. I made him a 14k gold band 10mm wide with 10 holes
in it (get the symbolism?!) Anyway, for someone who mainly works in
sterling, fine silver and 22k it was a bear. However, I must say
from a technique point of view, it’s one of the nicest pieces I’ve
made.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Tammy Kirks
Red Bee Designs

Daniel

I like the sentiment, I took my wife to one of the local suppliers
this morning and let her pick the stones she would like. Looking at
what was in the tray, I asked how many pieces she wanted, she smiled
and said ‘one’, be creative. I shall be working with Blue Crazy Lace
Agate, Citrine, and Pyrope Garnet.

:slight_smile: I got no idea… except, I see the pose and face of a dancer in
the agate. I may have just found my theme, hope she wanted a pin.

Terry

Hi Daniel, Your gift sounds beautiful, lucky for her. I on the other
hand am a female jeweler and haven’t received jewelry as a gift ever
since I became a jeweler, sigh…any other lady jewelers in the
same boat?

Marta

Yes, I never get jewelry, but I really don’t mind. I occasionally
make something special for myself.

My husband isn’t a jewelry person at all, although he wears a chain
with three pendants I made for him: a small stone from his family
home, a nickel-iron meteorite, and a tiny silver fir cone from the
cemetery in Denmark where his ancestors are buried. He says it’s a
talisman.

I did make a gold and sapphire pendant for my best friend, for her
husband to give her for Valentine’s Day.

Janet Kofoed

In my previous life as a corporate nomad, my sweetie would get me a
"Valentine’s, birthday, and anniversary" present (they are all
within three weeks of each other). Some times expensive jewelry but
others were exciting gifts like tires, brakes, and once he even got
me half of a fancy grill.

Now that I am finishing up my basic jewelry training, he expects me
to make my own 25th wedding anniversary ring for next year. (He is
in for a surprise. I am going to set a diamond in it.) So, I guess,
no more jewelry purchases - just the supplies to make it.

As for what I am giving him…
A week long visit from MY mother.

Revenge is so sweet.
Lynn

I on the other hand am a female jeweler and haven't received
jewelry as a gift ever since I became a jeweler. 

Yes, Marta, sigh! I am in the same boat!

My husband hasn’t been able to give me jewelry since he met me, it’s
kinda a running joke. However, I have a very good girl-friend who
also makes jewelry, she works in gold and diamonds, which I don’t.
I’ve been hinting to my husband that she has some pieces that I
love. So far, no dice. Maybe this year I’ll get lucky!

-Amery

My hubby knew I wanted this new rosebud touch and glass making
supplies and whoohooo got them this weekend, fun fun fun.
Silversmithing way go on hold while i play with my new passion !

Happy Valentine’s Day !
Tina

Daniel,

would love to see the bracelet, sounds very interesting - any chance
sending us a picture of it?

Marta,

I on the other hand am a female jeweler and haven't = received
jewelry as a gift ever since I became a jeweler, sigh.......any
other lady jewelers = in the same boat? 

Yes, Marta, I’m in the same boat and I admit I’m a difficult person
to buy jewellery for. So I “suggested” to my husband to buy me
“ethnic” jewellery whenever he travels to far away places (which he
does often). Works perfectly. I wear them (when possible) and they
are also a great source of inpiration!

Happy Valentine’s day to everyone,
Linda Savineau

My husband and I received the most wonderful Valentines gift from
our daughter. A long awaited granddaughter! What better way is there
to celebrate our union of 33 yrs? This is the spice of life!

LaVerne

I gave my wife heart earrings one year and that didn’t go over well,
so now a card a blank check. She is happy as well I am happy and I
don’t have to worry about returns… everyone is happy…

Andy " The Tool Guy" Kroungold
Tool Sales / Technical
Stuller Inc
Phone 800-877-7777 ext. 94194
Fax 337-262-7791

The special project is a pair of earrings for my wifes birthday
tomorrow. They are Iona Bloodstone, which is basically the same
material as the Nowegian Unikite we talked about on Orchid a while
back. Various colors of gold Celtic symbols (lucky charms) and
Conemarra Marble, made to go with a gold barrette I made her for
Christmas a few years ago. If there is an Orchid Dinner for the MJSA
NY Show in March, I will be sure she wears them.

With a wife, 2 daughters and 3 female employees, Valentines Day is a
challenge for me. For several years I would design a new piece and
give each of them the same or a simiar thing. But one employee also
has a valentine’s day birthday and my wife’s birthday is Feb 16. I
have found it is too much pressure to keep that up year after year.

We do a Valentines Day promotion that has been working pretty well,
so I have not had much time to be creative. This year the daughters
got a simple silver heart pendant, which they love, because it is
actully fashionable, rather than my usual style (designed by my
apprentice). Everyone else got flowers.

Stephen Walker

Given that our anniversary is on the 10th, we don’t usually do much
for Valentine’s Day. However, this was just our fifth anniversary,
and at some point in the (hopefully near) future he’s getting a ring

  • I’m waiting for some sapphires we ‘mined’ on our vacation in
    Montana to come back from my stone-cutter; they’re being cut to
    maximize the color, size and shape of the rough stones, so I don’t
    know exactly what I’ll get back. My sweetie’s ring will be designed
    around the biggest or 2-3 of the bigger ones. I get a ring, too -
    actually several, I’m going to do a set of stacking rings in 18K
    with hammer-textured bands and bezel-set sapphires.

Marta - I don’t get jewelry, either. Well, I did get a strand of
better pearls once, and sometimes he gives me charms for my charm
bracelet (and of course I am the one who solders them on, which is
fine). But since I even made our wedding rings, I think I set the bar
too high right from the beginning. I think he needs to give me more
chocolate or something. :wink:

~kara

I gave my wife a bouquet of tulips (she’s on that low-carb diet). My
daughters (my comeuppance for a youth spent philandering) each got a
box of assorted chocolates. My two female Australian Shepherd’s each
got a rawhide chew bone. I started to feel left out since nobody got
me anything, so I bought a half-gallon of Eddy’s Ice Cream, special
Girl Scout Cookie Edition with bits of real Samoa cookies. I
pretended they gave it to me. Great stuff, use whatever excuse you
can find to try it.

Why didn’t I make them jewelry? They’re a little blahze about
jewelry for some reason. Probably associate it with a semi-absent
husband/father who spends too much time in the shop. :

Meanwhile, the only two males in this house are me and the old yellow
tom cat, and he’s been fixed. Any of you guys have this problem:
three women in the house and one bathroom?

David L. Huffman

Dear David,

Do what my father-in-law did: Papa Garcia “put his foot out” (as he
says) and made it a house rule that makeup and hair must be “done
in” at the dresser. It works- no traffic jams in the morning.

If they argue, remove the doorknob. They won’t be able to hold out
past a week. :wink:

Good luck,
Susannah Page-Garcia
Moonshine Metal Creations
@Susannah_Garcia