How to Choose a Pair of Handmade Earrings As a Gift

It has been said many times that a woman is never fully dressed until she puts her earrings on! With that being said, choosing earrings as a gift for someone else, of course, has many things to consider. Some of those considerations include:

pierced or clipped

allergy to certain materials

how much weight will there be upon the ears and is there a preference

how long does the recipient prefer earrings

the hairstyle of a person you are choosing for

do they wear glasses

What is the face shape

are they for casual, professional or dinner date wear

Your first consideration is whether or not to choose earrings for pierced ears or the clip on kind. Many women and girls do not have their ears pierced. If you are making earrings to sell, try to come up with designs in which the findings can be swapped to make either pierced or clip on. If you are choosing a pair of earrings as a gift for someone else, you will need to know for sure if the ears are pierced or if the person prefers clip on style.

Allergic reactions is a huge consideration as many people are allergic to base metals. There are also individuals who can only wear real gold or silver. When making earrings for sale, it is a good idea to have earrings made with a variety of jewelry components to take into account the needs of people with allergies. I have allergies, but fortunate I am, not to any kind of earrings I have worn. When buying earrings as a gift, find out what the person can and cannot wear.

The weight of the beads and materials you use for making earrings is far more important than those used for bracelets or necklaces. You might consider using plastic or lightweight wood in some of your earring designs to accommodate those who have need to have extremely lightweight earrings. Gift giving earrings can be tricky here as well. Ask some questions about the earring weight your gift recipient might prefer.

For the most part, most of the earrings I make at the present time are fairly lightweight in my estimation. Yet, for someone else, they may not be. A variety of earrings made with plastic or lightweight wood might be a good idea for some jewelry artisans if you are making jewelry to maximize profits. I usually make what I would like to wear, so plastic or wood are not materials I normally use, however, I do use plastic flower beads which I think are cute.

When choosing earrings as a gift for someone else, be sure to question the person about the weight of the earrings they normally wear.

The length is something you must also take into consideration when designing earrings or choosing them as a gift. Drops and studs are the easiest to wear for most people as they are not obtrusive and will not get tangled up in the wearer’s hair.

There is some difference in drop earrings and dangle earrings. Drops are usually the shorter length and dangles are the longer lengths. Some dangle earrings can hang as long as 4 or more inches from the ear lobes and the weight can be quite a load to wear.

In fact, fashion now in the year of 2016 is it seems “bigger is better.” I personally prefer much shorter dangles or what is termed “drop earrings,” which generally hangs about 2 inches from the ear lobe, sometimes 3, but never any longer than this. Learn from your recipient of the gift what they prefer in length of their earrings.

The length of a woman’s hair truly makes a difference in the type of earring she can wear while wearing her hair down. She might not be comfortable in a pair of chandelier earrings as these may get tangled in her hair.

Does the recipient of your gift wear glasses. Many women do not like to wear earrings that may clash with the style or color of their glasses. This is an important consideration when trying to decide upon a gift of earrings.

What about the shape of her face? An elongated face may look even longer while wearing very long dangle earrings. Large hoops may not look good on a woman with a round face. Consider the face shape of the recipient of your gift, but do not be limited by this. Some people enjoy wearing all styles. Do some questioning before you purchase.

Is your gift for professional wear or going out on the town? Many jobs and professions require subtle jewelry, whereas, for a dinner date, you could probably go with big and bold.

These are just a few suggestions to consider before purchasing earrings as a gift and if you are a jewelry artisan the suggestions and tips also apply.