PENDANTS

PENDANTS

While a gold or silver chain can be lovely on its own beautiful pendants can add a special something to the look Not only can they spice up a gold chain but they can create a focal point for an outfit They are very versatile and can be used with different types of necklaces to achieve different looks For example a person might choose to wear one with a gold chain on one day and a leather cord the next She can vary the length and the size of her necklaces to compliment different outfits With so many styles to choose from one can select pendants to express individuality or simply tie an outfit together A pendant is a piece of jewelery that hangs from something else usually a necklace but sometimes a bracelet or even earrings They have been around for thousands of years and ancient artwork shows early Egyptians Greeks and Romans all proudly sporting necklaces with dramatic pendants Even the cavemen used a form of pendant when they tied pretty shells or stones on cords and fastened them around their necks In the Middle Ages people often wore reliquaries which were designed to hold sacred relics on cords around their necks or other types of devotional jewelry They lost popularity around the 17th century and werent frequently worn again until the 19th century when they came back in style

Materials

Pendants are available in all sorts of materials including

Gold

Platinum

Sterling silver

White gold

Black hills gold

Gold plate

Silver plate

Pendants as Gifts

Pendants make wonderful gifts for birthdays holidays and special events like graduations confirmations and bat mitzvahs They are available for all budgets and tastes from small simple inexpensive gold initials to costly diamond and gemstone encrusted pieces When presented as a gift they are often given together with a gold or silver chain

Religous

There are a wide variety of religious pendants that can be used to honor and acknowledge a persons religion These include crosses the star of David the Virgin Mary all sorts of saints and more These religious symbols can be simple or adorned with embellishments like golden flowers gems and enamel Many jewelry stores carry religious jewelry as well as religious specialty shops A wide variety of religious jewelry is available online

Pendants can be used to honor ones cultural heritage as well A pretty claddagh the traditional Irish symbol for friendship love and loyalty would be a wonderful gift for a person of Irish descent Colorful enamel pieces in the shape of a countrys flag Germany or Puerto Rico for example are popular Again the internet is a great source for this type of jewelry offering many more choices than the typical local jewelry shop

Pendants can be used to express ones interests and personality An artist might appreciate a splashy geometric one while a pianist might choose to sport one shaped like a musical halfnote A mother might wear a charm in the shape of a child and a doting Black Lab owner could proudly display a dog at the end of her chain There are volleyballs horses scissors and thread books birds cats something for everyone

Lockets

Lockets are some of the most popular examples of this type of jewelry Heartshaped lockets are particularly common but lockets come in all sorts of shapes including ovals and circles People like to put a picture of a loved one in the locket or sometimes a picture of themselves as children Some put a lock of hair from a loved one in the locket They have long been considered romantic gifts and are often given for Valentines Day birthdays or for anniversaries