Non-metal Jewelry Gift Ideas

I wrote an article a while back about buying jewelry for your girlfriend. The question was posed to me, but what if you and she both have metal allergies? Well, here are some ideas that shouldn't cause too many problems in that area! This isn't an uncommon allergy for people to have, especially those with sensitive skin. Also, nonmetal jewelry isn't just for those with allergies! Anyone can enjoy it, and it's often a very unique sort of gift.

What questions should you ask yourself before buying this particular kind of jewelry? Is she elegant or quirky? Traditional or new age? It'll help you decide what to get for her. If she's very traditional, pearls may be a better choice than paper! But, if you know that she enjoys new and different things, then paper or glass might be more interesting.

Also, if she already wears a lot of one color, that's a good hint that you should find something that goes along well with it! If not the same color, then find something complimentary. If she wears black, then bright colored jewelry will show up really well, but make sure it's something she's going to wear.

Here are some ideas for jewelry that doesn't have metal in it.

Semiprecious stone rings - Malachite, Hematite, and Quartz and the most common types of stone that are used in rings that are actually carved instead of made from metal. Some good examples of hematite jewelry can be found here: http://www.kvkdesigns.com/nastje.html

Glass beads - While it might sound weird at first, there are some artisans who make beautiful jewelry out of glass. Here are some interesting examples, some of which look very much like their metal counterparts: http://www.endlessbeads.com/gallery?category_id=389

Pearls - Pearls rarely have any metal except for the clasp. You can occasionally find strands without a clasp as well. They're a very traditional gift and can range widely in cost. For the less expensive look for freshwater. For (much) more expensive, saltwater. They also come in a large variety of colors, so don't keep yourself away from them thinking they're all white. Gray, pink, purple, black, and green can be found too!

Paper - Really! Paper is used to make beads that are just as pretty as anything, and won't set off metal allergies! Laquer is used to make the paper hard. http://www.paperjewels.com/ can show you some nice examples.

Just because she can't wear metal doesn't mean she can't wear any jewelery at all! I hope that these ideas help you out, especially with Christmas coming up. Ebay and Google are both good places to search for what you'd like to find.