Let’s get personal. When I give my girlfriend a gift, I’m always a little scared she won’t like it. This is especially the case when I’m buying jewelry, because there are so many different styles to choose from. So what am I aiming for when she opens my gift? I want that gift receipt to get thrown out with the wrapping paper! Why would she use it when I bought her the perfect present?

The truth is, tons of well intentioned gifts get returned. After Christmas, for example, Inquisitr reports over $46 Billion of clothes, electronics and jewelry are exchanged. Buying jewelry your girlfriend can be tricky, and that’s what this guide is for. Here are 3 tips for how to give her something she’ll love!

1. Stalk Her Social Media

When you’re buying a jewelry gift, why buy what you think looks good when your girlfriend may have posted thousands of Pinterest pins of exactly the kind of jewelry she likes? Do some friendly stalking on these social media sites:

Pinterest: With 70 million active users, there’s a good chance your girlfriend is on Pinterest and pinning her favorite things. Find her Pinterest profile and see what she’s been wishing for all year—many pins link directly to a website where you can buy the item.

Etsy: Women use Etsy in much the same way as Pinterest—they “like” the things they want to see in their own jewelry box. Take a look at what she’s liked to get a sense of what jewelry she’d love as a gift. But don’t forget that an Etsy seller may take longer to ship, so make sure you’ll get it by Christmas before you buy!

Tumblr: If you don’t know, tumblr is a “micro blog” that allows you to reblog things you like. If your girlfriend uses tumblr, this could be another gold mine.

2. Study Their Style

You want to make sure you get a style your girlfriend likes. The worst thing you could do is try to create a style for them with your gift giving! For example, if you know your girlfriend wears classy, timeless styles like Mariana jewelry, don’t buy her a modern set of earrings.

Here’s how to be a student of what she likes: see what she’s wearing in photos. Facebook is a great place to do this. Look through her photos with an eye for her jewelry, and get the gist of what she’s into. Then compare with this rundown of 3 jewelry styles:

Modern Jewelry

If your girlfriend is into modern jewelry styles, you may see her wearing dainty, small jewelry. This style tends to be understated, so look closely for a glimmer of several small gold rings stacked on her finger, or a necklace with a thin chain and a tiny pendant. We did a writeup on dainty modern jewelry if you think this may be what she likes to wear.

Classic Jewelry

If your girlfriend likes classic jewelry styles, look for a lot of crystal. You may see crystal studs, chandelier style earrings with crystals, or anything with pearls or tortoise shell. Also note that classic does not mean old! Lots of young people wear classic jewelry–in fact the art deco trend that is popular now is considered classic jewelry.

Statement Jewelry

There are way too many jewelry styles to put in a single guide, but here is one more that is easy to recognize in photos. It’s exactly what it sounds like–bright, visible jewelry. Look for necklaces with big baubles and bubbles. Also look for large, chunky bracelets, and large rings with lots of bling.

3. Take Her Shopping

When you’re thinking through what to buy your girlfriend, you can’t exactly ask her what she likes, or it’ll blow the surprise! So don’t ask what she likes, instead take her shopping. Walk around the mall, and pay attention to what catches her eye. You’ll get tons of ideas. Pay special attention to things she asks your opinion about–if she wants to know what you think, you may have just found the perfect jewelry gift for your girlfriend!

Happy Shopping!

Use the 3 tips above and you’ll find something your girlfriend doesn’t want to return! Jewelry tastes are personal, but it’s not too hard to find a gift she loves when you do your homework. Happy shopping!

-Kyle

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