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Welcome to the Baby Jewels Blog

All little girls adore their sparkly children's jewelry and Moms, grandmothers and Aunties all love to buy it for their special children.  

Newborns receive baby bracelets, babies on their Christening Day receive gold or silver baby bracelets or a little baby necklace, often with a pearl to signify innocence, and little girls, over the years receive children's charm bracelets and adorable children's charms follow for each birthday and Christmas to come.

We hear from mothers, grandmothers and aunties all the time, asking for certain items for certain special occasions outside the normal birthday/Christmas realm.  They want something special when their little girl or boy starts school, they are looking for a reward for effort made at school, and lately, we have been receiving emails for ideas for gifts for their little ones who lose their first baby tooth.  So we are looking for tooth fairy gifts.  

One we have already found is a sterling silver tooth fairy charm.  If your little one is about to lose her first baby tooth, and already owns a children's charm bracelet, you couldn't find a better idea than a tooth fairy charm.  

Losing one's teeth at around age 5, is a momentous occasion, as any Mom or Dad can tell you.  It's a step towards growing up, an occasion of much excitement because now, the Tooth Fairy is going to take notice, visit and take the discarded tooth, leaving a gift behind.  Once upon a time that gift might have been a silver coin. later a gold coin.  These days, it could very well be a silver children's bracelet, a little girl's necklace, or a children's charm especially made for the occasion:  a tooth fairy charm - to match her excitement!

The gift of a baby charm bracelet or a children's charm bracelet is just the beginning of the story.  Because a charm bracelet is just that, a story.  Often, the naked bracelet is given to a baby at birth, or for her first birthday and sometimes her Christening gift.  

In the years that follow charms are traditionally given, that tell chapters in her story.  There are baby and children's charms to denote the arrival of baby brothers and sisters, the acquisition of a pet, the beginning of her school days, her sports, her hobbies, her talents.  

By the time a child reaches her teens her charm bracelet holds great sentimental value.  At this point, it might be prudent to buy an adult sized charm bracelet and begin her story through to adulthood.  

When buying a children's charm bracelet, ensure it's one that can be linked at any point along the bracelet so that it will fit her for many years.  

When choosing charms as gifts, try not to choose charms that are only silver.  Add colour with the addition of gems and enamelling, crystals and cz stones.  Even a mix of gold and silver looks great and adds interest.  

When it is outgrown, place it in a small plastic ziplock bag for safekeeping.  It'll always be something she treasures and would make a wonderful gift to her own child.  

For these reasons, we recommend charm bracelets as exceptionally great value gifts for babies and little girls. 

Recently, Ebay was flooded with cheap imports of children's Tibetan silver children's charms at crazy prices.  A test was performed which has received a geat deal of publicity.  The pieces tested were found to contain as little as 1% pure silver.  Now, Tibetan silver traditionally, can contain as much as 99% pure silver, so these unscrupulous sellers have maligned the name "Tibetan Silver."  

Generally in today's market, Tibetan silver contains approx 30% pure silver, and the delightful styles and affordable prices make it a very reasonable proposition.

People often ask me, "what is Bali Silver, Mexican Silver, Miao Silver etc.?"

Bali silver is usually quite safe to buy though some ebay sellers have done a "Tibetan" on Bali silver as well.  If prices seems ridiculously low, then it's probably not Bali silver at all, which is generally good quality sterling silver.  Buy from a well known supplier, and you will get 92.5% sterling silver.

Sterling silver is, of course, 92.5% pure silver.  It is popularly used in baby jewelry and children's jewelry as well as jewelry for adults.  100% pure silver is not a viable product for jewelry, especially children's jewelry, because it is too soft.  It is easily dented, scratched and bent out of shape.  

Some years ago, I ordered some Miao Silver jewellery.  This  traditional craft of Northern China and nearby Central Asian countries contains approx 30% silver.  Designs are beautiful and prices are affordable.   

I've been receiving emails from Mexican suppliers regarding Mexican baby bracelets and children's earrings.  I have little knowledge of the content of Mexican silver, but from my recent research, it can be dubious  Mexican silver can be sterling silver, or it can contain only 30% (same as regular Tibetan silver) or it can be made from as little as 10% silver.  What to do?  

For the moment, I am avoiding Mexican silver until I know more about it, and find a reliable, well recommended supplier, though some of their designs are very desirable!

If you're thinking about giving a piece of baby jewelry for a first birthday gift, consider the great deal of growth baby will undergo in the next few years.  For this reason, baby bangles with an extension for growth are an excellent idea, because they give years of wear.  Ditto for little baby bracelets with an extension for growth.

Baby necklaces too, can have an extension for growth, or the ability to be clasped at any point along the necklace, which is a great asset. Some baby bracelets are also able to be closed in this manner.  

Sizing isn't a problem with baby brooches, however, most mothers stop dressing their babies in their brooches by about 18 months which makes them less of an option for a first birthday gift, unless you're thinking of it more as a family keepsake.

Baby/children's charms are an excellent idea for any child's birthday gift.  Give them a sweet, little, naked charm bracelet at age one, and add to it each year with a new charm for each following birthday.  This is a great idea adopted by many grandparents, Godparents and aunties and personalises the bracelet to suit the recipient.

Some mothers have their baby's ears pierced quite early, which also gives the option of baby earrings, of which there are a huge selection, and they make an inexpensive gift that baby will not grow out of for many years.

At this time of year, I am being bombarded by suppliers trying to sell me "Christmas jewelry" for my website.  What is Christmas jewelry exactly,  you may wonder?!  Mostly, it's alloy Christmas trees on a chain, little children's bracelets with charms in the shape of Christmas trees, wrapped Christmas gifts, angels, stars etc.  Children's earrings with nativity scenes, this type of thing.  I'm not keen on any of it.  

But not all of it is tacky.  Some of it is quite nice, and I would consider them as momentos of Christmas.  For example, there are good quality sterling silver or 9ct gold Christmas children's charms, which are well made and up there with the Thomas Sabo style quality jewelry I've seen in the stores.  One manufacturer has tiny baby necklaces with baby Jesus, complete with halo. Some people might appreciate these little items.  Another item I thought a little girl might like is a star necklace and drop earrings set.  They are sterling silver, on a 15" chain and the earrings are very petite.

Would love to get some feedback about Christmas jewelry while there's still plenty of time to decide! 

Babies and children are being Christened, not just during babyhood, but at all ages up  to the teens, these days.  The gift of a piece of baby jewelry for a little one or children's jewelry for an older child, is still one of the favourite gifts chosen for Christenings.

Baby Jewels has purchased a selection of crosses for the baby or child to wear on her special day.  But we often notice it's not a piece of religious jewelry that's chosen.  We notice, from the gift message box, that the gift is for a Christening and the article chosen is more than likely, not a religious piece of jewelry.  So far we've found that little charm bracelets and charms, children's silver earrings, or a pendant necklace are the favourites.

For babies, we have an "angel bracelet" and a silver ID bracelet with an attached pink enamelled heart, which are popular as baby Christening gifts.  

We also have some children's angel charms which are big sellers and I presume, but do not know for sure, that some of these are for the charm bracelets of children being Christened.

We love to know the purpose of the gift and the message in the gift box (we supply a card with personal message) gives this away.  It also helps us tailor our products to suit the various occasions in babies' and children's lives. 

ID Bracelets for babies and children, have been around for generations, and they have maintained their popularity over the years, with new styles appearing on the market all the time.  Often these days people purchase a little children's charm to clip onto the ID bracelet to enhance the look of it.  Often, the ID plate is dressed up by the addition of an enamelled butterfly, heart or other favourite childhood feature, a cut-out heart or a tiny cz stone implanted in a corner. 

Personalised children's jewelry, particularly baby jewelry, has been increasing in popularity over the last few years.  For a time, there was an idea that babies and children should not wear their name displayed, for safety reasons, however these days, babies and children are seen everywhere, adorned with personalised jewellery showing off their name on their little children's bracelets, necklaces and even anklets.

Children's ID bracelets are another form of personalised jewellery.  There are no rules as to what should be engraved on the ID plate.  sometimes it's the baby/child's name, sometimes the date of birth, particularly if it's given to a baby or a little girl on her birthday.  Sometimes it's a special message from giver to child, something to be kept as a family keepsake and something special to appear in all her family photos, childhood portraits etc.

Originally the ID bracelet was a bib holder.  These bib holders, back in Victorian times, evolved to become quite ornate, and were often engraved with the word "Baby."  As time went on, these bib holders became baby brooches, with an ID bar for engraving.  In turn, ID bracelets evolved.

These days baby ID bracelets are more likely to be sterling silver than gold. The high cost of gold has seen a  massive trend towards sterling silver.  Sterling silver seems to be popular with all age groups these days.  

If you purchase a children's or baby ID bracelet, ensure the ID plate is thick enough for engraving.  Also give some thought to what you want to have engraved on it, because some ID plates are tiny.  Others are quite large.  If you want a your message to the recipient engraved on it, you should look at the larger ID plates obviously.  Think about a little baby charm or children's charm to attach to it, they really do enhance the look of the ID bracelet.  Of all children's bracelets, charm bracelets are the most popular and there's no reason why you can't have both in the one bracelet!

Charm bracelets are currently the most popular style of baby and children's bracelets.  It seems that everyone loves a children's charm.  There are a huge variety available and a charm can be purchased to represent almost every aspect of a little person's life.  

Charm bracelets make an excellent little girl's birthday gift (or big girl's birthday gift!) because it can be followed up at Christmas and future birthdays with a charm to remember something special in her life during that year.  A mixture of gold and silver children's charms looks great, and some gemstones or enamelling for colour, will really set her bracelet off.

Over the years, the charm bracelet will tell the story of her life and become more treasured as time goes by.  Of all children's jewelry and baby jewelry, charm bracelets have the potential to be most loved and therefore kept for her until adulthood.

Children's charms can be added to a necklace as well with the same result.

It is just one more option for personalised jewelry which is becomes more popular by the year.