Remember when you were a kid and you gave Valentines to everyone in your class? That’s how I celebrate Valentine’s Day. A few years ago, I began hosting a dinner party on Valentine’s Day that includes a mix of gay and straight couples and singles and the common thread is “people I love” and now the dinner is one of my favorite traditions. I make a diets-be-damned dinner and we drink a little too much (for a weeknight, at least), share stories, and crack each other up. I think it’s so much more fun to celebrate love at a full table than with just me and my guy.
But this year, a dinner party is out of the question (I live in NYC, it’s too cold for an outdoor substitute!) and Valentine’s Day will be dinner à deux with my boo. He’s wonderful, but I miss celebrating my friends, so I’m mailing real paper valentine cards and sending gifts, too. I founded a jewelry company, mazi + zo, so naturally I’m sending gifts of gold. Here’s a guide to my favorite not-hearts-again jewelry this season:
For your bff who’s been there through thick and thin, I suggest a delicate charm necklace that shows how well you know her. What’s her Zodiac sign? We’ve got those. Does she drink red or white? We have both (we also have martinis, champagne flutes, margaritas, and a beer charm.) For fashionistas, we’ve got three styles of sunglasses and a cowboy boot. Does she love the water? Try a starfish, sailboat, or anchor from our “Vacation Vibes” collection. Social media obsessed? How about a hashtag?
For your sparkliest friend, lightweight threader earrings are the way to go. They’ll dance and shine whenever she moves and draw attention right to her beautiful face. I receive compliments from strangers whenever I wear my kite threader earrings and you can wear them so many different ways to mix up your look. I like to “thread” them through my third and fourth holes and wear studs “below”, and they also look great on their own, worn long in front or back! In addition to kites, we’ve got double stars, lightning bolts, and crescent moons so pick the one that matches her style.
For the classic babe, try a delicate initial charm necklace or a pair of simple star stud earrings (we call these the little white tee of jewelry!) Or maybe a cross or Star of David is more her speed? Our classic collection features a minimalist crown, tongue-in-cheek “diamond”, an anchor, arrow, and more!
For a versatile and timeless gift option, you can buy tennis bracelets online to suit any style and occasion.
Of course, if you want to go with the traditional hearts, we’ve got them, too!
(I know, no ideas here for the guys. Our jewelry is just too tiny for most men. I like to send “consumable” gifts like booze, sweets, and meats and Goldbelly and Mouth always have tasty options from independent makers (those sites aren’t compensating me, I really use them! Of course, if they wanted to send me Jeni’s ice cream…)
Wishing you a fantastic Valentine’s Day full of love, laughs, and jewelry!
About the Author
Lizzy Klein lives in NYC and is the founder of mazi + zo, a company that makes jewelry that ups your personal style with original high quality easy-to-wear, easy-to-layer designs. Find your favorite style for gifts and for you at Shop mazi + zo!