At Jewelry Creations our slogan "where love inspires us every day" is more than a slogan. It’s our mantra. So, as you can imagine, we are all about a holiday that celebrates love! Valentine’s Day is coming right up, and I’m not gonna lie, we’re getting excited!
I started off thinking that this blog post was just going to be a simple gift guide, but then I started looking into the origins of Valentine’s Day, so I figured what the heck, let’s talk about that too! If you’re interested in “just the gifts” then jump on down to the Gift Guide Section. Otherwise, keep reading to learn a little about the origins of this holiday that revels in love and romance — it won’t be too long, I promise!
Origins of Valentine’s Day
I did some research, and no one really knows for certain who this mysterious Saint Valentine is. There seem to be three candidates from which to choose1 – a priest in the third century in Rome that fought an unjust order that prevented soldiers from marrying; Saint Valentine of Terni, a bishop that ministered to persecuted Christians during the Roman Empire; and Saint Valentine that helped Christians escape harsh Roman prisons. There is one thing that each of these Saints had in common, though – beheading. Eeek.
The sources do tend to agree, however, that Valentine’s Day started as a feast day in February by Pope Gelasius I in AD 4962. But, it's more current incarnation started in the 1400's and appears to be associated with the “love birds” of early spring, memorialized by Chaucer in his poem, “Parliament of Foules”3.
“For this was on Seynt Valentynes day, Whan every foul cometh ther to chese his make,”
Uh, yah, for those of us that don’t speak Middle English:
“For this was on Saint Valentine’s day, When every bird comes there to choose his mate”
(ahem, warning, translation is mine and I was definitely not an English Lit. major!)
The written Valentine’s didn’t show up until the 1400’s. The History Channel article that I cite states:
“The oldest known Valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.”1If you really want to get into it, check out this blog post over at the British Library. There seems to be more to the story than the History Channel article lets on.
Valentines Day popularity started to grow in Great Britain around the 17th Century and in the 18th Century in the America’s with hand written valentine notes and then as printed cards with the invention of the printing press. Valentine’s Day then seemed to slowly evolve into the greeting card exchanging, chocolate, rose and gift-giving holiday that it is today.
So, to sum up that all up, it’s a simple tradition of recognizing love using hand-written notes that has been around since the 1400’s!
Before wrapping that up we have to talk about Cupid – everyone’s favorite little mischievous cherub. The History channel article I credit here1 is a great read and dives deeper into his origins. He’s supposed to be the child of some Greek Gods, and again, there are a few to choose from... Greek Gods gonna be Greek Gods, amiright? In his role amongst the Gods Cupid was a formidable adversary4 and was not the fun-loving plump cherub we know today. In Greek mythology he interfered in both love and war.
The association of Cupid seemed to appear around the turn of the 19th Century by, you guessed it, valentine’s day greeting card printers4. Cupid was trending, so the card printers jumped on the band wagon. Years later, here he is, still slinging his arrows, hundreds and hundreds of years later; albeit slightly more toned down with less war and death.
Gift Guide
Ok, so finally, the dissertation on Valentine’s Day is over. Let’s talk about some great gift options for you to share with your special someone, and if you’re a “new couple” and you’re in that awkward “I’m really starting to like you” gift giving stage, then jump on over to our other blog post that covers this challenging gift-giving relationship stage in great detail.
For Valentine’s, though, let’s get started.
Love and Heart Theme
Yup. It’s Valentine’s Day. You knew there had to be hearts in here somewhere right? These gifts are for the hopeless romantic, the one that wants to be reminded of their partner every time they look at the piece. I particularly like the bracelet that has the word "LOVE" built into its design. Beyond just being cute, it’s perfect from a fun fashion perspective.
The first option is a great one. It is a sterling silver heart shaped locket pendant with a flower border design, and it’s only $70 - or $110 if you need the chain. It’s a crowd pleaser.
There is also a Gold Puffed Heart Pendant. It’s a fun and fashionable expression.
And these earrings are made in-house by our talented jeweler! They are sterling silver and feature a small pearl at the bottom of each.
Next up, we have a Heart Necklace with gold beads. Made from 14K gold, this necklace is 15.5", and is a cute and undertstated necklace.
Your Little Sweetheart
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be just about romance. It can be about love of all kinds, like the love of a parent. With these gifts you’ll have some great ideas to get your little sweetheart.
The classic heart locket is always a great bet.
Then, there is the heart-shaped pendant with a bezel-set pink gemstone.
There are also earrings for your little sweetheart. These match the pendant and can be purchased as a set or stand-alone.
The Fashionista
Maybe your soon-to-be gifted isn’t into hearts and such "sappy things". Don’t worry. We have your back. This next set of items is for the fashion-forward person in your life.
Ed Levin is always a huge hit at our store. Every gift giving holiday sees people showing up just to see what's new in the case. Made in upstate New York, this group of high quality jewelers comes up with some of the most whimsy, clever, and elegant designs on the market.
The Zenith Pearl Bracelet is a great addition to any wardrobe. We also have it in black pearl.
There is also a matching set of earrings.
I'm going to sneak an extra heart in here, but you wouldn't even know it! It's the "Secret Heart Pendant". It contains an "X", an "O", and a heart, depending on the angle you look at. It's really clever!
A watch, and especially a Michelle watch, is a fantastic gift for anyone. This Deco Mid Lapis is an 18K gold plated watch with a blue lapis dial. The contrasting colors of blue and gold really make this watch spring to life. The 18K yellow gold plated bracelet is included.
The Cape Code bracelet is a classic New England look so it is perfect for us here on the coast. Being simple an elagent, this bracelet goes with everying.
That “Big Wow” Moment
If you’ve decided that this is the year that you’re going to go "all in" and pull off that big wow moment, then the gifts below will ensure that cupid’s arrow hits the mark.
Nothing invokes passion like a Hearts On Fire diamond, so no gift guide is complete without a piece from their collection. Every diamond at Hearts On Fire, no matter what size, is cut to the perfect dimensions to project the most amount of brilliance possible. The Tessa necklace is a perfect example of how brilliant Hearts In Fire diamonds really are.
And if you're looking for that "big wow" from Hearts On Fire, check out the Lorelei Floral Diamond Bangle. It's absolutely goregous, and is a big fan favorite.
Spark by Jewelry Creations is an exclusive relationship that Jewelry Creations has developed with a jewelry manufacturer in New York. All made here in the US, Spark is a diamond jewelry line that meets the high demands of Jewelry Creations’ discerning eye for quality and value. The Expression Necklace is one of our best sellers. We often just call it "the smile necklace".
The marquise shape diamond necklace dazzles and delights with 0.43 carat total weight of high quality diamonds.
Bonus Round — For Your Guy
Your guy is going to love a gift on Valentine’s too — especially a new watch or a nice chain. Here are some options for him that will certainly get lots of use.
Do you have a gadget guy? Then you have to check out the T-Touch Connected Watch. It connects to your smart phone to show alerts, text messages, etc. And it tracks steps and other metrics as well. It all syncs up to your phone over Bluetooth. Check out the other styles too, but don’t you think the red strap version is perfect for Valentine’s Day?
Staying in Tissot watches we also have a hot seller, the Gentleman's collection. This one is the Gentleman Powermatic 80 Silicium in Arctic Blue - the hottest color this year. It is an automatic watch, which means it automatically winds itself while wearing. The Tissot in-house Powermatic 80 movement is Swiss made by Tissot and features a power reserve of 80 hours!
We have all styles of standard chains in yellow gold, white gold and silver. One of our best selling lines is called INOX and we carry a good variety from them as well. Check out this 6mm Cuban style gold plated version.
Our beaded bracelets have become really popular as well. Beyond beaded bracelets we also have a lot of different options in different metals and materials such as leather and paracord.
Wrapping Things Up
Yah. We do that too! And don’t forget, we have a ton more items to look at in the store, so please be sure to stop in and peruse. Our expert sales associates have decades of experience helping people find that perfect gift, so feel free to let us be your Cupid!
See the full gift guide here
Sources
* This blog post was originally created in 2022. It's still a great one, so we've dusted it off and updated the gift guide for 2024.
1 History of Valentine’s Day, History Channel, https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2
2 Valentine’s Day, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day
3 Works of Geoffry Chaucer, Librarius, http://www.librarius.com/parliamentfs.htm
4 Cherubic Cupid Is Everywhere on Valentine’s Day. Here’s Why That Famous Embodiment of Desire Is a Child, Time, https://time.com/5516579/history-cupid-valentines-day/