Valentine's Day jewellery: heart necklaces, earrings and romantic gifts

The heart, from a locket to LOVE lettering

The motif rarely repeats itself the same way twice. A locket swings open on whatever you slip inside, a winged pendant does the same, two hearts twist together on a bangle, a run of small hearts falls down a double strand, and a handful of pieces simply spell the word out in rhinestones. Each shape sits at a different level of discretion.

Heart earrings, a bangle or a necklace: what actually suits her

Start from what she already reaches for. Someone who wears the same thin chain every day will happily keep a small pendant on; someone who swaps jewellery with every outfit gets far more out of hoops, drops and bangles. If a necklace feels too safe a bet, the wider earrings selection opens up shapes that owe nothing to the heart motif.

Valentine's Day gifts for her beyond jewellery

Not every romantic gift has to be a piece of jewellery. Heart-shaped sunglasses, hippie or vintage, get a laugh the moment the paper comes off. Then there are the make-up headbands, every one of them tied with a heart knot, and the pocket mirrors with a 3D flower heart that slip into any bag. One last idea for a lighter parcel: a keyring that lives in a coat pocket, handled without any ceremony at all.

Steel or costume jewellery: how each one wears

Two families sit side by side here. Bare steel takes warm water and soap without dulling, which is why it suits the necklace someone intends to leave on; on gold-tone pieces the finish lasts longer if they are not left soaking. Costume pieces lean on rhinestones, mother-of-pearl and ceramic instead; they keep their sparkle far longer if each one gets a pouch of its own, away from the friction of a full jewellery box.