Are jewelry gifts appropriate for seniors?

Yes

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by Ruth Woodhouse

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Jewelry (or jewellery as those of us outside the US spell it) is something that people of all ages receive pleasure from. Generally speaking I should say that jewellery would be a lovely gift for a special senior in your life if they have always appreciated such things.

Of course if somebody wasn't really fussed about jewellery in their younger days, there would be no reason they would be likely to value such gifts in old age. My own mother would have been one such person. If I had bought her a bracelet, necklace or ring she'd have been annoyed with me for what she would have regarded as wasting money. Although Mum appreciated beauty, she was herself very much a no-frills individual. She would have far preferred a more practical gift than jewellery, which she never wore. A nice watch would have been about the only piece of jewellery she would have ever had any desire for.

However, for many seniors jewellery would have been a lifelong source of pleasure. So why would it be inappropriate for them to be given jewellery in their golden years? For many it would actually be ideal.

It can be difficult to know what to get somebody elderly as a gift. They may have pretty much everything they want and regard their needs as being quite minimal. If they live in a small apartment, unit or even in a single room in a nursing home, they may not have space for many personal belongings either.

Jewellery, at least, doesn't take up much space and it's something that can make an elderly person feel special. It's not something that anybody ever has because they actually need it but because they find pleasure in it. So yes, jewellery could be just what the doctor ordered for somebody whose general needs and desire for possessions are reduced by age, but who still needs to feel special.

A nice watch is suitable for either gender and almost anybody. Of course such things as diminished eyesight would have to be taken into consideration. You wouldn't buy a watch with tiny markings on it for an elderly person and if their eyesight is very poor you would want to make sure the numbers are particularly easy to read. If their hands are arthritic you would also need to consider something that would be easy for them to put on and take off, rather than an item with a fiddly clasp.

Of course there are considerably more options for women's jewellery than men's. Apart from a watch, the main piece of jewellery you might consider for a gentleman would be a nice pair of cufflinks (if he wears good shirts). I don't really think your average senior citizen would have body piercings or be wanting studs for various parts of his body, as is fashionable among young men would these days.

However, for women there are a number of options. Some may be less appropriate than others for practical reasons related to failing fine motor skills, etc. Or they may simply have their own preferences, which should be considered just as much in their senior years as they would have been in their youth.

You wouldn't buy a big knuckle-duster for somebody who liked dainty jewellery for instance. Indeed it's probable in many cases that their preferences will have changed with age anyway. Somebody who liked long dangly ear-rings in their youth would be likely to prefer something more subtle in their senior years.

Of course there may well be some seniors who still like to express their personality with quite loud, bold jewellery. They are all still individuals after all. It is considerate to find out what sort of jewellery the person really likes and what would be most and least suitable for them.

I am sure that some elderly people would love to have a locket with a photo of somebody special in it. But if they already have something like that you would be best to find something else. They're not likely to wear more than one locket at a time. If they have a very special photo in the locket they already own, they are unlikely to want to take that off to wear a different one occasionally either.

Brooches are often a lovely gift for a senior and if you have a good look around you may find something that depicts a particular thing they have always especially liked. For example a senior who has always loved music might like a brooch representing some music notes, a piano or other musical instrument. Somebody who's always loved their garden would probably be delighted to have a floral brooch. Someone who has always loved pets would be likely to love a dog or cat brooch. Just be sure you don't give a cat brooch to somebody who only likes dogs (or vice versa) though.

There may be certain stones that they particularly like as well so ask a few questions and you're more likely to find just the right thing. Often the person's birthstone will be ideal. Pearls are also a classic gift for most women.

No matter what a person's age, they are likely to be delighted to have something given to them that they would not buy for themselves. From childhood jewellery is regarded as a special gift and I really don't think that would change for a large percentage of people just because they are at the other end of their lives.

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