Beauty, Safety and Security in Kids’ Jewelry
Parents purchase kids’ jewelry for many purposes. It can be as gifts for special occasions like birthdays, graduations and other milestones in life. It can be for its symbolic purposes like warding away evil, as is the case with many cultures. It can be as a status symbol that, indeed, the parents can afford to buy their kids expensive jewelry in addition to their basic needs.
No matter the reasons for giving your children pieces of jewelry, you must take into account certain criteria. Keep in mind that it is not only beauty that concerns jewelry but safety and security issues as well. Here then are a few of the important things to remember when purchasing children’s jewelry.
Beauty Aspect
Your first consideration with kids’ jewelry will understandably be about beauty. After all, jewelry is designed to enhance the appearance of the wearer depending on its placement, materials and design. For example, a bracelet on a kids’ wrist may enhance the cute appearance of her dimpled hand.
You may also choose jewelry based on color. If your daughter has blue eyes, you can accent their vivid color with earrings made from blue-colored gemstones like topaz, sapphire and even blue Swarovski crystals.
Your choice can also be affected by the recipients’ favorite color as seen in her wardrobe. For example, if your daughter has a primarily pink and red wardrobe, then crystals and gemstones in these colors are good choices.
Safety Issues
After you have considered the beauty of kids’ jewelry, your next step is to look at its safety. You want the kids to look beautiful or handsome in their pieces of jewelry but you also want them to be safe in terms of physical health. In this regard, keep these things in mind when choosing jewelry for kids:
• Choking hazards in jewelry must be avoided. Small parts like beads, stones, charms and lockets may look cute to the eyes but definitely not when lodged in a child’s throat. Purchase jewelry in one piece for older children with younger children possibly waiting for a few more years after their mouth exploration phase has passed.
• Materials used in the jewelry must be considered for their potentially toxic effects. For example, lead and mercury may be present in the jewelry – a definite no-no in kids’ jewelry. This also goes true for metals to which kids may be allergic to such as nickel.
• Durability in design is also a must. You want the piece to be sufficiently durable to last the rigors of a teen’s or a child’s life from playing to studying.
Security Concerns
Last, you have to ensure that your kids understand the proper places and proper behavior when wearing jewelry. Crowded places like malls, schools and parks are not the proper venues for fine, antique and heirloom jewelry since loss, theft and other accidents can happen in these places.
You may also want to look into insurance for these pieces of jewelry. Homeowner’s and renter’s insurance only cover up to only $1,000 and $500, respectively, which may be insufficient to cover the value of the jewelry.
When you have considered all of these aspects, you can then choose the kids’ jewelry that best suits your child’s age, style and preference. All these without draining your bank account, of course.