What to get if you don't know her that well

We all have those difficult presents to get for aunts, nieces, his best friend's wife....people you just don't see that often. Not often enough to be able to walk into a shop and say ''yes, that's very her'', but you want to get something lovely nonetheless

In those cases you by all means go for something simple, but it really doesn't have to be plain.

our new Solitaire pendants come in a range of beautiful gemstones (some of them birthstones, all of them lovely)

and we have earrings to match in studs and hooks-just remember to check whether she has pierced ears!

To Say I Love You

There may just be that special someone that you have not quite got round to saying those three little words to...well here is a selection of heart shaped lovelies that will do it all for you.

'Sealed with a Wish' (my personal favourite) a sterling silver filigree heart with a freshwater heart locked inside. Perfect for the girliest girl. -£45

'Amanda' A sterling silver heart with a hammered finished, these come in a variety of sizes, and the beaten finish adds subtle sparkle-sure to melt even the toughest chick - from £39

or for every princess carved rose quartz on sheer organza. - £35

Unlock Her Heart with a Bracelet... -£65

Or treat her to a pretty stacking ring- £25

Go on Surprise her!

What if she never wears any jewellery?

Sometimes we are just too busy to be fussing over what goes with what, and sometimes we really really do not have ANYTHING to wear.

What with all the multi-tasking women have to get up to, there is often very little time left to pamper oneself, and feel special enough to take the time to put on a bit of sparkle.

Thats where Christmas (or rather you) step in. Picking out something that is actually practical, will go with anything and will withstand everyday wear, whilst still looking gorgeous is a tricky art to pull off. When you want to say ''feel gorgeous every day'' (without piling on the pressure to glam up). Something, neutral, simple and chic is the way to go.

I strongly recommend you put one of our lisa necklaces into your shopping basket online (also available in any of our shops) and let us giftwrap it for you and send it to you too....well I said it was tricky to pull off, but we have done all the hard work for you!

Those Invaluable People..

If you have that special someone that deserves an extra thank you this year...for picking up your children, for knowing exactly when you need a cup of tea at the office, for spell checking your reports, for picking up the stuff you have dropped before hoovering under your desk, for taking your post, for feeding the cat while you were on holiday, for always bringing your bin back in as well as theirs, for signing for your parcel when you were out... for cheering you up and for going that extra mile

Give them an extra treat this year (and something that shows a bit more thought than a box of chocolates). Go for a classic wishbone bangle. Classic, beautiful and even more importantly open at the back so it fits ALL wrists. And only £35

Pearls As Sweet As She Is.

I find some of the trickiest presents to buy are for Nieces and Nephews. Particluarly or if you don't have children yourself. I have had a chat with our gemmologist Lucy (who has two very beautiful girls) and we think the ideal gift is something they will love (and Mum will too), and something that will make them feel like a lady without them looking too grown up! We have a range of gorgeous freshwater pearl and silver elasticated bracelets. They fit little ladies from ages 4 to about 13, and they come in a range of candy colours to please the girliest of girls and turquoise for tomboys.

Freshwater Pearl Bracelets are just £12.For older girls or just that something extra we can add a charm for £15. And these also come on chains so they can have a pretty pendant to match.

For That Extra Special Surprise!

We have one regular customer who comes in on Christmas Eve pretty much every year. He has such a good idea that I had to share it with you. He always buys three pairs of our gemstone stud earrings (one for his wife and one each for his two daughters.) We put them into our pouches and off he goes.

When the table is set for Christmas lunch he secretly slips in the dining room and undoes one side of their Christmas Crackers, pops the pouches inside and does them back up so no one knows.

After the first time I'm sure the element of surprise had gone really but its such a simple lovely thoughtful touch to Chirstmas I had to pass it on . Gemstone Studs £15

For YOUR Mum...

If your Mother is anything like mine when you ask her what she wants for Christmas you get the same old reply of 'Oh, don't spend anything on me, I don't need anything...'

Presents are not about what you need, you always want to buy something she'll love. So for my Mum I know the best thing to do is make her a necklace. All of our zigzag beaded necklaces are handmade by one of our talented designers, so for an extra special treat this year why not let us make one especially for your mum.

like this:

Bespoke necklaces are a great way of showing you have put a bit of extra thought into her present, and she will definately appreciate that extra special-ness of wearing something that no one else has. We can help you through the design process, if you want a lot of guidance, some samples or if you know exactly what you want we always have time to get it just right. And, what's even better, making yourself her favorite child is not as expensive as you might think. Prices for bespoke beaded bracelets start at just £45 and necklaces from £65. Drop in to any of the Shops or give Lucy a call on 01252 724815 and let us show you what we can do.

For his mum...

We all know most men are last minute shoppers, and very often its left to you to get that all important present for HIS Mum. We reccommend something simple, stylish and unfussy. Our favorite pick for this tricky Christmas gift is the Nadia Rose Pendant. Classy, elegant and a firm favorite with everyone you can't go wrong with this one. Available online, you don't even need to venture into the cold, just sit back and have it delivered directly to you free, and beautifully wrapped too. Sorted.

Check it out online here, matching earrings available too.

Nadia Rose Pendant £125

For the Woman Who Has Everything...

We all know the feeling of wondering what to get that lovely lady who already seems to be on top of every trend and seems to have everything before you have even seen it in the shops...

well I guarantee she doesn't have one of these.

We have managed to get our hands on a limited collecting of Singing Pendants, they are absolutely brand new and not only are they really truly beautiful and on top of the trend for beautiful filigree, they make the most wonderful gentle ringing sound when you shake them. Sterling Silver holds either a Yellow Gold, Rose Gold or Silver coloured spherical bell.

Perfect Perfect Perfect presents for the woman who has everything (or me if you are feeling particularly generous!) The new zigzag Singing Pendant is £75 on your choice of Organza ribbon finished with silver ends..

...a partridge in a pear tree

we thought you might like to see one of our beautiful Partridges made by Bryony of Pretty Scruffy. Looking all the more gorgeous in todays snowy weather.

and in honour of our 12 days of Christmas window display I'll be updating the blog and facebook page with my top twelve recommendations for your trickiest Christmas gifts.

so keep checking back.

and, if you haven't seen our Facebook page click here to add yourself as a fan...go on, you get extra competitions and giveaways so its well worth it!

November Birthstone

Its November again, and beautiful crisp weather perfect for long walks in the Autumn sunshine....and a golden birthstone to match those turning leaves.

Citrine is a member of the macro-crystalline quartz group of minerals and and ranges in colour from light yellow to golden brown. Names such as Brandy or Madeira Citrine are used for the darker varieties.The name 'Citrine' is derived from the French 'citron' meaning lemon. From the middle of the 18th Century, many Amethyst and Smoky Quartz were subject to heat treatment as it was found that the purple and brown would disappear and be replaced by yellow. Today heat treatment of these stones is completely accepted in the trade and most Citrines on the market are heat treated. Natural Citrine is very rare and is usually a pale yellow colour. Citrine has a hardness of 7 on the Moh's scale.

Citrine occurs in igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, and is found in Brazil, Spain, France, Russia, Scotland and the USA.

For a very long time Citrine has been considered to have magical powers. it was thought to protect against the plague, snake and spider bites and evil people. It was also thought to improve the functioning of some organs sunch as the liver, heart, kidneys and digestive system. Given as a present Citrine is a symbol of hope and strength.

We have a limited collection of some really beautiful faceted citrine pendants in the new stock ranging between £45-75, give us a call on 01373 745588 quoting your nearest shop to reserve one. Or for something a little more different check out the stunning unique Maharani rings online. Although if you are buying something for me the I think the juicy Francesca earrings (above) are really beautiful.

Brand New Beauties

Take a look at a sneek preview of some of the new collection:

Beautiful faceted Hooks in Citrine, Amethyst and Labradorite VERY LIMITED COLLECTION (just one of each) let us know if you want to reserve a pair

These are really beautiful Ruby and Sapphire Corundum necklaces. Again just one of each. We have a few bracelets to go with these also.
These bangles are one of my favourite things, yummy carnival coloured stones (Amethysts, Moonstones, Turquoise, Ruby, Tigers Eye, Garnet, Carnelian, Labradorite and Lapiz Lazuli)
And for more delicate wrists these fine bangles are lovely, In polished sterling silver and a Ruthenium plated finsh they have pretty faceted stones in Gold Vermeil settings tofinish them off. Lovely on their own, even lovlier stacked together.

...and finally some stunning limited edition rings-Emerald Corundum, Pearl and Turquoise. You just have to pick your favorite.

Buying Beautiful Beads

Every piece we choose is carefully checked, we only buy what we love and what we think is original, exquisite and beautiful.

Julie selecting pearls from one of our designers.

this one is five graduated strands of really top quality pearls with onyx and silver details either side making it really striking. You can't see it in this picture but it also has really lovely detailed handmade silver catch.

Keeping Busy...

Today is the festival of Rakhi-(Raksha Bandhan) a giving of gifts between brothers and sisters, particularly a bracelet from a sister to her brother as a symbolic 'bond of protection'. Its an important festival and duly everything is shut-we have been keeping busy though.

Working out on the lawn...

and preparing gemstone combinations for setting

A Short Video on Selecting Amethysts

Birds of Paradise

We picked up a limited edition of Just 10 of these really striking rings today. They are just stunning and reminded us of birds of paradise, they are tiny pieces of stones such as turquoise and lapis all set in resin and silver- just like a mosaic.

...tell us what you think

Choosing Stones

Spent the morning looking at Precious stones for earrings, Rubies and Sapphires here-

In the afternoon we chose some really lovely Amethysts for pendants

then we looked at putting together out own combinations of stones for some really interesting pendants. Can't wait to see the finished pieces...

Arrival in Jaipur

Last year the monsoon rains had not come. This year as we leave Delhi the rain is falling and the 5 hour drive takes us along a very bumpy washed away highway. Looking out of the lovely old Ambassador the dry and dusty brown landscape has been transformed into a verdant oasis.

We pass herds of beautiful long horned cattle being driven down the road and goats grazing alongside, and of course the odd camel pulling its load.

We have arrived at our hotel having studied all of the fashion magazines on the way. Long multicoloured strands of beads lift camel, nude and beige outfits and 50s style dresses are finished of with pearls or glittering earrings. And of course there are plenty of statement necklaces-lots of Art Deco inspired things, so much to look out for. Keeping coming back to the blog over the next two weeks as we give you sneek previews of new discoveries, invite your feedback and show you the beautiful city of Jaipur.

Summer Spectaculars from zigzag!!

check out our VERY limited special offer...Turquoise Studs and Hooks reduced from £45 to £27...instore and online, but only while stocks last!

get them online

...and if one spectacular offer isn't enough, grab a Sterling Torque was £65 now just £45 online and instore

Countdown to India!! Get your Bespoke requests in NOW!

We are in countdown mode now - just 6 days to go before Hannah and Julie fly off on the latest buying trip to Jaipur. We'll be buying up luscious jewels for Christmas, and Hannah has created some new pendant designs which we will be commissioning from our wonderful craftsmen jewellers. We have already been asked to see if we can source Sapphires and Diamonds for engagement rings for 2 customers [Congratulations! - you know who you are] So .... if you have any special requests or ideas for your Bespoke Necklace - you will need to get them in to us SOON! email Hannah on hannah@zigzagjewels.com

The Birthstone Feature-August.

As it’s the start of August already you might be wondering what the birthstone might be for those summer birthdays.There are actually two to choose from.

The concept of identifying stones with zodiac signs, birthdays and other occasions is an ancient one, but the details vary widely across cultures, traditions and time. But, the most commonly used for the month of August are Peridot and Onyx.

Peridot is a gem form of olivine and ranges in colour from bright lime to olive green. The Romans had a particular liking for peridot calling it ‘evening emerald’ as the colour remained bright and light at night-perfect for summer garden parties and evenings out! The name comes from the Greek ‘peridona’ meaning ‘to give richness’-particularly suitable for special birthdays!

Used as a gemstone for thousands of years, legend has it that it was Cleopatra’s favourite stone. Very large peridots are set in a shrine in Cologne Cathedral. It is also particularly sacred in Hawaii as it is believed to be the goddess Pele’s tears.

.…and Onyx

For the chic Audery Hepburn types Black Onyx might suit a little better.Onyx is a black or banded variety of chalcedony. The name onyx comes from the Greek ‘onux’ meaning nail. Legend says that Cupid cut the fingernails of Venus while she was asleep. Ssince no part of a heavenly body can die, the fates turned them into stone, known as chalcedony. Hence, onyx was believed to encourage the growth of fingernails, hair and skin.

Two Prize Winners!!

We had beautiful weather for Farnham Carnival and Independents Day in Epsom...AND a prize draw for both. I am delighted to announce the winners of gorgeous Charm Tree Bracelets are Claire Christmas and Catherine Banfield.

they both won a sterling silver bracelet and their choice of beads to go on it. A little bit like this one:

If you want one too just check out TheCharmTree.com or Pop in to one of the shops to design your own.

Independent's Day in Epsom

It's been a great day! Thanks to Diana at the Ashley Centre. Fantastic weather and lots of fun had by all. We'll be announcing the winner of our Prize Draw on Monday. Thank you to everyone who has left a testimonial for us on theBestofEpsomandEwell. We hope that one of you wins the £100 of vouchers. If you'd like to enter the competition just leave your comments on http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/epsom-and-ewell/business-guide/feature/zigzag-jewels/81657/review.

June Birthstones Moonstone and Pearl

Some of us get all the luck-not only do June babies get the start of nice warm barbecue weather for their birthday parties they also get the choice of two stones as birthstones. And what lovely ones they are too...Moonstones AND Pearls.

so here is a little bit of info on both.

Pearl

Pearls are an organic gemstone, the only gem created from a living creature

The name comes from the Latin word ‘perula’ which means small pear. Natural Pearls are one of the oldest known gems and have been adored by people for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks thought that Pearls were the hardened tears of joy of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, as she was born from the foam of the sea. The Romans were particularly fond of Pearls, which were favoured by the rich. Women would wear their Pearls to bed to remind them of their wealth as soon as they woke up. A Roman General is said to have financed a whole military campaign by selling one of his mother’s Pearl earrings. In ancient China, Pearls were swallowed to cure eye diseases and fever. They were also thought to bring wealth, power and longevity.

Pearl is the birthstone for June and for the zodiac sign of Gemini (May 21 – June 21). It is also given for the 3^rd and 30^th (Pearl Jubilee) wedding anniversaries

Moonstone

Moonstone is an opalescent stone. The intensity of the body colour depends on the amount of iron present within the stone. The iridescent sheen is known as ‘schiller’ which means a colourful play of light. ‘Rainbow Moonstone’ is Labradorite Feldspar and its sheen has a variety of rainbow colours. This particular variety has become very popular and is now becoming very scarce.

Moonstone is an historically important gemstone, valued for centuries, particularly by royalty. It was popular with the Romans who thought that Moonstone was formed out of moonlight, hence its name. In the Middle Ages, people believed that you could look into a Moonstone and fall into a deep sleep that would predict the future. Folklore says that Moonstone could awaken tender passions, if placed beneath the tongues of lovers at full moon. Even today, in Arabic countries, women still sew a Moonstone, out of sight, into their dresses, as a symbol of fertility. Moonstone is a sacred gemstone in India, regarded as ‘dream stones’ bringing the wearer beautiful visions at night. In East Indian tradition, Moonstone represents the ‘Third Eye’, clarifying spiritual understanding.

Moonstone is a birthstone for June and the Zodiac sign Cancer (June 21-July 22).

Clouds & Silver (and Gold) Linings.

The Euro may be in freefall, the £ sterling may have lost 25% of it’s value against the Indian Rupee in less than 8 months, and the price of silver may have skyrocketed! But hey, it’s a great time to go to the UK and Europe for your hols if you are Indian! Having come all the way over to Jaipur, I was highly amused to discover that one of my suppliers is, at the same time, in London on holiday!

You can read that India's economy is booming – but seeing it REALLY is booming is another thing altogether . Major roads and flyovers are appearing from nowhere, skyscrapers, huge shopping malls and blocks of flats are popping up like Jack's beanstalk, almost overnight.

Real estate prices in Jaipur rival those in London, and there is a skilled labour shortage of English proportions. There is also massive unskilled unemployment, and poverty on a scale unimaginable in the UK, and, sadly, little sign of much change there, however much the face of the cities alter.

But change to the world order IS happening on a grand scale, and very, very fast. It is simply more visible here than in Britain. Coming to India and stepping outside the UK really does give a fresh perspective on the truly radical shake up taking place in the accepted 'normal order of things'. And while change is not always welcome, we will certainly embrace the positive.

So … over the next couple of months until our BIG shopping trip here, we will be working on creating new designs to excite and inspire you, which you can still afford, in spite of exchange rate woes and skyrocketing silver prices.

AND, if you would like something really special, but still affordable, in gold and precious stones - one of our most prestigious suppliers [a jeweller to the Royal Family of Jaipur since the 19th century] has offered me a service to pass on to you: to make his designs in earrings, rings and pendants, to your own specifications and budget. An exciting proposal because the workmanship, design and materials are wonderful, AND they knock spots off the prices of traditional High Street jewellers. But I'll save the details for later …..

This example of a pair of Ruby, Emerald and Diamond earrings in 18ct gold would only cost around £400, at curent gold prices and exchange rates, AND they are unique. Pretty amazing for something so extra special. If you might like to take advantage of this service, do get in touch with me at our Head Office to make a personal appointment to discuss

Whirlwind Buying Trip

Finally. I'm sitting on the verandah, overlooking the green lawns and flower garden of my hotel, enjoying a lovely scalding-hot pot of fresh darjeeling and a slice of home made chocolate cake - Bliss!

It's been a bit of a trek to get here, mostly because of awful roadworks on the highway from Delhi to Jaipur, but, I left London at 9pm on Saturday and here I am at barely 5pm (local time) Sunday, well and truly ensconced.

Rather lucky I didn't risk a BA flight this time. We come here 2 or 3 times a year and always fly BA, but this time I decided to try Jet Airways, and it was wonderful. I shall be saying goodbye to my BA executive club card and airmiles, the service on JA is fantastic, the plane was a 777, the newest around with state of the art in flight media (and this was in economy!). The food was really good - vegetarian Indian to a very acceptable standard, good fresh fruit salads ...... I could go on, but you get the idea. BA has, sadly, definitely lost our custom.

At least the road trip to Jaipur gave me a chance to submerge myself in the latest Vogue, Marie Claire, Red and Elle - something I NEVER get time to do - to see what the Summer trends might be and, I hope, use this trip to bring a flavour of these to you. There are lots of long chains about, silver bangles piled up tanned arms, and strings of large, brightly coloured beads, as well as tons of black & white - the perennial classsic for summer. So, fingers crossed, I'll let you know what I find in the few days I am here. Watch this space!

Anyway, I also bought a little 'flip' camera before flying, so I'm hoping to be able to take some interesting short videos which we will post online for you all to see.

spring prize draw winner

This is one of our spring prize draw winners looking gorgeous in her new bespoke necklace.

If you want to be in with a chance of winning our next prize draw come in to one of the shops and pop your name and email address on one of our cards, its as easy as that, and no purchase necessary.

SUPER SPRING SAMPLE SALE!

COME TO FARNHAM, WE HAVE A SUPER SHORT SALE!!

(JUST UNTIL 1ST MAY)

lovelies like these reduced form £350 to £125

We've cleared out our cupboards to bring you unbelievable bargains

the BigRingThing at Epsom

All these rings, and more, in our massive ring clearance, only at our Epsom store NOW!
http://www.zigzagjewels.com/Contact-Us.aspx

Beautiful Bridal Jewellery

With spring settling in we are getting the first flurry of glowing brides-to-be popping in looking for those perfect finishing touches. Wedding gowns can be a tricky thing to pair something with. Often with lots of beading, sequins and layers you don't want to over do it. Equally they usually need something to complete the perfect look or you will look a bit unfinished. A simple dress needs something to draw attention, add some detail and soften.

So to give you a place to start here are some ideas of jewellery to complement and complete many of the more popular dress styles.

Simple: a simple clean uncluttered gown is becoming one of the most popular choices for the modern bride. An unfussy gown can look elegant, stylish and timeless but it needs jewellery as a finishing touch to stop it becoming too plain austere and severe. With a very plain dress you can get away with more striking bold jewellery, one of my favourite pieces would be the Gigi set below:

gigi sterling silver necklace £395 earrings £65 (also available in gold vermeil)

Traditional: Pearls are always the thing to go with a traditional dress, they brighten up the complexion and flatter all skin tones. You can go for a simple and elegant strand or be a bit more adventurous and opt for some really stunning earrings or a more elaborate necklace.

lucie sterling silver and white freshwater pearl necklace £295 bracelet £125

Modern: a very modern dress often calls for a modern interesting piece of jewellery, I would recommend a Jacqui pendant as its an interesting contemporary take on traditional pearls.

jacqui sterling silver and white pearl pendant £95 earrings £45

Sparkle: Lots of the new dresses at the moment are very heavy on beautiful embellishment and beading. With a dress that already has a bit of sparkle you need jewellery that is light and simple yet substantial enough to hold its own against the dress. That's why the Deborah faux diamond pendant is an excellent choice, and with the simple shape it wont compete with the detail but there is enough of a stone to catch the light beautifully and make quite a statement.

deborah sterling silver and faux diamond pendant £55 earrings £55

Colour: Lots of gowns will have a flash of colour so something to pick up on this can be a really lovely way to go. The Carnival Iris pendant comes in a selection of different stone colours so there must be one to match your dress.

iris sterling silver and gemstone pendants from £125

Simple, Uncluttered Lovely: There are some dresses that call for simple jewellery, something unfussy, delicate just to sit there and let you shine. Here are some pieces that will let you do just that:

poppy freshwater pearl and faux diamond set £50

ophelia sterling silver and faux diamond pendant £35 (available in a range of gemstones)

lucia sterling silver and faux diamond hooks £35

Finally, your bridesmaids will need a bit of attention. How about something simple, ageless and pretty to pick up on the colours of their dresses...

sweetie sterling silver and gemstone pendant £39

however, nothing can beat coming in to one of the showrooms, relaxing, having a try on, discussing what you want, having a chat to our experienced team about our bespoke service and letting us make you feel really special and under no pressure...pop in we might just surprise you.