Birthday presents become more complicated, and longer cherished, after childhood. The older one grows—in spite of the jesting about beginning to count backwards—the more one should have absorbed of the wisdom of life, and the more endeared one should be to friends and family.
For one’s wife, one may add a tender touch to a bracelet or other jewel, by a secret message others will not guess. Thus the first letters of four stones set in this order—diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby—spell Dear. One can form an alphabet of stones from which many hidden messages can be conveyed to the loved one alone.
For a man, a beautiful birthday gift is a ring with a star ruby, a star sapphire, or a cat’s-eye, set in simple heavy metal, gold, platinum or palladium. A plain gold signet ring is in good taste, or one with initials sculptured of the metal.
Remember, in buying a ring for a man, that it should be solid; for a big man, quite a heavy band. A man pays little attention to his jewelry, once he has put it on, and gives it the hardest wear. He keeps on his ring, for example, while driving his car, swinging through a round of golf, even performing a quick repair job in the house or working through some “do it yourself” mechanics.
Gifts For the Man
Whatever a man needs, he probably has. Most gifts to men, therefore, such as cuff links, provide them with another jewel of a kind they already possess. This should be no deterrent, however, for what a man prizes is less the gift itself than the feeling that inspired it.
I will venture the suggestion that man is the sentimental sex. If there is evidence of thoughtfulness behind the gift, he will doubly cherish it. Those cuff links, for example, can be chosen in a pattern that suggests one of his special interests or brings memories of some incident shared only by his wife.
The Wife’s Role
Every business and professional man is aware of the importance of proper appearance. Many, however, do not have the time a woman has to shop and weigh and consider. Some, indeed, would not think it becoming in a man to spend much time seeking items for his personal embellishment. Yet he likes to be well dressed and is naturally pleased when his good taste in accessories is admired.