Shopping Ideas

Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us! Did you know that Valentine’s Day is second only to Christmas in terms of jewelry gifting? But why is jewelry such a wonderful gift for your valentine? Perhaps because, while flowers die and candy gets eaten, jewelry endures. It is a tangible token of love.

But what to get your sweetheart?

• Diamonds are always a classic! Stud earrings, pendants, and tennis bracelets are a  timeless, versatile gift.
• Heart-shaped and locket necklaces are very popular. Additionally, pieces featuring hearts and red gemstones top the list of items purchased.
• Are you ready to take the next step in your relationship? It is estimated that between 6% and 11%of all engagements in the US take place on Valentine’s Day. It is a top three proposal date along with Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Really though, there is no need to follow the trends. Your best bet is to know your Valentine and purchase what will make them happy. Stop in to Bridgewaters and let us help you find the perfect token of your love.

Do you have a jewelry lover you want to buy a gift for, but they seem to have everything already? Sometimes the accessories get forgotten and all jewelry lovers can use them!

These items make great stocking stuffers individually or a great main gift when gifted together!

• Jewelry Tray or Dish: Theses are great for the items worn daily. There are so many types as well – decorative trays or ring holders. You are sure to find one that is perfect.
• Travel Jewelry Case: If your gift recipient loves to travel, they need a travel case to protect all the pieces they want to bring.
• Jewelry Cleaner/Polishing Cloth: While it is important to bring jewelry to be inspected and cleaned by a jeweler, it is also great to have cleaner at home for the times in between professional cleaning.
• Display Stands: If your gift recipient loves to show off their pieces, consider a display stand.

In addition to the items above which are specific to jewelry, drop in a few things to help showcase their jewelry to perfection!

• Hand creams and manicure kits to show off rings and bracelets.
• Face masks and body lotion for soft smooth, pampered skin.

Finding the perfect gift can be challenging. Stop by Bridgewaters and let us help you select just the perfect items for all your friends and family!

We’ve written about Small Business Saturday before (see our original post here) and with all the ups and downs over the last many months, thought it would be a great time to share some facts. Small Business Saturday is about celebrating and supporting small businesses and all they do for their communities and takes place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (November 29 in 2025).

Did you know…?

• 99% of businesses qualify as small businesses. A small business is a privately-owned company that typically has less than 500 employees.
• Small businesses are not growing as fast as they used to. In 2024, only 39% of business owners planned to expand. That is down year over year for the last three years.
• A majority of consumers want to support small businesses. This is great news! 59% of those who are aware of Small Business Saturday made a purchase at a small business.
• Small business owners see an impact from Small Business Saturday. 55% of small business owners expect a significant contribution to their holiday sales from this day.
• There is year-round impact from Small Business Saturday! Many consumers are inspired to continue shopping at small businesses throughout the year.
• There is a ripple effect of shopping locally. From keeping local jobs available to sustaining communities, small businesses are the backbone of many towns.

What can you do to make a difference?

• Plan ahead – mark your calendar and create a list of shops you want to visit.
• Get out and shop! Whether in-person or online, visit your favorite (and maybe a new potential favorite) small business.
• Spread the word! Tell your friends about Small Business Saturday and encourage them to shop small as well. Use the hashtag #ShopSmall to share the love.
• Share your favorite small businesses and ask others to comment with theirs.
• Leave great reviews online for small businesses! Share your positive experiences and why they are a favorite of yours.
• Shop small businesses year-round.

Bridgewaters would like to start a list of great small businesses. Comment on this post with your favorite and check out the posts from others to find great new places to visit on November 29. And stop in to see us to check out great specials, kick start your holiday shopping or just to say hello!

Just like the clothes you wear, jewelry is a powerful form of self-expression. It can tell a story, lead to a conversation or just make you feel good. It can showcase symbols of your heritage, reminders of special times in your life and help to boost your mood. So how do you use jewelry to express yourself?

Start by considering your personal style. Do you like bold colors or more muted? Are you drawn to classic styles or more modern ones? Is your preference for bold, statement jewelry or more delicate pieces? Check out your wardrobe – what colors and patterns are you drawn to and do you wear more classic styles versus modern looks? Understanding your overall style can help you choose pieces that align with your personality.

Then, test things out! Love necklaces? Try layering them for a brand-new look. Tend towards muted colors? Add some color and see how it suits you. The more you experiment, the more you’ll learn about what you like and how you can create your own one-of-a-kind style. Whatever else, wear your jewelry, however it works for you!

Stop into Bridgewaters where we can help with your journey of learning your style or fully living it! We can help you create your own personalized pieces that are a true reflection of your style and vision.

Graduation is a milestone in life, a celebration of accomplishments and a bright future. Jewelry is a great gift, something to be worn for years in remembrance of a special day. But how do you find just the perfect piece for your graduate? Read on for ways to understand your graduate and choose something that is thoughtful and representative of their personality and taste.

Know Your Grad

• What type of jewelry do they wear usually? Do they like more minimalist or bold statement pieces? Do they like classic designs or more contemporary? Remember, you are looking for something they will wear often and can grow with them.
• Think about their future plans. Are they going into a profession in an office setting? Something that would compliment their work attire would be good. Are they going into an environment where they will use their hands a lot? Stay away from rings, but consider earrings.
• Is there something related to their degree that could be incorporated in to the jewelry piece? For a new doctor, maybe something featuring the caduceus, a symbol of medicine.

To personalize your gift further, let Bridgewaters help you with engraving! We know you are so proud of your graduate, we would love to help you pick the perfect gift!

Gift-giving is a wonderful way to say thank you, celebrate and express your feelings. We all know the adage “it’s the thought that counts” and it is very true. Personalization is a way to take it up a notch further, transforming a wonderful gift into something extraordinary! As we continue through this season of gift-giving, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Emotional Impact: Personalization, whether adding initials, a name or a message from the heart, creates a lasting impression and reminder of your thoughtfulness and the shared relationship between you and the gift receiver. You’ve created not just a gift, but a keepsake to be cherished.
• Uniqueness: Personalization creates a gift that is unique and one-of-a-kind. Something that is made just for the recipient, based on their individuality, tastes and preferences.
• Creative: Personalizing a gift can get your creative juices flowing and make the gift buying experience fun and exciting. Sharing things that create the connection between you, whether a shared joke, funny nicknames or a shared memory, create a very personal gift.

Personalization is an easy, and heartfelt way to enhance the bond that exists between the giver and receiver. Let Bridgewaters help you find just the right item and add a personal touch!

The holidays can be stressful as we strive to get it all done and done well. There is so much to do – the baking, the decorating – and, for many, finding the perfect gift for each person on their list. We have some suggestions to make it a bit easier and hopefully help you enjoy the season. These are tips from Bridgewater Jewelers perspective, but they can be considered no matter where you are shopping.

• Start shopping early. While you might be lucky enough to find what you are looking for in the stores or online, you will want to leave time for any custom orders needed. And keep those shipping deadlines in mind so your items will arrive before the holiday.
• Think outside the box. Many jewelry stores have great options beyond jewelry and may help you make your visit into a one stop shop. At Bridgewaters, you can check out the beautiful items from Mariposa, Nambe and TrayChic.
• Consider your recipient – before you shop. As you think about each person consider their personal style (what jewelry do they wear often, metal preference, stone color) and their lifestyle (are they outdoorsy, do they work with their hands).
• Reflect on your personal connection to the recipient. Your connection will help you find not just a gift, but a treasured keepsake. We can help you design just the right piece or check out our Bridgewater Jewelry Line with pieces that can be customized by changing the color of the stones, metal or even adding a little personal touch.
• Set your budget. And tell your jeweler. We want to help you find just the perfect item while helping you stay in budget.

Stop in to Bridgewaters and let us help you find just the perfect gift for everyone so you have time to enjoy the season!

One of our favorite days of the year is coming up on November 30 – Small Business Saturday. We love this day because it is about celebrating and supporting small businesses and all that they do for their communities. When dollars stay in our community, you help small businesses thrive and your neighborhood prosper. There are 33.2 million small businesses in the U.S. and they make up 99% of all businesses. They account for roughly 40% of the United States’ gross domestic output (GDP), which equates to trillions of dollars of economic activity.

Small Business Saturday was created in 2010 by American Express and the US Small Business Administration officially cosponsored it beginning in 2011. Also in 2011, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution in support of and recognizing the day. This day brought in more than $17.9 billion in 2022.

So how can you support small businesses on November 30? Here are just a few ways:

• Get out and shop! Whether in person or online, visit your favorite (and maybe a new potential favorite) small business.
• Spread the word! Tell your friends about Small Business Saturday and encourage them to shop small as well. You can also tell them what your favorite small businesses are and ask them for theirs.
• Leave great reviews online for small businesses! Share your positive experiences and why they are a favorite of yours.

We at Bridgewaters are looking forward to seeing you on Small Business Saturday! Stop by to get a start on your holiday shopping with complimentary engraving with the purchase of tumblers, finger print jewelry and cutting boards. Looking for a truly personalized gift? Bring in a photo and make your own puzzle. Make sure to have us provide a complimentary ring check and cleaning while you shop. The first 20 customers will also receive a gift bag! We can’t wait to see you!

We all have that one person in our lives who is a challenge to buy for. So, how do you find them just the right piece of jewelry? Don’t worry, we are here to help!

• What jewelry do they already have? Think about the pieces you see them wear or are in their jewelry box: What type of metal (gold, silver, etc) do they favor? Do they have lots of colorful pieces? Is their style more modern or vintage? Are their pieces more delicate or heavier/bolder?
• Ask their friends, co-workers and family! Gather intel from partners, mothers/sisters, co-workers and other friends about what they have shared about their preferences.
• Ask them yourself! You can always ask them directly about their preferences, but if you want to be more subtle and keep a gift a surprise, try asking for their help in choosing a piece, for yourself or a friend.
• Trust your Gut! When searching for a gift, listen when you see something that jumps out at you. Conversely, trust your gut when it says the piece in not right for this particular person.
• Ask your jeweler! With years of experience helping patrons as well as helping to create pieces, we have lots of ideas that you might not have considered. We can also help you design something specific.

Bridgewaters loves to help find just the right piece or to help you design one. Stop in and check out our new software that can create jewelry based on your input!

Vacation season is nearly upon us and who doesn’t want to look fabulous whether at the beach or a beautiful island or visiting a new city? Looking fabulous includes wearing jewelry that complements your outfits and helps you feel special, but is it safe to bring your favorite pieces with you?

A good rule of thumb is to leave your valuable items or items with sentimental value at home to limit the opportunity for loss, damage or theft. So how do you still find your fabulous? This is where Vacation Jewelry comes into play! Vacation jewelry is just as it sounds – pieces purchased for taking with you on trips or vacations.

While no less beautiful than other jewelry, vacation jewelry should be lower in cost so you have less worry about loss or damage. It should also be purchased to complement vacation outfits and help to jazz up your style.

Here are some additional tips for your vacation jewelry:

• Buying pieces that are able to be paired with multiple outfits also helps to keep your luggage lighter.
• Bring one of two flashy items for a special outfit/night out, but then keep to essentials for the rest.
• Only include items that you are sure to wear to keep your luggage lighter.
• Research the best way to pack jewelry to avoid items getting tangled or damaged in transit.
• Always pack your jewelry in your carry-on bag and use the safe in your hotel room. While vacation pieces are not your most valuable, you still want to protect them.

Bridgewaters has a large selection of vacation jewelry to help you find pieces that will make you feel fabulous!