When buying children’s jewelry, safety concerns such as age appropriateness, components, and allergies should be considered. Expensive, durable pieces may be better suited for children, but insurance and theft prevention should also be taken into account. The type of jewelry should be age-appropriate, with simple styles preferred for youth.
Giving children jewelry has long been a way to satisfy the need to find acceptable gifts for children. Fine jewelry gifts can help mark special occasions like graduations, certain birthdays, or other events. There are some important considerations when buying children’s jewelry and these need to be carefully weighed.
There are a number of safety concerns associated with children’s jewelry. The first of these may be age appropriate. Children who can still wear jewelry in their mouths, and this is not limited to young children, should not have any types that present potential hazards. A spell, a locket, or even a bead could easily get stuck in your throat if it breaks and you choke.
Another problem is to consider the components of the jewelry. For a time, many inexpensive children’s jewelry items contained lead levels much higher than safe, which, when articulated, exposed children to potentially dangerous amounts of lead. Although some states now limit the amount of lead that can be used in children’s jewelry, the labeling may not always be accurate.
Allergies should also be considered. Some children are allergic to certain metals, particularly nickel, which is present in many inexpensive jewelry items. If parents notice a rash or skin discoloration when children wear jewelry, they should not allow children to continue wearing the pieces that could be responsible.
Many people conclude that it is best to give more expensive children’s fine jewelry. It’s important to choose jewelry that will survive the rigors of a child’s or teen’s life, and very fragile pieces may not hold up well when worn while children are engaged in normal play. This may also suggest avoiding gemstones that are quite soft because they can chip or break when children are active.
Most parents can say that many children are prone to losing things. When buying expensive children’s jewelry, it can be important to realize that pieces can be lost. One way to address this would be to have insurance that covers the cost of replacement.
Children with very expensive jewelery should also be advised not to wear it in certain settings where it could encourage theft. Schools may not be the best place to wear exceptionally fine jewelry. Alternatively, children who receive fine jewelry, especially heirloom pieces, may need to understand that this is for use at a later time when they grow up or only to wear on special occasions.
Once parents or others have factored in potential health risks, breakage, and replacement issues, there are other things to consider when shopping for children’s jewelry. Chief among these may be which type to buy. Here the variation is as extensive as that of adult jewelry. Rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches abound, and each type may be appropriate in various circumstances. Sometimes families have traditions about when to give certain types. A beautiful watch can be offered as a graduation gift, or diamond earrings can be a traditional gift for a girl’s sixteenth birthday.
Children’s jewelry should be age-appropriate in more ways than one. In general, it is considered gauche for boys to wear exceptionally large jewelry. The stones in the jewelry can be of any type, but generally they should not be huge. As children age into their late teens, they may begin to wear styles similar to those worn by adults, but in most cases, very flashy jewelry is still less appropriate for youth, and simple styles are preferred. and off.
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