Jewelry for Kids: The Dos and Don’ts
There are many reasons people buy jewelry for children; they might be cultural or religious reasons, or simple, personal reasons such as the desire to mark a birthday or special milestone. Some parents do it because they were inspired by images of celebrity children with jewelry (e.g., Kylie Jenner’s daughter, Gisele Bundchen’s daughter, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s daughter to name just a few).
In spite of the current trendiness of jewelry for children, the practice of giving jewelry to children isn’t new. Jewelry for kids has long been a tradition in many cultures around the globe. It has been used to commemorate religious events such as a first communion or baptism, as a talisman to ward off evil or bring good luck, to mark a rite of passage and more. Today, we can also add fashion as one of the many reasons people buy jewelry for kids.
However, since safety always has to come first for our children, we can’t just buy any piece of jewelry for them. The jewelry has to be safe for them to wear, stylish, and age-appropriate. This blog discusses important dos and don’ts to follow when buying jewelry for children.
The Don’ts
- Avoid jewelry made from harmful substances. Infants and young children absorb nickel, lead and cadmium more than adults do and this is harmful to their internal organs as well as their skin. For this reason it’s essential to avoid jewelry made from any of these materials. In fact, cheaply made jewelry in general should be avoided when purchasing jewelry for children as it may contain other harmful substances such as lead, chlorine, mercury and other health dangers.
- No small jewelry pieces for young children. Very small children who are still apt to put jewelry in their mouths should never be given small pieces of jewelry such as small charms or rings.
- Keep jewelry with sharp or pointy edges away. Sharp edges, pointy edges, or jagged edges can poke your child or get tangled in clothing, so keep jewelry simple and smooth with rounded edges.
- Don’t dress your children with adult jewelry. This means no pageant jewelry, no over-the-top jewelry such as dangling earrings or statement necklaces. Jewelry for kids is not meant to make them appear grown up or precocious. It should be tasteful, age-appropriate and safe.
The Dos
- Choose the right metals. Always make sure your child is not allergic to any metals before purchasing jewelry. When you do decide to make a purchase, choose 14k gold, gold-plated jewelry or platinum. Another option for children is enamel jewelry. There are many inexpensive and adorable options for jewelry crafted with enamel. Just below are two examples of a sweet butterfly pendant; one with enamel and colored stones and one with just the colored stones. Both are lovely and sure to please any child.
Enamel butterfly pendant
Purple gemstone set butterfly pendant
- Earrings should have screw-back fasteners. Earrings for babies and children should be secured with screw-back fasteners that won’t come off easily or get lost, or most importantly, swallowed.
- Consider your child’s personality when purchasing jewelry for them. Is your child fidgety or active? Consider smaller jewelry pieces that are lightweight and won’t obstruct their movement. What age is your child? What activities will your child be participating in? These are also important considerations. For example, children tend to love charm bracelets, but bracelets can get caught on clothing or other items, so it’s best not to have them wear bracelets of any type during playtime.
- Consider less expensive stones such as cubic zirconium. Children, being children, are more apt to misplace or lose their jewelry. You can get piece of mind using less expensive stones such a cubic zirconium, for your children. In the event that the jewelry piece is lost or damaged, you’ll feel better knowing that the jewelry didn’t contain highly expensive gemstones. Plus, when you’re child is older you can replace the less expensive stone for a more expensive one – although you probably won’t want to since no one just looking at the jewelry will ever know it’s not the real thing!
- Protect your children’s jewelry from rust. Jewelrythis can waterproof jewelry to protect it from rust. This is particularly important if the child participates frequently in water sports or even just lives in a humid climate.
The Best Jewelry for Kids
Now that you know how to shop for jewelry, let’s take a look at a few jewelry ideas that are ideal for children and that most any child will love:
Nature or animal themed jewelry
Filigree style gold horse pendant
Heart-themed jewelry
Dancing cats heart pendant with beautiful diamond
Personalized jewelry such as necklaces with names or initials
Name pendant set with diamonds
Charms – charm bracelets or necklaces are an eternal favorite that can be added to for years to come
Gold girl chart with pink gemstones
Dimensional silver cat charm
