Jewelry for an 18th birthday is the first jewelry of adulthood: it is received once, on a particular day, and then worn for years while everything else changes. That is why we make it from solid precious metal, 585 or 750 gold or hardened silver, in our own atelier in Warsaw, so that it lasts not only past twenty and thirty but can one day be passed on.
Below we describe what can be chosen with a budget of 500, 1 500 or 3 000 zł, how gold differs from silver in a first piece of jewelry, how to record the date of the birthday in it and where in Warsaw and Kraków to see the gift in person.
Why is gold for an 18th birthday a gift unlike any other?
Because it is the only gift from that day that stays on the body and does not age with fashion. A phone will be replaced in two years, while a gold chain or ring accompanies an eighteen-year-old through university, a first job and the day she or he chooses a gift for someone else. The solid metal from which we make every piece withstands decades of daily wear and polishing, which is why we speak of our jewelry as something for generations.
There is one more reason, rarely written about: the eighteenth birthday is the last moment when parents or grandparents choose jewelry on behalf of a child who is now an adult. From then on the choice will be their own, so this one piece carries a decision someone made for them with love. We think the same way about jewelry for the beginning of life, described in our text on gold jewelry for a christening.
What can you give with a budget of 500, 1 500 or 3 000 zł?
With a budget of up to 1 500 zł we currently have 222 proposals priced from 350 zł, and between 1 500 and 3 000 zł another 190. For 420 zł you can give a Serenity bracelet on a braided cord with a handmade gold clasp, for 550 zł the silver Raw N°1 ring or the silver Raw N°1 earrings, for 800 zł the gold Liquid N°12 earrings, and for 950 zł the gold Raw N°1 pendant.
From 1 250 zł there is the gold Twirl N°5 ring in any colour of gold, for 1 650 zł the gold Minimal earrings with a heart, star or crescent motif, and for 1 950 zł the Cube N°1 earrings with a diamond. Around 3 000 zł brings a Minimal necklace with a letter and a diamond, the rigid gold Raw N°2 bracelet at 3 850 zł or the Promise N°4 diamond earrings at 4 150 zł. The whole selection is arranged so that it can be browsed in a few minutes in our gold jewelry and silver jewelry collections.
Gold or silver for an eighteenth birthday?
We make both metals in the same atelier, in the same forms, so the choice depends on what is meant to last longest and on the budget. The Raw N°1 pendant, 20 mm long, weighs 0.41 g both in gold at 950 zł and in silver at 500 zł. The Cube N°1 earrings cost 1 950 zł in gold and 950 zł in silver, and both versions hold the same natural diamond of colour D and clarity VVS1.
Our 925 silver is hardened and coated with a layer of rhodium, so it does not tarnish, and we protect it as carefully as gold. For many eighteen-year-olds it is the first step into jewelry from an atelier, and we will make the same design in gold whenever they wish to go a step higher. You will find the whole range in our silver jewelry collection.
Which fineness of gold for an eighteen-year-old, 585 or 750?
We match the fineness to the character of the jewelry, not to the rank of the gift. 585 gold contains 58.5 percent pure gold and is harder, so we choose it for jewelry worn every day without taking it off: a first chain, everyday studs and a ring that stays on the finger. 750 gold contains 75 percent gold, has a deeper, warmer colour and is softer, so it suits jewelry for occasions. Every design can be made in either fineness, in yellow, white or rose gold.
There is no better or worse fineness here. Earrings worn to sleep and in the shower keep their shape longer in 585; a necklace put on for evenings plays beautifully with colour in 750. Which is why in the boutique we lay both beside each other and let the mirror decide.
How can the date of the birthday be recorded in the jewelry?
Engraving comes free of charge with every order. We engrave the date of birth, initials or a short word on the inside of a ring or a rigid bracelet, and on a pendant, so that the inscription is visible only to the person wearing it. The length of the inscription is agreed for the specific model, since a small form takes fewer characters than a wide bracelet.
The second way is a letter in the form itself. We make the Minimal N°7 bracelet at 1 850 zł and the Minimal N°7 necklace at 2 350 zł with any letter of the alphabet, and beside it we set a natural diamond of colour D and clarity VVS1. The eighteen-year-old's initial then becomes the design, not an afterthought. A personalised piece is completed as standard within 3 to 5 working days, at most 7 working days from confirmation of the order, and express orders are accepted once the date is agreed with the atelier. More about how we engrave is in our text on jewelry engraving in Kraków and Warsaw.
Does a first diamond make sense for an eighteenth birthday?
It does, if it is natural and small, because then it becomes a beginning rather than an obligation. In the Serenity N°1 bracelet at 680 zł, on a braided cord with a gold motif, we set a diamond of 0.02 CT; in the Cube N°1 earrings two stones of 1.25 mm each; and in the Minimal N°7 bracelet a 0.013 CT diamond beside the letter. Each has colour D and clarity VVS1, the same standard we apply to engagement rings.
We work only with natural stones, and every piece of jewelry comes with a certificate bearing a unique number. So the eighteen-year-old receives not only a first diamond but a document that twenty years from now will still say exactly what is on her or his wrist. You can read about how we select and certify our stones on our certification page.
How do you get the size right when the gift is a surprise?
Earrings, pendants and necklaces have no size, so a surprise is simplest with them: we make the Minimal chain in lengths from 38 to 46 cm, and the Minimal N°7 bracelet for a wrist circumference from 13 to 16 cm. For a ring it is enough to borrow, for a moment, another ring the eighteen-year-old wears and bring it to the boutique.
If the size turns out to be different, the first adjustment is free of charge, and its scope depends on the specific model. A rigid bracelet is fitted to the circumference of the wrist in our atelier. There is nothing to worry about, we take care of it, and after the birthday the eighteen-year-old can simply drop into the boutique.
When is a gift card better than a finished piece of jewelry?
When you want to leave the choice to her or him, and an eighteenth birthday is a good occasion for that: it is the first day on which one chooses for oneself. We issue the BELLER gift card in denominations from 500 zł to 10 000 zł and send it in analogue form, as a handwritten, beautifully packaged voucher valid for 12 months, also directly to the address of the recipient. On request we enclose a compliment card with your words.
With the card the eighteen-year-old chooses in the boutique in Warsaw or Kraków, with our advice, the same service and the same possibility of personalisation. How the card works step by step is described in our text on the BELLER gift card, and you will find it in our gift cards collection.
Where can you choose jewelry for an 18th birthday in Warsaw and Kraków?
In the BELLER boutiques at Mokotowska 71 in Warsaw and Szczepańska 9 in Kraków, Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 19:00, with no appointment needed. Gift proposals lie side by side in the display cases, so in one afternoon you can compare the silver and gold version of the same form, see a diamond in the light and settle the wording of the engraving. If you prefer to book an hour, call +48 731 091 091 in Warsaw or +48 798 011 311 in Kraków, or book a meeting.
One thing cannot be checked on a screen: how a small gold form weighs in the hand and how it gathers light when it lies on the counter beside the silver one. The atelier in Warsaw and the atelier in Kraków are waiting, and you will see the full collection in BELLER gold jewelry.
Frequently asked questions about jewelry for an 18th birthday
How much does jewelry for an 18th birthday cost at BELLER?
From 350 zł. Up to 1 500 zł we have 222 proposals, between 1 500 and 3 000 zł another 190. Gold earrings start at 800 zł, a gold ring at 1 250 zł and diamond earrings at 1 650 zł.
Is engraving the date of birth charged?
No, engraving comes free with every order. The length of the inscription is agreed for the specific model.
Gold or silver for an eighteenth birthday?
Both are made in the same atelier, in the same forms. 925 silver is hardened and rhodium-plated, so it does not tarnish; 585 gold is worn every day, 750 for occasions.
What if the ring turns out to be the wrong size?
The first size adjustment is free; its scope depends on the model. Earrings, pendants and necklaces do not require a size.
What denominations does the BELLER gift card come in?
From 500 zł to 10 000 zł. We send it as a handwritten voucher valid for 12 months, also to the recipient's address.