Jewels to mark the moments that matter

When it comes to giving jewellery, life’s biggest milestones – engagement, parenthood, promotions and retirement – get a lot of airtime. Less so, gifts for the early markers, such as significant birthdays, exam results, graduations and first jobs. But this is a rising market, catering to a generation with well-defined values and priorities.

Once there was a tradition of celebrating the classic milestones with a proven design that had the all-important “forever” quality – think Tiffany & Co’s padlocks, indeed any of Elsa Peretti’s little big-hitter pendants, and Van Cleef & Arpels’ lucky clover-esque Alhambra fine jewellery. But now, as the tide shifts towards self-reward and celebrating more frequently, there’s a new demand for independent, artisanal pieces by jewellers who are doing the heirloom thing their own way.