52 Best Personalized Jewelry Ideas

More than any other brand, Catbird was recommended for its affordable prices, free engraving services, and large variety of itty-bitty charms. I own several pieces of jewelry from Catbird, including one of these tiny letter charms — a lowercase a for my son, Arlo. It’s 14-karat solid gold, so I don’t have to worry about it tarnishing when I wear it in the shower or to sleep. And though it is quite small, about half the size of a sunflower seed, for the price I have no complaints. I’m thinking about buying the other three letters in his name next.

“Though the gold version is over $500, my absolute favorite initial charm is from J. Hannah,” says jewelry collector Jeanne Reis, who goes by @allthatglitters_jr on Instagram and TikTok and recently bought a J charm as a birthday present to herself. The brand’s letter charms are also available in more affordable silver, as seen here paired with a matching sterling-silver chain. The same charm has been recommended by several other collectors, including Christine of @jewelrykween on Instagram. She bought one with a 20-inch cable chain in 14-karat gold as a gift to herself on her son’s most recent birthday. “It’s a comforting weight and bubbly and fun. Plus, the finish on the charm itself is so nice,” she says.

For another unique “font,” Soph, a jewelry collector who goes by @sopheating online, recommends Madeline Jewelry’s whimsical, blobby initial charms. They are made of recycled 14-karat gold or sterling silver and layer well with other charms.

If you’re looking for a more classic style, Mejuri’s 14-karat-gold-and-diamond initial charms are surprisingly affordable. The brand is also offering a lot of its jewelry in ten-karat gold now, to lower the cost. If you opt for ten-karat gold, know that the metal will be slightly more rose-hued because of the higher ratio of copper in the alloy, but it will also be harder than 14-karat or 18-karat gold and less likely to scratch. I have been really happy with everything I’ve bought from Mejuri, including my wedding band.

Strategist writer Bella Druckman has been wearing this gold-vermeil nameplate necklace almost daily for over a year and says it hasn’t shown any signs of wear or tarnishing. (Gold vermeil is sterling silver coated with a thin layer of gold and should be regularly cleaned with a soft cloth.) You can include up to ten letters at no extra cost and choose between lowercase or having the first letter capitalized.

Four of the jewelry experts I talked to mentioned the popularity of charm bracelets and necklaces. And Soph called out the blank chains at Jetset Candy as one of the best options for starting a charm bracelet because each of the links has a hinged opening, which makes it super easy to add or swap charms. The solid-gold chains are all over $1,000, but this sterling-silver bracelet is under $200 for the smallest size and just over $300 for the largest one.

When it comes to charms, Soph suggests choosing something that will spark joy for the person you have in mind. Xarissa of JewelBoxing adds that personalized jewelry doesn’t have to be initials or birthstones but can also be a symbol of rituals you have together. For example, she recommends this three-dimensional 14-karat-gold coffee-cup charm from Automic Gold — complete with a smoky quartz for the brew — to represent sharing a daily mug.

Russell Whitmore, owner of jewelry store Erie Basin, told me he sells a lot of dog-themed antique and vintage jewelry to people who see a likeness between his pieces and their own pets. And he usually has a good selection to choose from: “Victorians really liked dogs, so there’s a lot of little enamel dogs and rings in the shape of dogs,” he says. This sterling-silver poodle necklace isn’t from the Victorian age but is much more affordable and would make a wonderful gift for any poodle owner.

For a truly custom dog charm, you can send a photograph of your pup’s face to the creative geniuses at Susan Alexandra. The charms are made with enamel layered over your choice of bronze, or sterling silver.

Xarissa also mentioned the brand Jetset Candy, not for its chains but for its 14-karat solid-gold mini passport-stamp charms. “If you travel a lot with someone, these passport stamp charms would be an ideal keepsake — over time you can stack them to show everywhere you went,” she says.

I first heard about Yeah It’s Jewelry from Kylie and then later from my fellow Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla, a jewelry collector in her own right. The brand offers a mix of vintage and new pieces, including custom nameplates and lots of quirky charms. This solid-gold charm would be a fun gift for someone who knits.

I wear one of these anniversaire charms from Local Eclectic as a daily reminder of my late dog, Uli. Each of the solid-gold rings (starting with the plain gold one in the upper left corner) represents an anniversary year from one to 20, with different stones corresponding to those years. I got year 14, opals, to honor the 14 years I spent with her.

There are many ways to commemorate a special date with jewelry, from engraving that date on the inside of a ring to adding one of Tiny Tags’ vertical date charms to a necklace or a bracelet. I like the simplicity of the sans-serif font and appreciate that it comes in gold vermeil so I can afford to buy it. It also comes in 14-karat solid gold.

I’ve been noticing more and more stylish people using colorful silk cords to display charms instead of wearing them on a silver or gold chain. But a lot of the cord pendant necklaces I’ve seen are expensive considering the materials. So, in an effort to save money, I went looking for a way to make my own version. Turns out Etsy is full of silk cords with hardware already attached. They’re available in a wide variety of colors and lengths, like this olive-green one with a sterling clasp.

This 18-karat-gold vermeil zodiac pendant from Mejuri is another standout for the brand. Instead of the traditional figurative Zodiac symbols (fish for Pisces, twins for Gemini, and so on), the doughnut-shaped disc features a constellation made of white sapphire gemstones and the name of the sign on the back.

Christine recommends this bracelet as a works-for-almost-anyone gift. “It’s subtle but sturdy and goes with my stack and style,” she says. “I wear mine almost every day.” You can get it in solid 14-karat gold, gold fill, or sterling silver, and it can be engraved with a combination of 13 numbers, letters, and special symbols. This price is for the solid-gold option.

I am drawn to any and all jewelry with hearts but still don’t own a heart bracelet. This one is nice-looking without an engraving but can also be personalized with block, script, Old English, or Balmoral fonts for just $5. Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen recently bought the necklace version as a gift for her best friend who is getting married.

Reis introduced me to Three Sisters Jewelry as “a great place to look if you’re on the hunt for engraved charms and sterling-silver ID bracelets.” You can personalize each bracelet on the front and back with a combination of letters, numbers, special characters, and zodiac symbols.

Adding a simple engraving to a locket that also holds photos is a cool way to double up on personalization. As with initial and nameplate jewelry, there are literally thousands to choose from. But fine-jewelry brand Monica Rich Kosann is particularly well known for its lockets. I have a beautiful pendant from the company that I wear on a regular basis, and the quality is luxury-level without feeling fragile, so I don’t feel like I have to save it for special occasions. You can choose from block or script fonts for the engraving, and use the company’s app to perfectly size your photos (before printing them at home) to fit each of the different locket shapes and sizes.

For someone’s who’s crafty enough but not so confident in their sculpting skills, Cahve also makes an “impression” kit that’s perfect for capturing loved ones’ fingerprints or, for pet owners, paw or nose prints.

This heart-shaped birthstone charm from Catbird makes a lovely gift with or without a chain. It’s a favorite of Christine’s because, while small — it’s about the size of a pea — she says it stands out nicely among other charms.

“I’ve been wanting a wishbone charm for ages,” says Strategist writer Dominique Pariso, who recently added the larger version of this pendant to her jewelry collection. She loves layering it with other charms and that you can add a personalized touch with the birthstone selection, whether you’re buying it for yourself or a loved one.

Local Eclectic’s ombré birthstone ring finally cured me of my dislike for my birthstone. It is currently sold out, but there is a new charm version that I like just as much. The charm is made of 9-karat solid gold, which is less expensive than 14-karat gold and has a rosier hue. And because it combines different shades of each stone stacked vertically, multiples would work well strung side by side on a chain.

Ariel Gordon’s teeny ring charms are absurdly cute and a sweet take on birthstone jewelry. Xarissa says they are even cuter in person and would stack well with other charms.

Caroline Wigglesworth, associate director of e-commerce business development and partnerships for Vox Media, received this Kirstin Ash November Citrine Birthstone necklace as a Christmas gift from her family in memory of her mother, a few months after she passed away. “I’ve worn it every day since I got it. I was slightly nervous about it because it’s vermeil, but it has held up beautifully, and I’ve worn it in the shower multiple times and it hasn’t tarnished,” she says.

In addition to my Mejuri wedding band, I have a single opal earring that I bought to match a ring my mother received on her 16th birthday and later handed down to me. I wore both the ring and the earring on my wedding day as my something old and something new. Mejuri offers these mini-studs in all birthstones in addition to opal; this price is for a single earring, but they are also available as a pair, and the price will change depending on the stone you choose.

Morse-code jewelry, like this dainty beaded necklace from Caitlyn Minimalist, is a cool way to include a secret bit of personalization in a gift. I first noticed this brand when it was name-dropped by high-school students who put it on their holiday wish lists, which led me to this unique yet unobtrusive style. The necklace is available in sterling silver or sterling silver with a yellow-gold finish. Using different combinations of round beads for dots and tube-shaped beads for dashes, the necklace can be customized with a name, date, or short phrase with a maximum of 25 dots and dashes. (You can use the brand’s Morse-code alphabet chart to make sure you stay within the limit.)

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this puffy-heart necklace since I came across it while looking for nameplate necklaces for kids (more on that below). The heart pendant is hollow and designed to fit a tiny secret love note inside; to open it, you just unscrew the gem at the top.

Just make sure you heed the advice I received from Kylie, who stressed the importance of reading and rereading as much as you can on a seller’s page before you buy, including reviews, descriptions, and return policies. Make sure you understand the material, weight, condition, and age of a piece and always ask the seller for more information if it’s not there. The best sellers will have a large number of positive reviews that should put your mind at ease. Solid-gold signet rings can get pricey fast, as they are often very heavy. But if you’ve got small fingers or don’t mind wearing it on a chain as a necklace, smaller, thinner signet rings meant for children are a great alternative. This size 6.5 signet ring stands out because of the mottled texture on either side of the rectangular center. And the “Libbie” engraving is done in a lovely fine script.

I am not a tennis mom myself, but this sterling-silver charm from Etsy seller Pawn Shop City makes me smile. I love the bold font that looks like movie titles, and the price is a nice bonus.

Super Smalls is a good source for stylish, kid-friendly costume jewelry that lots of adults might like too. Its many rainbow-colored bead kits let children make personalized bracelets, necklaces, and key chains from scratch. And this new birthstone charm bracelet is a fun way to personalize too.

Baublebar has lots of initial and name jewelry for kids, but I like this big puffy-letter charm the most. It’s fun and bold and not too easy to lose because of its size.

For a more classic style, this 18-karat-gold-plated name necklace with stars on either side would make a very sweet gift for a tween.