jewellery for christmas, plus questions

Someone has to say it. Pearl Necklace.

[tonypaladino]

I haven't read the responses yet, but this is my recommendation for jewelry:

Find a local jewelry store that has been around for a long time, and that people you know have shopped at before and trust. Forget tiffany's

[MrMon]

If you go the Tiffany's route, you want to go that route for the right reason. There's not much you can do with a diamond solitaire, so why buy it there when the equivalent is available elsewhere for less? However, Tiffany's does design some unique things and that's why you go there, for a Tiffany design.

When it's unique, you go there, when it's generic, go elsewhere.