The Edit

Jewelry for mom she will actually wear: studs, pearls, hoops and initial pendants, by budget, with Christmas order-by dates.

The jewelry gifts men actually wear: chains, pendants, bracelets and rings, how to get the size right, and what to give at every budget.

How to choose Christmas jewelry your wife will wear every day, by her style and your budget.

How 10K, 14K and 18K gold differ in color, hardness and value, and which to choose for what.

14 parts gold in 24: what 14K and 585 mean, how stamps are regulated, and the marks that mean plated.

Solid gold and lab-grown diamond gifts at every budget, chosen from our collection, with what suits whom.

The Cuban chain explained: width, length, solid or semi-solid, and how to choose one that lasts.

Push, screw, lever, latch and locking backs: which keep an earring on, and how to stop losing them.

Which toe, what size, adjustable or closed: how to choose and wear a toe ring comfortably.

Hallmarks, magnets, water density and acid: which home tests for gold work, which mislead, and the figures for 10K, 14K and 18K.