Personalised Gifts for Her: Jewellery, Compact Mirrors and Keepsake Boxes

The best personalised gifts for women are the ones that feel chosen for her rather than for "a woman". A name or date is the start; the real personalisation is in knowing what she will wear, use or keep.

Jewellery: small, personal, worn every day

• Initial pendants and bars: her initial, or the initials of her children.
• Birthstone jewellery: a bracelet or necklace with a stone for each member of the family.
• Engraved bangles and cuffs: a date or a short message on the inside.
• Lockets: the classic keepsake, with a photo inside and initials engraved on the front.
• Pearls: traditional for the 30th wedding anniversary and for bridesmaids.

Sterling silver is the most popular metal for engraved jewellery: affordable, easy to engrave and hallmarkable. In the UK, silver items above a minimum weight must be hallmarked by an assay office before being described as silver, so a hallmark is a useful sign of quality.

Charm bracelets and lucky charms

The charm bracelet is a gift that grows: one charm for each milestone, each holiday, each birthday. Some of the most popular charms have always been the lucky ones, a horseshoe, a four-leaf clover, a pair of dice, a wishbone or a tiny playing card, and they carry a bit of folklore with them. Dice and card charms became popular jewellery motifs during the twentieth century, when a night at a glamorous casino was the height of sophistication; the Riviera casinos of Monte Carlo and Cannes were as famous for the jewellery on show as for the games.

That glamour is still the idea behind one of the most memorable gifts for a woman who loves a little excitement: an evening in Monte Carlo, dressed up for the casino, perhaps with a dice or roulette-wheel charm to open beforehand as a clue. Our guide to Las Vegas and Monte Carlo experience gifts explains how to plan it, and for jewellery that marks a win, see the charm ideas in our race-day gift guide.

Ladies Day: dressing for the races

For many women in Britain, the most glamorous gift is a day at the races. Ladies Day at Aintree is held on the Friday of the Grand National meeting, and Royal Ascot has its famous dress codes, with hats or fascinators expected in some enclosures. Gift ideas around a race day include a hatbox with her name, a personalised clutch bag, an engraved compact mirror for touch-ups and, of course, a little money for the first race. Read up on dress codes before you buy, as some enclosures have strict rules.

Compact mirrors, bags and purses

A personalised compact mirror is small, practical and feels luxurious, especially in a velvet pouch. Leather purses, make-up bags and tote bags can be embossed or embroidered with initials. For a bride or bridesmaid, a mirror engraved with the wedding date is a lovely keepsake from the day.

Keepsake boxes

An engraved keepsake box gives her somewhere to keep the things that matter: letters, tickets, jewellery, children's first shoes. Wood, leather and silver-plated boxes all engrave well. Our guide to keepsake boxes and photo gifts goes into materials and ideas.

For the home and garden

Many women love practical personalised gifts as much as decorative ones: a garden trug with her name, a slate cheese board for entertaining, a tea tin with her favourite blend, a hanging sign for the kitchen. See our home accessories guide.

Written by the Ribbon & Tag editors.