The Gift of Jewellery: Giving Meaning This Festive Season
There is something singular about the moment a piece of jewellery is given. A small box, a quiet pause, and then the reveal. Inside, more than metal and gemstone, a piece of carefully selected jewellery carries sentiment, memory, and intention, becoming a small vessel of emotion. At Christmas and throughout the festive season, this exchange takes on an even deeper resonance. It is the time of year when we reach for objects that can speak for us. They can say thank you, I love you, you matter, I see you.
Jewellery has a way of marking these moments with permanence, becoming companion pieces to the year that follows, a reminder of who gifted it and why.
Artists on the Joy of Giving and Receiving
To explore this tradition further, we asked some of our artists to reflect on a meaningful festive gift. It could be one they gave or one they received. Their stories remind us that behind every piece lies a quiet exchange of care, craft and emotion.
PO8: Can you share a piece of jewellery you have given or received during the festive season? What made it meaningful?
MK: One of my dearest friends (we met way back in high school!) celebrates her birthday on Christmas Eve. To mark her 40th, I designed a unique ring featuring a stunning opal and an array of coloured gemstones. I was absolutely thrilled with the final design; in fact, it inspired me to create the entire Kaleidoscope series, which has since blossomed into a truly beautiful collection. The best part? She still wears the ring often and loves it, which brings me so much joy!
PO8: Which piece from your current collection at Pieces of Eight would you choose as a gift, and who do you imagine it would be perfect for?
MK: I always love gifting pieces from my Baroque Pearl series! It's such a versatile line with so many beautiful options that genuinely suit all ages and types of people. For a universally safe and elegant gift, the Baroque Pearl Necklace is my top recommendation. It's the perfect choice when you aren't sure if they have pierced ears or if you don't know their ring size.
PO8: What do you think makes jewellery such a special festive gift?
MK: Jewellery is, by its very nature, a luxurious and deeply special gift. What I've found over the years is that due to the precious materials and the intimate, personal act of wearing it on the body, we tend to always remember the stories behind our jewels. A gift of jewellery is always appreciated and profoundly remembered, making it one of the most enduring and meaningful gifts you can give.
PO8: Can you share a piece of jewellery you have given or received during the festive season? What made it meaningful?
SZ: My mum doesn't wear a lot of jewellery, so I've never really had the opportunity to make anything for her. However, a couple of years ago, she kept mentioning she wanted a pair of pearl earrings. It was around the Christmas period, the perfect time to make her something! I found the most beautiful pair of golden South Sea pearls from a local merchant here in Melbourne and I knew she would absolutely love them. It's a particularly meaningful piece because it's the only piece of jewellery I've made for her, and I get to see her wearing them a lot.
PO8: Which piece from your current collection at Pieces of Eight would you choose as a gift, and who do you imagine it would be perfect for?
SZ: The 'Landscape #1' ring is part of a series called 'Harlequin-Lands', I made for 'Nine', a group exhibition, celebrating the beauty of Australian sapphires. The stones I chose for the piece were reminiscent of the shifting colours of the Australian landscape, earthy but playful. They always remind me of Edgar Degas' painting, 'Harlequin and Columbina' (1886). In the painting, the Harlequin's outfit is painted in rich earthy hues of ochres, greens, shadowy blues, and the sense of playfulness you sometimes see in Australian sapphires & parti sapphires. I would love to gift this ring to Degas!
PO8: Which piece from your current collection at Pieces of Eight would you choose as a gift, and who do you imagine it would be perfect for?
DK: I think the Bloom #2 ring would make a special festive gift. I made it with the intention of a sense of growth and welcoming the new. Its mix of colourful stones adds a bright, joyful energy—perfectly cheerful and celebratory. It would be perfect for those who want something joyful to carry into the new year, a little talisman of growth.
PO8: What do you think makes jewellery such a special festive gift?
DK: Jewellery can be more than a gift, it’s a lasting gesture, a keepsake that stays with you. In fact, I just bought myself such a gift, wanting to mark this festive season! It’s a beautiful single Baroque Pearl Stud Earring and 9ct yellow gold post by Melanie Katsalidis. It sits so well alongside one of Tara Lofhelm’s signature studs that I hardly ever take off.
PO8: Can you share a piece of jewellery you have given or received during the festive season? What made it meaningful?
SC: A meaningful piece I’ve gifted, was a tourmaline and diamond stack ring that I made for my mum one Christmas to thank her for coming to live with us for 3 months after my twins were born.
Not long after I moved to Australia, my mum gave me a beautiful Eileen Gatt pendant (a Scottish jeweller), of a lovely gold Hare on a long chain that reminds me of home.
PO8: Which piece from your current collection at Pieces of Eight would you choose as a gift, and who do you imagine it would be perfect for?
SC: I would love to give this blue sapphire pendant and stud set to my oldest friend in Ireland, she is always drawn to blues, and pendants and studs make such perfect gifts.
PO8: What do you think makes jewellery such a special festive gift?
SC: I think it makes a wonderful gift, not only because jewellery is inherently precious and special, but because it is also personal and intimate and you have to know someone really well to buy the perfect pieces for them.
Gifts That Last Beyond the Season
Whether chosen for its colour, its symbolism, or the hands that shaped it, jewellery becomes part of a personal story. It is worn, cherished, repaired, passed on or rediscovered. A festive gift of jewellery offers joy on the day and meaning that continues long after.
This season, we invite you to explore the collections at Pieces of Eight Gallery, discover the stories behind the work, and find a piece that may become part of someone’s future memories.
Visit us at 28 Russell Place in Melbourne or explore our curated festive selection online.
