Best Jewelry Gifts for Your 40th Birthday

Find the ideal 40th birthday jewelry gift. Learn about birthstones, elegant styles, and tips for a memorable celebration.

The following is a guest post from my bloggy friend Augustine Jewelry. Interested in having a guest post on my website? Click here for my guest post submission form.

Sparkling at 40: The Ultimate Guide to Birthday Jewelry Gifts

A woman’s 40th birthday is a major milestone worthy of a striking gift, and jewelry is always a great choice. But with so many kinds of jewelry, and with the lady of honor likely having collected a pile of dusty necklaces they just aren’t crazy about, where do you start when looking for the perfect piece of jewelry that will be worn and admired for years to come? Here are some tips to help you find the best gift for your friend, mother, wife… or to treat yourself on this special occasion!

The Importance of Celebrating Life

As women age, they can become more and more hesitant to celebrate their birthdays in big ways. 40, in particular, can be the first time many women feel truly “old”, but viewing growing older in such a negative way can harm mental health and certainly won’t make someone a day younger! As we get older and the years seem to blur together more, it gets even more important to celebrate every milestone, season, and holiday to help keep life exciting.

Elegant, Mature Pieces for the Mature Woman

With a woman’s 40s comes an elegant, established maturity, and lovely jewelry to match!

By now, the birthday girl has likely collected quite a few flashier, party pieces from their college years and energetic 30s, so a piece of jewelry to celebrate a 40th birthday should have a timeless elegance to it while still being unique.

For example, pieces by Augustine Jewelry tend to be styled with elegant metals and simple designs while still having pops of color from the gemstones within. Speaking of gemstones…

Birthstones Give Gifts a Personalized Touch

Jewelry is such a universally beloved gift that it can seem a bit impersonal, which is where utilizing your giftee’s birthstone comes in. Choosing a piece of jewelry with the birthday girl’s signature birthstone incorporated shows you’ve been thinking of her, personalizing the present and giving her a subtle way to express herself.

A Quick Guide to Birthstones:

January: Garnet. A warm, deep red stone symbolizing good health, and believed by some to bring wealth to the wearer.

February: Amethyst. A lovely purple gem associated with peace and stability.

March: Aquamarine. A crystal clear blue gem that symbolizes tranquility and harmony.

April: Diamond. The all-time classic stone is associated with prosperity and purity.

May: Emerald. A spring-colored stone for a late spring birthday associated with peace and new beginnings… like entering a new decade of life!

June babies have not two, but three options with unique symbolisms: Pearl (innocence, faith), Alexandrite (transformation, luck), and Moonstone (protection, femininity).

July: Ruby. This classic, deep red gem symbolizes passion and energy, making it a particularly meaningful romantic gift for a July baby. Ruby is also associated with 40-year anniversaries, so it makes a lovely gift for any 40th birthday girl regardless of their birth month.

August: Peridot. The bright green “gem of the sun” according to ancient Egyptians is believed by some to give its owner sweet dreams.

September: Sapphire. While most commonly known for its blue variation, sapphires come in a variety of colors. Some believe it helps focus the mind.

October babies have both Opal and Tourmaline. Milky white opals symbolize protection, while tourmaline is associated with wisdom.

November has two birthstones: Topaz and Citrine. Both are associated with good fortune and calm vibes.

December: Turquoise. One of the world’s oldest known gemstones is also one of the most unique and is symbolic of creativity. It’s relatively affordable making it a great option when considering a beaded bracelet for a December birthday girl.

Other Birthday Tips

Now that you’ve found the perfect gift, here are some other tips for making the woman in your life’s 40th birthday feel as special as it truly is.

-Start planning your girl’s 40th birthday bash as far ahead as possible, give or take six months.

This allows everyone to save for truly special presents and invite far-flung friends and family of the birthday girl to visit for the occasion.

This extra time can even be used to coordinate outfits for a themed party, or even print everyone matching party shirts!

-If you find a truly special piece of jewelry or jewelry set, but find it a bit outside your price range, consider teaming up with the birthday girl’s other loved ones to get her a collective gift. Everyone pitching in lets the birthday crew present something truly remarkable and memorable beyond what any of you could do alone. And bonus: it takes that feeling of competing to get the best present out of the equation.

-Take the drinks seriously. Gone are the college days of just drinking anything for the sake of getting drunk and here are the days of wine tasting, food pairings, and classy champagne. You can even purchase or print custom labels for the wine bottles celebrating the occasion!

-Make sure photo-ops are included in the itinerary and surprise the birthday girl with a bonus keepsake of the wonderful birthday she spent with all of her favorite people! (This will also help the people who had a bit too much of that custom wine we talked about before remembering the party.) Consider gathering some props for fun photos and hiring a professional photographer so nobody needs to be busy fiddling with their camera.

-But most important of all: make sure the birthday girl isn’t stuck doing the cleaning! If the party is happening at her place, put together a cleaning crew to stick around after the party (or come back the next day) and leave her house looking better than you found it. Consider setting up at another person’s house or renting out a house instead, or take the party on the road to a park or winery. Wherever you celebrate, don’t let the birthday girl leave stressed about getting her place back in order afterward!