Christmas Gifts for Men: Which Jewelry, Which Size and When to Order
The best present under the tree is the one he still wears every day in January. For us, that was the silver-tone king link chain in 5 mm last year: our most ordered piece in the three weeks before Christmas. Christmas also comes with a hard deadline, and from the UK or the US it falls earlier than you might think, because every parcel leaves from the Netherlands.
This guide is about jewelry, because that is what we sell and what we have our own numbers on. Below you'll find when to order so it's under the tree in time, what to give for around £25, £50 or £100, what was ordered most last Christmas, how to find out his size without him noticing, and what to do if it doesn't fit after the holidays.
Under the tree on Christmas morning? Order by Tuesday 8 December for the UK, Wednesday 9 December for Ireland and Monday 7 December for the US. With engraving, one working day earlier.
1. When to order so it's under the tree in time
Christmas Eve falls on Thursday 24 December this year, Christmas Day on Friday and Boxing Day on Saturday. Don't count on deliveries on those days. To be safe, the gift should be in the house by Wednesday 23 December.
Orders placed before 4 pm Central European Time on a working day leave the same day. In December, processing can take up to two working days. After that, we allow 6 to 9 working days for delivery to the United Kingdom, 4 to 8 to Ireland, 7 to 10 to the United States and 3 to 7 to the rest of the EU. With those margins, these are the last order dates:
| Delivery to | Without engraving | With engraving |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Tuesday 8 December, before 4 pm | Monday 7 December, before 4 pm |
| Ireland | Wednesday 9 December, before 4 pm | Tuesday 8 December, before 4 pm |
| United States | Monday 7 December, before 4 pm | Friday 4 December, before 4 pm |
| Netherlands | Wednesday 16 December, before 4 pm | Tuesday 15 December, before 4 pm |
| Rest of the EU | Thursday 10 December, before 4 pm | Wednesday 9 December, before 4 pm |
We engrave in-house, usually on the day you order. To be safe, we add one working day. If you order at the weekend or after 4 pm, the next working day counts as the order date. Ordering later is possible, but without the certainty of this table. Outside the EU, import charges can apply on arrival.
We ship as a letterbox parcel in a Carpe Ice jewelry box: add a ribbon and it's ready to go under the tree. Nobody needs to be home, but it also simply drops through the letterbox. If you live with the person it's for, have it sent to your work.
2. Under the tree for around £25, £50 or £100
For each amount, here's what we would put under the tree ourselves. The prices below are in pounds; in euros or dollars the steps are roughly 25, 50 and 100 euros, or 30, 60 and 120 dollars. The current price is always on the product page.
Around £25
The Cuban link bracelet in 3 mm, in silver-tone or gold-tone stainless steel. It's the narrowest of the three widths and sits quietly next to a watch. Drew his name for Secret Santa with a £25 limit? This is the one. For less, and more personal, there's the engraved dog tag: text engraving costs nothing extra, but it's the pendant without a chain. It also makes a good stocking filler.
£25 to £45
This is where the chain starts. A 3 mm Cuban link chain or a box chain is the base that goes with everything. The king link bracelet in 5 mm and the silver-tone signet ring with his initials also fall in this range.
£45 to £90: the main gift
The king link chain in 5 mm, in silver-tone or gold-tone. Those were our number one and number two last Christmas. If you'd like a different link, look at the 6 mm Byzantine chain, the 10 mm jubilee bracelet or the tennis bracelet. The iced out Cuban link bracelet sits in this range too, for anyone who wants to give iced out without going for a whole chain.
Over £90
Three routes. The iced out Cuban link chain in 6, 8 or 10 mm, with cubic zirconia on a copper alloy, for the man who wants to be seen. The 3 mm rope chain in solid 925 sterling silver, for the man who will wear it for years: the metal is silver all the way through, so scratches can be polished out. Or a set of chain and bracelet in the same link, see section 5.
3. Last year's Christmas favorites
These were our top five from 6 to 24 December last year, ranked by number of orders:
- Silver-tone king link chain, 5 mm
- Gold-tone king link chain, 5 mm
- Silver-tone iced out Cuban link chain
- Gold-tone king link bracelet, 5 mm
- Silver-tone iced out Cuban link bracelet
Two things stand out. Three of the five are chains, and the narrowest of them is 5 mm wide: at Christmas it's allowed to show. And silver-tone won three times, gold-tone twice. For the king link chain, 50 cm (20 in) and 55 cm (22 in) sold exactly as often in those weeks, followed by 65 cm (26 in) and 75 cm (30 in).
4. His size, without him noticing
Chain. Go for 55 cm (22 in). Of all the chains we sold in the past year, 33 percent were 55 cm (22 in), more than any other length. At that length a chain falls on the top of the breastbone and stays visible above a sweater. If he already wears a chain, measure it from clasp to clasp. How each length falls is shown in our chain length guide.
Bracelet. Lay a bracelet he already wears flat and measure it from clasp to clasp. If he doesn't have one, measure his wrist with a strip of paper and add 1.5 cm (0.6 in). If you really don't know: 20 cm (8 in). 39 percent of all the bracelets we sold were 20 cm (8 in), followed by 18 cm (7 in) at 32 percent. The bracelet size chart has the rest.
Ring. Borrow a ring he wears on the same finger and measure the inner diameter; our ring size chart converts it to a US size. If he never wears rings, give a chain or a bracelet instead: buying a ring without knowing his size really is a gamble.
5. Silver-tone or gold-tone, and when to give a set
Look at his watch. A steel watch calls for silver-tone, a gold-tone or two-tone watch for gold-tone. If he wears no watch and nothing else either, choose silver-tone: three of our five most ordered Christmas gifts were silver-tone.
The difference is also in the care. Silver-tone stainless steel is the bare steel, with no coating, so it can stay on in the shower and won't tarnish. Gold-tone steel has a five-layer PVD coating, and that lasts longest if he takes the chain off to shower, work out or swim. Tell him that, and the gift will still look the same next year.
A set is a chain and a bracelet in the same link, the same color and the same width. The classic combination is the 5 mm king link chain with the 5 mm king link bracelet. Don't mix two links in one set: a Cuban link chain with a king link bracelet reads as two separate gifts.
6. Engraving: the gift only he has
The dog tag takes a name with a date, or a line of four words. The flat top of a signet ring fits two or three initials legibly, a full name almost never. The silver-tone signet ring engraves more sharply than the gold-tone one: there's no coating, so the engraving is the same color as the rest of the ring.
Two things to know first. An engraved piece is made for him and can't be returned, so only order a signet ring if you're sure of his size. And use the right-hand column of the table in section 1. Everything that can be engraved is in engravable jewelry, and ideas for the text are in our article on ring engraving.
7. If it doesn't fit after Christmas
You can return or exchange a piece within 15 days of receiving it, as long as it's unworn and in its original packaging. Order around 8 December and he still has until about early January to exchange it for another size. Be careful with ordering very early: if it arrives before 10 December, the 15 days end on or before Christmas Eve.
Three exceptions. Engraved pieces can't be returned. Earrings only if the packaging is still sealed. And the gift card can't be returned either, but it solves the size problem in one go: he chooses himself. The gift card is a physical card in a box and ships by post too, so the same order dates apply.
Who it's for: partner, father, brother or son
Partner. The main gift between £45 and £90. The 5 mm king link chain in 55 cm (22 in) is the safest choice that still says something.
Father. Calm and wearable every day: a 3 mm box chain, or a signet ring with his initials if you can find out his size. Follow the color of his watch.
Brother or friend. The 3 mm Cuban link bracelet in 20 cm (8 in). It fits a £25 budget and you don't have to measure anything.
Son or teenager. A 5 mm Cuban link chain or, if it's allowed to stand out, something from the iced out line. At that age, being visible is the whole point.
The man who has everything. Then it's engraving. He may already have a second chain; a tag with your date on it, he doesn't.
Where to start this year
Around £25: the 3 mm Cuban link bracelet in 20 cm (8 in). Around £55: the silver-tone king link chain in 5 mm in 55 cm (22 in), or the gold-tone one if he wears a gold-tone watch. Over £90: the iced out Cuban link chain, or the king link chain with the matching bracelet.
Browse further in jewelry for him. And watch the date: for the UK order by Tuesday 8 December, for Ireland by Wednesday 9 December and for the US by Monday 7 December, one working day earlier with engraving.
We wish you a merry Christmas, and a great moment when he opens the box.
Frequently asked questions
When do I need to order so the gift arrives before Christmas?
For delivery in the UK by Tuesday 8 December before 4 pm, or by Monday 7 December with engraving. For Ireland by Wednesday 9 December, for the US by Monday 7 December and within the Netherlands by Wednesday 16 December. It then arrives by Wednesday 23 December, the day before Christmas Eve.
What's a good Christmas gift for a man for around £25?
A 3 mm Cuban link bracelet in stainless steel, in silver-tone or gold-tone. Choose 20 cm (8 in) if you don't know his wrist: 39 percent of all our bracelets sold in that size. For less, an engraved dog tag is a personal alternative.
What jewelry should I give a man for £45 to £90?
The 5 mm king link chain. The silver-tone and gold-tone versions were our two most ordered pieces last Christmas. Alternatives in the same range are the 6 mm Byzantine chain, the 10 mm jubilee bracelet and the iced out Cuban link bracelet.
What chain length should I give if I don't know his size?
55 cm (22 in). Of all the chains we sold in the past year, 33 percent were 55 cm (22 in), more than any other length. It falls on the top of the breastbone and stays visible above a sweater.
Should I choose silver-tone or gold-tone?
Follow his watch: steel means silver-tone, gold or two-tone means gold-tone. If he wears nothing, choose silver-tone. Three of our five most ordered pieces last Christmas were silver-tone.
Can he exchange the jewelry after Christmas?
Yes, within 15 days of receiving it, as long as it's unworn and in its original packaging. Order around 8 December and he can exchange it until about early January. Engraved pieces and gift cards can't be returned, earrings only with unopened packaging.
What do you give a man who has everything?
Something engraved. A dog tag with a name and date or a signet ring with his initials is something nobody else has. With engraving, order one working day earlier, and keep in mind that an engraved piece can't be returned.
