As Carol Channing once told us, ‘diamonds are a girl’s best friend’. They’re tougher than a man, prettier than a man, and they don’t expect a Sunday afternoon bacon sandwich. They will serve you faithfully, suit every outfit and never ask for anything in return except to be loved. Of course, crystals, rubies and emeralds wouldn’t have noses turned up at them either.

Weddings, parties, formal occasions, dates, interviews. Deciding on an outfit for these things is bad enough, but trying to match your jewellery is one of the hardest parts next to shoes, handbags and make-up. It’s not just women who find it difficult either – lads, listen up, you might learn something.

We have a  jewellery section including anything from second hand pieces to antiques to unique, one-off items that have been lovingly handcrafted. Jewellery is a personal affair. Some slobber for Swarovski, others tingle for Tiffany. Our very own Jewellery Quarter, situated right here in Birmingham, is teeming with shop upon shop dedicated to the trade, but visiting requires leaving your nice, warm living room in the dead of winter to traipse around in snow and rain. We may just be down the road from it, but we’re a lot easier to visit.  You’ll see that ‘jewellery and watches’ is one of our most popular categories, listed on the left. adflyer is awfully easy to navigate and with the speedy little search bar near the top of the page, whatever you’re in the market for, no matter how specific, you can find it!

Of course, as we mentioned earlier, deciding on what jewellery is right for you or what piece will make the perfect present for a loved one, isn’t always easy. Just like clothing, certain styles suit certain people so always try to get a second opinion where you can. Better yet, ask your intended exactly what they would like. Watches always prove to be popular gifts and with myriad styles from eccentric to elegant, you can pretty much guarantee there is going to be something to suit every personality. Unfortunately we can’t tell you precisely what to choose, but we’re confident you can find something spot on!

We know it might seem somewhat early to start talking about Valentine’s Day, but in case you didn’t realise it’s already February. The first month of 2010 has flown by. Soon it’s going to be Easter, then Halloween, then Bonfire Night and then Christmas all over again. But we don’t want to think that far in advance, do we? Our wallets and purses cower fearfully at the very mention of the big C.D….

Let’s lay down a bit of Valentine’s Day history first. Did you know the day is named after two Christian martyrs, Saints Valentine of Terni and Valentine of Rome, both of which were martyred on 14th February? The feast that was originally related to them actually had nothing to do with romantic love and a few theories suggest that it wasn’t until the days of Chaucer and courtly love during the 14th Century that the association grew. Towards the end of the 1960’s, the feast day was removed from the General Roman Calendar, though is still celebrated by traditionalist Catholics around the world.

One version of events suggests that one of the Saint Valentines was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by one of Rome’s most esteemed emperors, Claudius II. When he wouldn’t convert to Roman paganism to save his own life and in vain attempted to convert Claudius to Christianity, he was executed. Saint Valentine was said to have contested a law of Claudius’s, ordering that young men remain single in order to ensure he had a strong army. Married men apparently made poor soldiers. According to lore, Valentine secretly performed marriage ceremonies and was attested to have sent the very first valentine addressed to a girl he purportedly cured of blindness. It read ‘From Your Valentine”. Aaaaw.

Of course there are a fair few other stories and myths attributed to the eventual introduction of what we know as Valentine’s Day. According to the ancient Athenian calendar, the entire month of Gamelion was spent celebrating the marriage of Zeus and Hera (ironic considering how that relationship ended up. They were also brother and sister) and the Ancient Romans had Lupercalia between February the 13^th and 15th, a festival celebrating fertility.

In 1797, the commercialisation truly began. The Young Man’s Valentines Writer was published in Britain, containing masses of romantic verses for those less talented in the poetry department. Cards went into production decorated with lace and ribbon and sweeping text and general flowery garishness during the Victorian era, thus the greeting card industry was born. Sometime during the 19th century, the giving of gifts became a popular practice, most often chocolates and flowers. These days, almost anything goes. Mp3 players, perfume and aftershave, jewellery, tickets to events, clothes and almost anything else you can possibly think of.

Luckily, we  can point you in the right direction. It isn’t always about buying the perfect gift, it isn’t always about going to the nicest restaurant and it certainly isn’t always about how much money you spend. At the end of it all, it’s all about showing how much you love someone and you know what? Love costs nothing.