Daily dose of festive bling
Frankincense and myrrh won’t even get a look in with this selection of jewellery advent calendars, says Eva Waite-Taylor
In the words of Slade... it’s Christmaaaas (well nearly). With its arrival in sight, the anticipation for the big day is mounting and we’re seeing new advent calendars launching on a near-daily basis. No longer an industry reserved exclusively for 24-days of Cadbury’s chocolate, you can now get everything from a beautyfilled treasure trove to a Virgin Wines merry special countdown.
But if you’re looking to add a little extra glitz and glamour to the festive party season, we’ve got the answer: a jewellery advent calendar. Yes, 12 or 25 days of sparkle. The brilliant thing about this is that it’s a treat not just for Christmas because the pieces can be worn all year round – making it a gift that keeps on giving.
Whether you prefer silver, gold or mixed metals, there’s something just waiting to be worn. Here, we’ve featured a sellout choice (Missoma, we’re looking at you), as well as a brandnew option for 2021 that can be personalised just for you. Each worth their weight in gold.
Posh Totty Designs the story of you advent calendar £180, Poshtottydesigns.com
Best: Overall
Rating: 10/10
Number of days: 12
Products: Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, ring
Value: £180
Price: £180
As jewellery brands go, Posh Totty Designs is one of our firm favourites. For the uninitiated, it’s a small team, predominately made up of women, based in Brighton. And best of all it’s here to do good – for starters, it plants one tree for every order, but it also has a number of charity jewellery collections that give back. This year the brand has launched its debut jewellery advent calendar, and it’s one of the best we’ve seen.
Not only can you choose the metal finish (sterling silver, mixed metals, yellow gold plated and rose gold plated), but you’re also asked to provide your star sign and initial. So, this 12-day treasure trove is a lovely collection of personalised pieces that have been handpicked so you have your very own “story of you” jewellery collection.
As for what’s inside, you’re in for a real treat. We don’t want to give too much away, but our two favourites were the zodiac disc necklace (from £63, Poshtottydesigns.com) and the crescent moon stud earrings (from £25, Poshtottydesigns.com), both of which we quickly and happily incorporated into our jewellery collection (along with all the other gems here). You’ll also find a selection of handmade bracelets, rings and earrings that will undoubtedly add sparkle to your Christmas countdown.
The packaging is similarly beautiful – the design resembles a book (hence the “story of you”) and owing to the brand’s commitment to sustainability, it is recyclable. It’s currently available to pre-order, with delivery in November. But, it is producing a limited run, so we’d recommend that you act fast so as to not miss out.
Buy now
Missoma advent calendar £395, Missoma.com
Best: For gold jewellery
Rating: 9/10
Number of days: 12
Value: £812
Price: £395
Products: Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklet, hair clips, sunglasses chain
Online jewellery shop Missoma is one of the best destinations for all things bling. Specialising in affordable jewellery, it’s amassed a huge following, and for good reason too. As for its advent calendar, it’s a sell-out every year and we can most definitely see why. It’s full of the brand’s bestsellers, as well as some of its newer pieces, and serves as a great way to help you curate a jewellery collection of high-quality pieces.
There’s not one item in this calendar that we wouldn’t buy ourselves, with our favourites being the hex huggies (£80, Missoma.com), the double rope bracelet (£79, Missoma.com) and the mini pave pike charm hoops (£75, Missoma.com).
Unfortunately, if you’re a wearer of silver or mixed metals, this one isn’t for you as it features exclusively gold jewels and
accessories. With the contents worth £800, this would make a bougie and brilliant way to countdown to Christmas.
Buy now
Scream Pretty jewellery advent calendar £250, Screampretty.co.uk
Best: For earrings
Rating: 8/10
Number of days: 12
Products: Earrings
Value: £330
Price: £250
The packaging of Scream Pretty’s advent calendar is certainly chic, with its black and gold colour scheme. The calendar is compact and much smaller than we thought it’d be, making it ideal for keeping on your desk as a reminder of the fun Christmas countdown.
When you open it up, you’ll find 12 numbered doors – each one housing a pair of earrings or an ear cuff. Our standout favourites were the clear stone huggies (£30, Screampretty.com), the
droplet double stud with chain connector (£20, Screampretty.com) and the reverse baguette huggie earrings (£25, Screampretty.com). With 12 different earrings available, it’s the best way to curate a very sparkly ear in the run-up to Christmas party season. And the great thing is you’ve got the choice of silver or gold, depending on your preference.
Buy now Tutti & Co advent calendar £99, Tuttiandco.com
Best: For variety of accessories
Rating: 7/10
Number of days: 12
Products: Earrings, necklace, bracelet, scrunchies
Value: £200
Price: £99
The design of Tutti & Co’s advent calendar is sweet and understated, adorned with festive stars, and on the inside you’ll find 12 uniform drawers, each with gold lettering. The brand has opted to incorporate additional accessories into its advent
calendar, by that we mean it’s added not one but three hair scrunchies and a hair clip.
As the advent calendar costs £100, we were expecting a little more from it. That said, there is a broad range of jewellery, including a ring, two necklaces and four pairs of earrings. And unlike Missoma, there is the option to choose between silver and gold, which will certainly appeal to many.
Buy now
Avon Scarlet jewellery advent calendar £15, Avon.uk.com
Best: For teens
Rating: 6/10
Number of days: 25
Products: Necklace, charms, earrings
Value: N/A
Price: £15
This 25-day advent calendar is perfect for tweens or teenagers. On the front is a festive, snowy illustration of a house, with each of the doors numbered in shiny gold (although it is worth noting that the doors were a little tricky to open).
Waiting inside are a selection of 12 earrings, our favourites being the pearl studs, as well as 12 charms for the necklace, which is the grand finale on 25 December. It serves as a wonderful option if you’re looking to help the little one in your life build their very own jewellery collection. And at £15 you can’t go wrong.
Buy now
Nasty Gal 12 days of recycled jewellery advent calendar £23.40, Nastgal.com
Best: Budget jewellery advent calendar
Rating: 6/10
Number of days: 12
Products: Necklace, charms, earrings
Value: N/A
Price: £23.40
Nasty Gal’s jewellery advent calendar was a pleasant surprise. It contains 12 days of mixed metal everyday and statement pieces, including earrings to necklaces. At £23.40, it’s a great choice if you want to add some statement bling to your festive ’fits – the diamante choker and gold hoops would make great accessories
for the festive party season and will work to seriously lift an LBD. The thing that lets this one down a little is its packaging, which looks a little cheap, but for the price, we can’t really complain.
Buy now The verdict
If you’re going to invest in an advent calendar this year, you might as well make it one that will sparkle all year round, and that’s exactly what a jewellery treasure trove will do. But which one is best? Well, Missoma’s advent calendar offers a great way to build a gorgeous collection of high-quality gold jewellery that you’ll wear on repeat.
But it’s the Posh Totty Designs the story of you advent calendar that shines bright here. It’s a beautifully curated collection of handmade jewellery that you’ll cherish long after Christmas. And best of all, it’s personalised to you, through your star sign, initial and your favourite metal colour. Opening one of the doors will certainly spread sparkle on a cold and dark December morning.
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