Wondering what to get your friends for Christmas? Something chosen by you with them in mind (regardless of whether they’re your BFF, work friend/colleague, or the whole group chat) is always a good idea, as your mates are bound to appreciate the thought you put into it! But if you need a little help, here are our Christmas gift ideas for your pals:
Christmas Gifts by Friend Type
For Your Best Friend
Finding a Christmas gift for your bestie shouldn't be hard – after all, you know each other pretty well! If they like wearing jewellery, you're sure to find something they'll love at Estella Bartlett. We suggest:
- Pendant Necklaces: Our pendant necklace designs, just like all our jewellery, vary from dainty to statement, classic to trendy, and playful to chic. No matter what personal style your BFF has, you'll find a pendant to represent them and your friendship, with the added symbolism of keeping you close to their hearts whenever they wear it!
- Matching Gemstone Jewellery: Gemstone jewellery not only adds colour and texture to outfits, but gemstones are also said to bring special good vibes. Why not share a meaningful connection by getting either the same gemstone bracelet or gemstone necklace for you and your bestie, or different designs made with the same gemstone for a coordinated look and energy?
For Your Work Friend/Colleague
Just because they haven't been promoted from work friend to official BFF, it doesn't mean they don't deserve a thoughtful Christmas gift! Especially if they are your Secret Santa, so you have to get them something...
- The Star Trio Necklace: A Chrimbo favourite from Estella Bartlett, the Star Trio Necklace comes in a Christmas-themed star motif envelope with a "Merry Christmas" message and is available in either silver or gold plating. Priced at only £21, it's the perfect stocking filler or Secret Santa gift.
- Card Purses: When you don't know someone that well, it's better to go back to basics when choosing gifts – such as a card purse. Everyone needs one, if not for every day, at least to take on holidays and keep different currencies separate. Estella Bartlett has cute printed designs and inspirational options too, like our best-selling "Woman on a Mission" coin purse.
For the Friend Who Has Everything
This is a tough one, as you still want to treat your friend for Christmas, even if they have everything! If they really do, they're probably on the affluent side, so here are some suggestions of luxury-style Christmas gifts (without the luxury price tag):
- Travel accessories: This friend is probably a jet-setter, travelling around all the time! Travel accessories like wash bags, makeup bags, mini jewellery boxes, or large tote bags are thoughtful and useful gifts for those friends who are always on the go.
- Statement pieces from the Edit: Estella Bartlett's Edit collection is full of trend-led statement designs fit for your most stylish friend! Most of the Edit bracelets and necklaces are adjustable in length too, so you don't have to worry about figuring out the recipient's wrist or neck size.
For a Group of Friends
They're there for you when you need a plumber recommendation, to debrief after a date, or get a second opinion on your new haircut... If anyone deserves nice Christmas presents, it's the group chat!
- Friendship Bracelets: A classic for a reason, getting everyone friendship bracelets – proper matching to be cute or different styles that will still make you think of each other and your great friendship – will definitely be a crowd-pleaser!
- Advent Calendar: Hear us out... We're not suggesting that you get one Advent Calendar per person (unless you can afford that, and in that case, please feel free to be our friend too), but you could get one advent calendar and distribute the 12 pieces between the group chat... Just saying.
Personalised Gifts They'll Treasure
It's easy to understand why a personalised gift tends to be seen as more special! It shows the gift recipient that their gift was chosen specifically for them, and actually made only for them.
- Customised Necklaces: At Estella Bartlett, you can choose the chain and charms that truly represent your friend, and even add FREE engraving to our oval and heart charms with their name, nickname, birthday, a special date, your initials, their zodiac sign... The options are endless! Our most popular charms, besides the engravable ones, are birthstones, the wildflower and the croissant.
- Personalised Jewellery Packaging: One of our most popular personalisation options is adding your own message to a product's packaging card! Our eligible necklaces and bracelets usually come with cute sayings as-is – things like "You're out of this world", "Shine bright" or "Treasure me" – but adding a custom message just for your friend can really bring your Christmas gift to the next level.
- Birthstone Jewellery: Did you know that each month of the year is represented by a particular gemstone? They are called birthstones, and a Christmas present to a friend featuring theirs would be a great gift! If you don't know theirs, any gemstone jewellery is nice too, as all gemstones bring good vibes.
Christmas Gifts by Budget
If choosing based on types of friend isn't your preference, we also have Christmas gift suggestions by budget:
Thoughtful Gifts Under £35
- Wellness Collection: The name says it all, really! This special curation of gemstone jewellery ranges between £22 and £34 and is full of positive energy. It's the perfect gift to wish someone a particular sentiment, like Blue Lace Agate for calm, Green Agate for growth, and Tiger's Eye for focus. This collection also comes in ready-to-gift packaging, with each card explaining a little bit about the featured gemstone and what it's known for.
- Jewellery Storage: We sell jewellery storage in various shapes and sizes, making it easy to find a special one for a friend! If their collection is on the small side or they are always travelling, one of our best-selling mini jewellery boxes would be a great gift! Our most popular ones feature inspirational messages like "Live as you Dream", which are not just practical but also uplifting to see every day.
Crowd-Pleasing Gifts Under £60
- Water-resistant Jewellery for Men and Women: Plated jewellery invariably tarnishes over time, as it's only covered with a thin layer of gold or silver (hence their being much more affordable than solid gold or silver jewellery). Of course, it can last longer depending on how thick that layer of plating is, how well they're taken care of, and if they're coated with a special waterproof finish like PVD coating or not. Going for waterproof jewellery is a bigger investment than our regular plated jewellery because of that coating, but if you're willing to spend that extra, they're pieces that will stay looking like new for longer, even if the wearer doesn't follow our care guidelines for jewellery to the letter.
- Gift Cards: Getting a gift card is the easiest way to please someone you don't know what to get as a gift, as you're giving them the gift of choice! Just select the amount you want to spend, and you'll receive the gift card in your email, which you can then print and gift it to your friend or just forward to their email.
Quick Tips for Choosing the Perfect Gift
- If adding personalisation to a packaging card or engraving, always double-check your spelling before placing your order.
- Order ahead of our Christmas delivery deadlines, as the busy gifting season might lead to shipping delays.
- Read the returns policy before placing your order – for example, we don't accept returns on earrings unless they're faulty (for hygiene reasons), so only gift earrings if you're confident the gift recipient will like them and that they'll fit! Also, what if your friend already has what you're getting them? Pay attention to the Returns window to ensure they can still return it after receiving it to avoid disappointment.
- We are a paper-free company, so we don't include packing slips with your order. If you're gifting it on, it's a good idea to tell them your order number so they can reach out to us directly in case there are any issues. Our friendly customer service team is only able to help if we can locate the original order!
- Observe what type of plating they gravitate towards so you can choose between gold-plated jewellery or silver-plated jewellery.
- It's always safer to buy adjustable necklaces and bracelets that can be clasped at different lengths, as they tend to fit a bigger range of sizes and be more versatile.
- Whatever you choose, add an Estella Bartlett gift bag for the perfect finishing touch!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best affordable Christmas gifts for friends?
Plated jewellery is an affordable Christmas gift choice that can still have a luxury feel. At Estella Bartlett, you can find necklaces, bracelets, and earrings that will suit your friends no matter what their personal style is, so you can shop gifts for all of them in one go!
What's a good Secret Santa gift for a work colleague you don't know that well?
If you don't know your Secret Santa that well and aren’t super confident about what they'd like, an Estella Bartlett gift card is always a good call! You can also browse our selection of gifts under £20 and see if anything jumps out. If in doubt, we suggest a card holder or our Trio Star Necklace as affordable, safe choices.
We hope this guide on what to get your friends for Christmas was helpful! If you're ready to shop, see our Christmas Gift Guide for even more ideas! ✨
