it the sterling solution for last

it the sterling solution for last<br /><br />Silver is the way to go this season, and the best directions -- for men or women -- are silver bracelets and rings. You cant go wrong by crossing someones palm with silver: Its rich, varied and fits all budgets.<br /><br />Sweet little jewelry is on the way out. The new look, as decreed by Womens Wear Daily, is big. But dont fret: That just means it will be back in again in a few months, and everyone loves delicate little necklaces and those charming small silver rings with a semi-precious stone $32 each, that can be worn one by one or stacked in three or four layers, adding up to something big.<br /><br />Make way for drop-dead, clunky bracelets and rings by available at Saks or those knuckle-busters by Chrome Hearts of Los Angeles -- one of Chers favorite designers they do leather motorcycle jackets decorated with sterling silver, starting at about $5000, available for women at Susan of Burlingame and for men at Wilkes Bashford.<br /><br />Theres also a knock-out 2 1/2- inch basket-weave silver bracelet from Tiffany and Co. for $695. Too much? Try the sleek silver cuff, just as wide, from Following Sea in San Francisco Centre for $70 -- it comes with a jewelers cloth to help keep it bright.<br /><br />For those who just want a nice bracelet -- not too big, not too small -- theres a selection of classic styles from about $27 at Target or as Saks Therese Post and a few million others call it, Tar-zhay. And at Saks on Post theres an abundance of sterling silver bracelets including those by theyre for men but look great on women, too and delicate multiple silver wires with pearls by for $280.<br /><br />Check out the handsome animal charm bracelets at Neiman Marcus by designer of Ojai, and the whimsical jewelry of Anni Co. at Neiman Marcus. Neimans also carries, as do most of the other major stores, gold and silver jewelry by for men and women Shreves has possibly the biggest selection for women. Yurmans oxidized thats the darker, more antique-looking silver cable bracelets, which start at about $200, have been on the top of everyones list for years, and they can be worn separately or stacked.<br /><br />At Nordstrom, we discovered a stunning but simple silver square bracelet by Bayanihan Italian silver designed in Manila for $217 -- ho, ho, ho -- and the silver jewelry at Emporium and Macys is 50 percent off.<br /><br />For the more traditional theres oxidized silver jewelry by at Gumps for men and women from $75, and there are silver bracelets by two other world famous designers, and , at Tiffany. Palomas sterling loving heart bracelet is $950, and Elsas open heart bracelet is $180.<br /><br />Hearts, flowers and stars are favorite motifs of Folli Follie, which has just opened a boutique on Grant Avenue. The Folli shops have been a fixture in London, Paris and Athens for several years. The company specializes in light, whimsical pieces, sometimes combining silver with gold, pearls and gems and starting at about $70.<br /><br />Artists love to work with silver, so do some browsing and shopping at the gift shops at museums. SFMOMA has possibly the best selection of unusually dramatic silver jewelry especially the bracelets and necklaces by , and , and the gift shop at Yerba Buena Gardens has wonderful ethnic jewelry as well as a unique selection of hair sticks with sterling silver and starting at $35.<br /><br />Then there are the street merchants, and some of those specialize in making bracelets and pendants out of antique -- for sure, theyre used -- silver forks and spoons. Price varies -- sometimes as low as $10, but usually about $20.<br /><br />Sterling silver is a gift that keeps giving: Every time you take out the silver polish or give it a rub with a jewelers cloth at last a use for little white cotton gloves it reminds you of the person who gave it to you. No, you dont wish it were gold and low maintenance. Believe it or not, there is the pleasure of watching the silver come to life and glow as its polished. And the oxidized silver needs very little care. If the gift comes from Tiffany, Shreves or Folli Follie, theyll also help you by giving it a free professional buffing every once in awhile.<br /><br />If you have time, its fun to browse through antique jewelry sections at stores, finding something wonderful that brings with it a touch of the past. At s in the , theres an ornate antique silver card case $250, a wonderful gift for the woman who has everything including business cards. A silver card case is also a chic way to carry important credit cards, a drivers license and some paper bills in an evening bag, and Christofle has one thats a pleasure to hold for $350.<br /><br />When hunting antique English silver, always look for hallmarks, the official marks stamped on silver and gold. The marks indicate its authenticity, where its from a lion means Birmingham, England, the year it was made and the initial of the craftsman.<br /><br />For those hung-up on hallmarks, English designer s jewelry uses them as part of his design at Neiman Marcus, from about $100. The hallmark is also another way of saying you cared enough to buy the very best.<br /><br />Perhaps you may not want to buy the very best. In that case, there are small sterling silver block letters about $5 each at Emporium and Headlines so you can create your own personal gift, maybe spell out someones name or a message like, Merry Christmas. If thats too much for the budget, make that Xmas.