We want you to look your best as you attend the holiday season’s wide array of parties, gatherings and formal evening events. You’ll find that the clothing and jewelry required for all of these occasions break down into three main categories: casual, cocktail, and couture.

Casual events include family get-togethers, after-work office parties, most church or synagogue socials, and informal dinners with friends or colleagues. For these, your regular leisure or business clothes look fine, and the jewelry tends to be classic and down-to-earth. Religious pendants, smaller right hand rings, bangle bracelets and simple earrings will be perfect for most of these occasions.

Cocktail events are a level above the informal, and usually require business suits for men, and business or cocktail wear for the ladies. Aside from cocktail parties, these events include dinner parties, birthday parties, informal wedding receptions, anniversary celebrations, office holiday parties in hotel or restaurant settings, and less formal dances.

Jewelry for these events tends to be more elaborate, including bold cocktail rings, larger bridal and anniversary bands, stylish diamond necklaces and earrings, and diamond or colored stone bracelets. The key here is chic and innovative, but without the high fashion of the couture styles. Couture events are the most formal, and demand high-fashion gowns, tuxedos or other black tie suits, and luxurious jewelry with plenty of brilliance. These occasions include country club or charity balls, formal industry events, formal wedding receptions, corporate commemorative events, debutante balls, and some civic events.

Here is where you can wear larger and more elaborate sets of diamond and colored stone jewelry. While diamonds and sapphires are most popular for fine jewelry, emeralds and rubies also complement couture evening wear. Earrings dangle and sparkle, while necklaces flatter the face with sumptuous gemstones and precious metals. Men can wear jeweled shirt studs and cufflinks that fit the style for the evening.To ensure you have the right finishing touches for any occasion, sort your personal jewelry into wardrobe collections, appropriate for the events you will attend. See if there are outdated jewels, or pieces everyone has seen too often, and replace them. You can have the stones remounted in fresher styles, which you and your jeweler can design.Check to see if any of your jewelry needs cleaning or repair. Take them to your jeweler to have them done professionally. While you're there, look at the wonderful new styles that could provide perfect holiday gifts for those you love.

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