Jewelry can seem like the perfect gift for a loved one on any occasion, from birthdays and anniversaries; to Valentine’s Day. But how about as a gift for friends and co-workers? Is the gift of unusual handmade jewelry too personal? The real answer is that it depends on the situation. If a co-worker across the office you’re greeting at the coffee shop gets a promotion, gifting him jewelry probably isn’t the right answer. The best would be a verbal congratulations or even a greeting card.

It all comes down to how well you know the person. Jewelry is a personal item, so you want to make sure you know your taste and style before you make that purchase. The point of gifting unusual handmade jewelry is for the person to have something special to add to their collection, and hopefully they will wear it often. For example, if you don’t know someone well enough to know that they don’t care about yellow gold and then you buy them a yellow gold piece, then jewelry was not a good gift idea.

But if your co-worker is also a good friend, jewelry can be a great choice for a gift. And the same guidelines apply to friends as well. If your friend is better known, then you probably don’t know his style well enough to choose an unusual piece of handmade jewelry that he will love and wear. You have to know them well enough to scan a bunch of unusual handmade jewelry on a website and say, “She’d definitely wear that” when she sees the right piece.

Part of knowing a person’s style is noticing the type of jewelry your friend wears on a day-to-day basis. If you wear a lot of statement jewelry or dress in clothing with lots of beads or flashy details, a nice cocktail ring or studded necklace can be a good option. If your jewelry and wardrobe are a bit more understated, a thin necklace or a pair of small earrings would work. Also look at the colors they usually wear. If you wear more neutral and warm colors, steer clear of cool colored jewelry. If you wear a lot of patterns, go for unusual handmade jewelry with one type of gemstone or something with pearls or just metals.

And of course, don’t forget the presentation. Put the jewelry in a nice box, even if it didn’t come with one, wrap it up and put it with a thoughtful card. Your friend or co-worker is sure to get excited!