Gifts for Your Bridesmaids and Witnesses: Jewellery to Say Thank You, in Every Tradition

Every wedding has its witnesses. Some sign a contract, some hold the bouquet, some hide the groom's shoes.

In the Emirates, weddings speak many languages. An Emirati marriage contract, the aqd, is signed before two witnesses; a British or American ceremony has its maid of honour and best man; an Indian wedding leans on sisters and cousins through several days of celebration. The names change. The role stays: standing beside you when it counts.

A gift is how you thank them. We believe jewellery says it better than anything else, because it is worn on the day itself and stays long after. Here is how to choose it, whatever your tradition.

In an Emirati wedding, the celebrations begin before the wedding day with Laylat Al Henna, the henna night, when the bride's sisters, cousins and closest friends gather around her while henna is drawn on her hands. They carry her through every day that follows, and gold, which holds a central place in Emirati weddings, is the most natural way to thank them.

In many Indian weddings, the bride's sisters and cousins are at the heart of the mehendi, the haldi and the sangeet. They also keep a playful tradition, joota chupai: during the ceremony they hide the groom's shoes, and he has to offer them a gift to get them back.

In British and American weddings, the maid of honour and the best man stand beside the couple, give the speeches, keep the rings safe and usually sign the register as witnesses.

All of this is done out of love and friendship. The gift is how you honour it.

A piece of jewellery has two lives.

The first lasts a few days of celebration. It shines on the hand painted with henna, on the wrist that signs the contract, at the ear during the speeches. It becomes part of the celebration, just like the flowers or the dress.

The second begins the next morning and lasts for years. 18K gold and precious stones keep their brilliance through time. Every time she puts it on, on an ordinary morning, she will think of that day. That is the very definition of a talisman: something you wear for what it means.

A gift for the people beside you is worn every day. It should be delicate, easy to pair with the jewellery they already love, and sturdy: solid gold, with stones set close to the metal, safe from knocks.

Above all, it should mean something. The name of a mythological figure, the origin of a word, a birthstone: what the piece means matters as much as what it shows. That is the story they will tell the day someone asks where it came from.

Among our creations, two names seem written for the occasion.

In Sanskrit, sumitra joins su, "good", and mitra, "friend". The good friend, the true friend. In the Vedas, Mitra is also the god of friendship and of the given word. A witness, in every tradition, does exactly that: stands beside you and attests to a vow.

Sumitra huggie earrings hold four stones set along a gold hoop, in emerald, sapphire, ruby or diamond. They are worn on their own, or stacked with other earrings.

In Hindi, thank you is dhanyavād, and the word opens with dhanya: blessed, fulfilled. A fitting name for a thank-you gift.

The Dhanya bracelet lines up four round bezel-set stones along a fine chain. It is worn with the wedding outfit, then every day after.

With several sisters, cousins or bridesmaids, one idea works beautifully: give the same piece in a different stone. A sapphire for one, an emerald for another, a ruby for the third.

The common thread says they belong to the same circle. The colour says each one holds her own place in it. To choose, three ideas: her birthstone, the colour of her outfit, or the palette of your wedding. In the group photographs, the colours answer one another.

For a brother, a best man or a witness, a ring often takes the place of the bracelet.

Our Dhruva ring carries the name of a star. In the Puranas, the young prince Dhruva is rewarded for his steadfastness by becoming the pole star, the one that stays fixed while the whole sky turns around it. Arab navigators knew the same star as al-Jadi, and steered by it across the sea. A fine name for the friend you have always turned to. The band is flat, in 18K gold or platinum, with a single stone set flush with the metal.

Some friendships have a story of their own: a place, a date, a word only the two of you understand. A bespoke piece can carry it, with the stone of your choice and an engraving inside the band. A piece that exists only once, like the friendship it honours.

That leaves the question of ring size, which you cannot ask without spoiling the surprise. Two discreet solutions: borrow a ring he already wears on that finger long enough to have it measured, or ask the person he shares his life with.

There are three good moments, each with its own charm.

• At the henna night, the mehendi or the proposal: the piece opens the celebrations and stays with her through the preparations.
• A few days before the wedding: the moment we recommend, so the piece is worn at every celebration and in every photograph.
• After the wedding, with a print of your favourite photographs together: a thank-you that makes the memory last.

Whatever the moment, add a few handwritten words. The jewellery says thank you; the card says why.

The wedding days will pass quickly. The piece will still be there when they tell the story of those days to others.