Your 520 Gift Guide

In a culture that is of more reserved, Valentine’s Day, Qixi Festival, and 520 are opportunities for us to break out of our shell and boldly declare our love with three simple words: I love you.

While traditional symbols of hearts, flowers, and shades of pink and red may feel cliché, there’s more to the eye in these widely used icons of love in the world of fashion and design, and it itself can be more powerful than the language.

The gift of flowers to express one’s love and affection has been a tradition since ancient times. Be it for a special occasion, or just to brighten someone’s day, flowers have the power to convey emotions in a way that words cannot. And when it comes to love, one flower reigns supreme: the red rose. This symbol of passion owes its status to the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite and the famous playwright, Shakespeare.

But flowers wither and fade. Show how much you care in jewellery with a flower motif, and capture the beauty of your sentiment and emotions in a way that lasts a lifetime.

There are a few theories to how the heart became a symbol of love. One describes an extinct plant silphium with heart shape leaves used as a key component in Roman love potions. Another tells of how St Valentine used the symbol to arrange secret marriages in the third century AD. Today, we often associate this with how our heart skips a beat when we see someone we’re attracted to.

Regardless of its beginnings, this is the perfect opportunity to shout out your love by wearing your heart on your sleeve!

Shades of pink and red convey emotions of love and desire. Soft shades of pink evoke a gentle, calm, and cared for emotion, reminiscent of a first love, while red is the colour of passion, with an intensity and excitement.

Embrace the romantic spirit of the day by incorporating the colours of love into your outfit.