18th and 21st birthday celebrations & jewellery gifts - ASTRA (2024)

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Typically, an 18th or 21st birthday means party time! Even for people who don’t always have a party, a milestone birthday is a super-special opportunity for friends and family to celebrate their loved one. Here’s some ideas to add a little fun and a personal touch to the occasion.

Words of Wisdom Jar

This ‘jar of wisdom’ is a beautiful (and sometimes hilarious) way to welcome the birthday girl into adulthood. In the weeks before the party, contact your guests and ask them to note down a couple of sentences of advice or well wishes for the birthday person. Then, print or write them out, cut them into little slips and put them all in a glass jar.

The ‘words of wisdom’ can be read out at the party, or kept for any time she needs a little boost. It doesn’t have to be advice either, write down special memories or funny stories to share instead – bear in mind that this will take guests a bit more effort to think about and write down though. A lovely box rather than a jar might be better to keep these longer stories in too. The possibilities are almost endless!

What 18th or 21st birthday party would be complete without a collection of pics of the birthday person from babyhood till today? Having a wall covered with pictures or a slideshow of images and videos at a milestone birthday party is an absolute must! Remember that finding all the pictures takes a bit of organisation, so start this early. Contact family and friends and get them to scan or drop off the pictures, and start asking around for funny videos of the birthday girl in action.

There are loads of ways to present the pics on the day of the party, so think about the venue, the number of guests and what would work best. Maybe you can project the slideshow or videos onto the wall and have it playing throughout the party, or it could be fun to ask someone to be MC and gather everyone to do speeches and watch the presentation.

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You can also make photos part of the decorations, polaroids are especially good for this. You can peg them to strings and hang them up like festoons. There’s always lots to do when planning a party, so it’s also quick and easy to simply stick pics to a wall or board, and everyone can enjoy them during the celebration.

Whether you choose gold, rose-gold, silver or rhodium, a quality jewellery piece is a perfect gift for a big birthday like an 18th or 21st. It’s a gift that’s enduring too – well-made jewellery lasts for a lifetime.

Because 18th and 21st birthdays mark “coming of age”, there are traditional symbols that go with these birthdays (more on that in a minute!). Jewellery can also be personalised by having it engraved with a date or their name. You might even decide to go in with family and friends to purchase something really special.

Quick tip: Sparkly or subtle? Classic or edgy? When it comes to jewellery, everyone has a preference for the type of metal, stones, and style they like to wear. It may seem obvious, but before you choose a necklace, bracelet, ring or earrings for the birthday girl, take a closer look at the jewellery she already loves. Is she all about the big, shiny bling, or does she go for layering with lots of delicate designs?

In western culture, a girl’s 18th birthday marked her debut into society. In many ways, this is still the case, as turning 18 means you are officially an adult – you’re allowed to vote, own property and make all your own legal decisions.

This leap into adulthood is the perfect time to give a gift that represents the new phase. Roses and ‘treasures’ were often given to debutantes, so a jewellery design with a rose or a swan fits in with a debutante theme. Or maybe she’s off to university – a lotus flower represents knowledge and peace. Good luck charms are great gifts too, think designs such as a four-leaf clover, a lucky horseshoe, or an anchor or compass (to stay steady throughout life’s storms!).

“The key” is a well-known jewellery design for a 21st birthday gift – it represents the key to the door into adulthood. The key is popular for a good reason, not only does it feel special and traditional, there’s something that’s both classic and up-to-date about the design.

The 21st birthday often represents lots of life changes too, maybe she’s graduating from college, moving out of home, or maybe she’s planning to travel. Jewellery designs with birds, butterflies or wings can represent the new freedom and excitement of turning 21. Protection or spiritual symbols are special too, such as the Hamsa hand symbol or a design with guardian angel wings.

An 18th or 21st is the ultimate birthday to celebrate your loved one’s life story, and give them a good luck charm to send them off into a bright future.

We hope you enjoyed these tips on how to make a milestone birthday extra special!

Love from the team at ASTRA