The biggest challenge to choosing any gift, no matter who it is for or what the occasion may be, is choosing something that promises to stand out and be memorable. The closer you are to the person, the more important that becomes. I routinely buy gifts for the office grab bag at the deli on the corner of my business on my way to the party, but buying something for my wife on our anniversary requires a little more thought. This year, I decided I would surprise her with pearls. 7 Strand Pearl Necklace   I wish I could take credit for coming up with the idea, but it was actually her mother who planted the seed. When we were visiting over the holidays, she shared with us old family photos that a friend had helped her convert to digital files. We saw pictures from when she and her girlfriends, all single ladies, would dress up for a special occasion, and it seemed like most of them were wearing either pearl earrings or a pearl necklace. My wife mentioned something about it, and I could tell that something in the way they looked struck her.   Pearls certainly aren’t your everyday type of fine jewelry, and that was part of what appealed to me. There is plenty of jewelry out there that goes with everything, it seems, and can be worn all the time. That’s certainly a benefit because you know that you’re getting your money’s worth, but my way of thinking is that our anniversary isn’t just an everyday type of occasion. I wanted to find something for her that really spoke to how special a day it was between us.   As beautiful as something may be, if you wear it all the time, it becomes easy to forget just how special it is. Part of the joy of fine jewelry is being reminded of its rarity. I don’t think my wife needs to be reminded how much I love her and how special I think she is, but at the same time, I’m excited about giving her something that she can save and wear sparingly. That way, I’ll know it’s going to be a special type of night when she decides it’s time to wear the pearls.