Star sign or constellation: which zodiac necklace you are actually buying

There are 2 quite different necklaces sold under the word zodiac, and most people do not realise which one they have bought until it arrives. One carries the symbol of the sign, the ram for Aries or the lion for Leo. The other maps the star formation behind the sign, a scatter of small points joined by thin lines. Rachael Taylor set the difference out in The Jewellery Editor on 15 August 2016, in a piece called Zodiac jewellery: map out your star sign in diamonds, and made the point that actually decides the purchase: with a constellation design, "it might not be instantly obvious that your necklace or charm represents a star sign, unless the admirer is a keen stargazer."

I have made jewellery by hand in London for 22 years. It started with a stall on Portobello Road, and the work has since sat in Liberty, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Harrods. It still leaves a London workshop one piece at a time, which is why this question reaches me by email.

Zodiac jewellery means 3 different things

The symbol. The glyph or the creature. It reads instantly. Somebody glances at it and knows she is a Leo. If the point of the present is that the sign is recognised, this is the one to buy.

The constellation. The star pattern, usually set as small stones or engraved as points and lines. It does not announce itself. Worn every day it reads as a quiet piece of jewellery that happens to mean something, which is why it ages better than a symbol does. You will explain it to people, and most women who choose it want to.

The birthstone. This is where the money gets spent on the wrong thing. Birthstones are set by calendar month. Star signs are not. They cross the end of one month into the next, which means the 2 presents are not interchangeable. My Libra Constellation Necklace listing gives 23 September to 22 October, and the Scorpio one picks up in the last days of October. Both are £120. So a woman born on 25 October has an October birthstone and a Scorpio sign, and buying her "her stone" when she wanted her sign gets you the month she was born in, not the thing she tells people she is.

The boundary days also shift by about a day depending on the year. If the birthday falls in the last week of a month, check the actual date before ordering. These are made to order and take 10 to 14 working days, and a sign cannot be swapped once it is cut.

The piece I would choose

The Personalised Zodiac Constellation Signet Ring is £140 in sterling silver, £160 in gold vermeil and £550 in 14kt solid yellow or white gold. The constellation sits on the face of the signet, so it is on her hand where she can see it rather than at her throat where she cannot. Worn on the little finger or stacked under a slimmer band. Sizing is the only thing to get right, and the ring size guide takes 2 minutes with a strip of paper.

What I notice is who comes back for a second constellation piece. Rarely the person who wanted a label. Usually the woman who wanted something on her that nobody else has to read.

Two other ways in

If £140 is more than this present needs to be, the Large Star Stud Earrings are £25 in sterling silver and £45 in gold vermeil or rose gold vermeil. They are 12mm by 11mm, handmade to order here, and we make the same pair at 8mm. The Galaxy Star Necklace is £75 in sterling silver or gold filled, on a cable chain, and is the piece I would put at the top of a layered set. Above those, the Zodiac Huggies are £120 with the constellation on a 2cm disc, and the Star Sign Necklace is £225 with the symbol charm on a diamond curb chain, for when the sign is meant to be read. If you are layering 2 or 3 of these at once, the chain guide gives the lengths that sit apart instead of tangling.

If the gold is already in the house

A fair number of these enquiries start somewhere else. Somebody has her grandmother's ring, or 3 odd earrings and a broken chain in a drawer, and what she actually wants is one piece she will wear. That is what Second Life is for. I lift the stones out, use the gold that is already there, and remake it by hand in the studio as the thing she chooses, a constellation signet included. The stones stay, the gold stays, the story stays, and only the shape changes. Send a photograph and the estimate is free, with nothing owed either way. If a piece is past remaking, recycling your jewellery is the other door.

The second life is the real one.

All 12 signs are made to order in the Astrological Jewellery collection, and the stars, moons and suns that are not about a birthday at all sit in the Celestial Collection. If you are stuck between her sign and her stone, email me on anna@annalouoflondon.com and tell me her birthday. I will tell you which of the 2 she is more likely to wear.

Questions I get asked

Is a constellation necklace the same as a star sign necklace?
No. A constellation necklace shows the star pattern behind the sign, which is subtle and needs explaining. A star sign necklace shows the symbol itself, which anyone recognises straight away. Buy the constellation for everyday wear and the symbol when you want the sign to be obvious.

What length should a zodiac necklace be?
The constellation necklaces come in 16in, 18in, 20in and 22in. 16in sits at the base of the throat, 18in just below the collarbone, which is where a single pendant looks best on most people. Go to 20in or 22in if it is going over a jumper or under another chain, and the chain guide has the measurements.

Can you put a constellation on gold I already own?
Yes. That is the Second Life service. Inherited rings, single earrings and chains nobody wears get taken apart and remade, using the original stones and gold, into the piece you choose. Send a photograph for a free estimate and I will tell you honestly whether the metal is worth reusing.