My Gorgeous Gift from Gifted in Design

If you're looking for a beautiful and well-made gift to celebrate a special birthday or wedding anniversary, the birth of a baby or another exceptional event, then I think you would find the perfect answer at Gifted In Design (www.giftedindesign.com).

It was our Silver Wedding Anniversary recently, and because I was looking for a particular item, I found my way to this online shop and I'm thrilled with the result. Our spare pennies are hard-earned, so if I'm looking for a treat - for myself or for a loved one - I tend to research it really carefully, so that I can be sure of getting the best value for money. My own experience is detailed below my description of the website.

Gifted In Design's home page describes them as providing 'Hundreds of distinctive and thoughtful gift ideas designed to inspire you. Discover the perfect gift, whatever the occasion'. Prices start at £5.99 (for the Birthday Diamante Bottle Chains).

On their 'About Us' page they tell us that they are an independent family-run business based in Brighton and Hove. They have been selling online for eight years, and work with independent British artists and small businesses - selecting items for their creativity, style and high standard of workmanship. Their products are packaged using biodegradable and recycled packaging materials where possible. They provide quality gifts at fair prices, offer great customer service and quick dispatch.

A menu on the left-hand side shows the options that are available. There is a Favourites section, which includes Recent Reviews, What's New, Best Sellers and Special Offers. This is followed by a list of Gift Ideas: Photo Cufflinks, Photo Gifts, Photo Albums, Cufflinks, Key Rings, Marmite (personalised engraved silver plated Marmite/Bovril lids!), USB Memory Drives, Office & Study (bookmarks, spectacles case, pens, pocket notebooks and card holders among others), Hip Flasks/Barware, Compact Mirrors/Atomisers, Jewellery Boxes, Jewellery & Dog Tags, Glass/Witch Balls and Presentation cases.

There is then a list of Occasions: Mother's Day (showing this year's date of 18th March), Special Birthdays, Weddings/Anniversary, Births & Christenings and other Occasions (Valentine's Day, Graduation, Retirement and Memorial). You are then offered a list of Recipients: For Her, For Him, For Mummy and For Daddy. Finally, you are given the options of Corporate and Bespoke.

Gifted In Design offer a live support service, so that you can send an email with any queries to their customer service team. This is usually available between 10am-6pm Monday to Friday. When I used this service I got a response that was both quick and courteous. There is a Frequently Asked Questions page which is extremely useful and thorough, and which also includes a link to Royal Mail customer service/updates.

Their Feedback page currently shows a selection of February's customer reviews. On reading this, it can be seen that there are many customers who are as happy as I am with their chosen gift. The News page features the latest special offers, gives a link to all new products, and describes their photographic engraving service. It features the 'Made in Britain' logo, a monthly £100 prize draw for customer reviews, and tells you about their In-house Diamond Engraving Service - 'a state of the art computerised system which uses a diamond-tipped cutter to achieve a deep, long-lasting quality engraving'.

Right, that's the official stuff done - now to my own experience. I was looking to replace a heart-shaped locket key ring that had been a gift from one of my nieces some years ago. It contained a passport-sized photo of my husband, but as the clasp had broken, he was sealed inside with sellotape! The hinge broke recently, and although I was lucky enough to find the little pin that secured the hinge, I no longer trusted it. So, as our Silver Wedding Anniversary was approaching, it seemed like a really nice opportunity to buy another one.

I loved the idea of staying true to the design of the original item, as it has meant so much to me, so I wished to replace it with another heart-shaped locket key ring. I didn't mind too much about the size - the original was very small - although I didn't want it to be too big and cumbersome. I liked the idea of having it engraved to mark the occasion, I wanted it to be good quality, not too expensive, and also to come from an online shop that had received good reviews. My research certainly paid off when I found this website after entering 'silver heart-shaped locket key ring' into my Google search box.

Once I had ascertained the size (5cmx4cm) of the beautifully designed silver-plated key ring (which has a modern, irregular heart shape), I was then able to choose from a selection of five fonts (or of course you can keep the item plain). I was provided with two lines to select my engraving, and this was when I first came across the excellent customer service of this website. I wanted to double-check that the second line of engraving would be centred below the first, and received my answer within just a few minutes. You are offered the option of extra engraving on the back, for an additional £4.99. Gift wrapping is also available, at £2.99, but as this was a gift to myself I decided I did not need this service! I was given the information that my locket would be personalised and dispatched within seven days.

Happy to proceed, I placed my order. My key ring cost £19.99, and there was a delivery charge of £3.50. Gifted In Design accept Visa/Mastercard/Maestro/Visa Debit and American Express cards, as well as my preferred method of PayPal. Checkout was quick and efficient, and I was kept up to date with emails about my order. Gifts are normally dispatched very quickly, but for obvious reasons personalised items take a little longer.

When my parcel arrived, I was so excited - I'd been looking forward to receiving this treat all week! My gift came carefully packaged in a small cardboard box, with foam pellets inside to protect the gift box that contained my locket key ring. I was thrilled to open this and see the high quality of the key ring. It's much larger than its predecessor, which means that it will be easier for me to find in my handbag. It's heavy too, satisfyingly so. The engraving is subtle, just what I had wanted, and a small silver polishing cloth had been included in the gift box (this is included with all silver orders over £15).

I tested the locket by opening and closing it a few times, and on each occasion it closed with a satisfying click. Although the key ring is beautiful, it's also nice and sturdy. Once I'd opened the locket, it took me a while to work out how to insert my photos under the clear plastic covers, and I sent another email with my query. There is an inner heart shape within the locket which can be removed by sliding your fingernail beneath and lifting it out. I carefully used a pin for this as I wanted to protect my manicure! Beneath each cover (there are two, of course) is a piece of heart-shaped card that you can use as a template for your chosen photographs. On one side I placed the photo from the original locket, but I used the template on the other side, with a small portrait photo of my husband on holiday in Greece - looking very relaxed and happy. I placed the plastic covers on top of each photo, and clicked the inner hearts back into place.

Because my hands aren't very strong at the moment, I had to wait until my husband came home so that he could transfer my keys for me. Once this was done, I checked that our front door was secure, and then laid the key ring on the arm of the sofa rather than keeping the key in the lock. I just wanted to gaze in delight at my new treasure! My husband was as delighted as I was with my beautiful key ring (he's not one for fripperies, but he loves me to have them), and we both agreed that it was a lovely memento of our Silver Wedding Anniversary.

(My old locket, now empty and secured once more with a small piece of sellotape, is being used to hold the key that unlocks our bedroom windows. It certainly makes finding this key a lot easier! Because the key ring had been a gift from my much-loved niece I couldn't bear to throw it away, and I'm glad that I can use it for another purpose.)

I will certainly use Gifted In Design again, and it's an online shop I am delighted to have found. I have no hesitation in giving them a wholehearted five stars.

(This review is also on Ciao, under the same user name.)