For women, she suggests heart-shaped diamond rings or a pair of heart-shaped studs, both of which can be worn every day. Coloured gemstones are also popular. Pick her birthstone or a colour that's symbolic of your relationship, such as a gem that correlates with the month of your anniversary. Be sure the colour suits her complexion and style.

'To remind the other person of a trip, you could buy a ruby from Myanmar or Thailand, or a sapphire from Sri Lanka,' says Ku. 'If you went on a seaside holiday together, then perhaps natural pearls or a beautiful aquamarine.'

For unique pieces, handbag designer Fiona Kotur-Marin favours buying from auctions - but you may be running out of time for that.

Brands such as Georg Jensen and Tiffany offer a wide range of silver and crystal jewellery that won't break the bank. Fashion jewellery from On Pedder and Harvey Nichols can also be funky and stylish.

The key to making the right choice is to understand the wearer's personality and style. Ask yourself what kind of clothing they usually wear. Do they dress conservatively for work? If their work apparel is mostly suits, stick with simple, classic pieces instead of bold, bulky jewellery. For women, that might mean ear studs, for example, rather than chandelier earrings, and pendants rather than chunky necklaces.

Vicky Lowe, a stylist at Harvey Nichols, advises going for basic pieces if you're not sure of the other person's preferences. She suggests choosing pendants, because they're versatile and can be worn with everything from T-shirts to dresses.

'Go for meaningful motifs such as heart-shaped pendants or create special messages from alphabets,' says Lowe.

Apart from jewellery, Ku suggests watches, because they can be worn every day.

'Watches are a particularly good idea to remind you of time spent together and of the future,' she says. 'Consider the preferences and lifestyle of the other person - and particularly whether a watch would be mainly worn for work, at formal occasions or during holidays.'

Chronographs are ideal for men because they're versatile and can be worn at work and for play.

Whether you buy your love jewellery or a timepiece, there are several popular themes for Valentine's Day.

Heart shapes

Check out the Lovestruck collection from Links of London (Shop 127-128, Prince's Building, Central; tel: 2525 1598), which comprises vintage-inspired, hand-hammered arrow hearts in silver and gold. Highlights of the range include the Lovestruck bracelet in silver with white topaz (HK$5,900). The Lovestruck silver pendant (HK$1,950) is a more subdued but equally romantic look.

Tiffany's Heart necklaces (HK$5,050-HK$8,300) are available in white, yellow and rose gold (G/F the Landmark, Central; tel: 2845 9853).

At Baccarat (Shop 121, Prince's Building, Central; tel: 2537 2303), choose from a range of heart-shaped pendants in romantic hues - pink, purple and red - made with pure gold (HK$1,400).

Theo Fennell (available at Lane Crawford, IFC Mall and Pacific Place; tel: 2118 2888) has a range of whimsical, diamond encrusted heart-shaped pendants and ear studs - including a pave version wrapped in ribbons of yellow gold. There's also a charm in pink sapphires with diamond encrusted arrows.

Piaget's (Shop L2, the Peninsula, Tsim Sha Tsui; tel: 2311 1122) Hearts and Charms collection features the age-old symbol of love in various designs.

Floral motifs

Dior (Shop G43-45, the Landmark, Central; tel: 2524 8277) has many cocktail rings with floral motifs.

Chanel's (Prince's Building; tel: 2810 0978) white camellia flower is reinterpreted in a range of jewellery designs using diamonds, pearls and coloured gems.

Van Cleef & Arpels (Shop G15, Prince's Building, Central; tel: 2522 9677) is known for its nature-inspired designs. Its latest collection, the Alhambra range, celebrates its centenary last year and features the jeweller's clover motif. Highlights include a bracelet with four motifs (HK$18,600), including a mother-of-pearl clover, a tiger's eye butterfly, a malachite leaf and a cornelian heart that would make a perfect gift for Valentine's Day.

Numbers and letters

Perhaps you might want to choose the date when you met or your partner's initials. New York designer Lulu Frost (available at On Pedder, Shop C1, G/F Wheelock House, Central; tel: 2118 3489) bought all the numbers from doors in the Plaza Hotel and turned them into pendants. Diamond-encrusted versions by Franck Muller are also available.

Youmna's range (available at Harvey Nichols, the Landmark, Central; tel: 3695 3388) includes adjustable bracelets with gold discs and characters from the alphabet.

Tiffany's Alphabet range has silver and gold letter pendants by Elsa Peretti and diamond-studded pendants in capital letters.

Links of London also has silver and gold alphabet charms.

Shopping list

Chopard

Shop 2048, podium level 2, IFC Mall, Central; tel: 2805 0777.

Franck Muller

Shop 3, Ground level, St. George's Building, Central; tel: 2522 8800

Parmigiani

Available at Elegant Watch Co, Shop 3, G/F, Luk Hoi Tong Building, 31 Queen's Road Central; tel: 2868 1882. For complete stockists, tel: 2738 9888. Its latest Kalpagraph is the brand's first chronograph collection.