Imagine yourself in a mall, searching for that perfect Valentine gift. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the beautiful arrangements of colorful flowers beckoning you. Just as you approach it, a flash on the other side distracts you, and the teasing twinkling from the jewelry store seems to be drawing you in! So you’re stuck. Do you get flowers, or jewelry?

Before you go crazy trying to decide, here are some things you need to bring into consideration to help you decide easier:

Your budget. Both options may be acceptable to you but it’s your budget that can settle the issue. While extravagant flower arrangements can be quite costly, majority of them are still more wallet-friendly than jewelry. If you can’t spend that much for this occasion, gifting flowers is your best option.

Always remember that it is the thought that counts. A lot of men and women are actually turning to flowers because they’re less expensive than jewelry. It shows that you’re not conforming to the commercialization of the holiday, and that, really, you don’t need to spend much to give much.

Value for money. Flowers are undoubtedly beautiful but let’s face it, they’ll last a week or two and then they’d be gone. You may be able to preserve them, yes, but dried flowers are only good for safekeeping.

Jewelry, on the other hand, lasts long and is a good investment. Your girl can even show it off anytime, anywhere.

The stage of your relationship. The gifting of jewelry suggests intimacy, both physical and emotional. After all, you’d hardly spend a lot of money on someone not significant to you. If you and your partner are still dating or exploring a friendship, flowers may be more appropriate. You do not want to send the wrong message and preempt a potential match. You might also want to steer clear of negative connotations of entitlement that comes with an expensive present.

Since jewelry is a symbol of solidarity and strength, these are more appropriate to mark a very special occasion, especially for couples who have been together for some time, such as the aptly named “journey chain”, which basically represent the couple’s journey together by adding pendants during anniversaries and specific milestones. Jewelry brings memories that are lasting, and it symbolizes the relationship’s strength.

Your expertise. You can also refer to how much you know about each of these options when deciding what to get your girl. If you don’t know enough about jewelry and you are reasonably scared that you’d make a costly mistake, then go for the flowers. If you don’t know a lot about flowers but are an expert on jewelry, then perhaps you should go with what you are good at.

Your girlfriend’s personality. Lastly, some personality types would likely prefer flowers more, others would prefer jewelry. Figure out which type is your girlfriend and use this information as the basis of your choice. Is your girl the type-A corporate type? If yes, then she might be more appreciative of jewelry than flowers. The same goes if she tends to be cosmopolitan and fashion-conscious.

On the other hand, some people are born naturalist; they prefer living things than man-made objects. If your girlfriend is a nature-lover who couldn’t care less about the difference between a diamond and cubic zirconium, then flowers are what she would likely appreciate more. This is also true if she has an introspective and poetic nature.