Your gift sits alongside a lot of other jewellery at a sister's wedding: the bari from the groom's side, whatever your parents give, and pieces from relatives. Another heavy set rarely gets worn. The better gift is something she will wear in the months afterwards, when the bridal jewellery has gone back into its boxes.

• For the mayun and mehndi: yellow, green or floral bangles that suit the outfit. These are functions for bright, light pieces, not formal sets.
• For after the wedding: a fine chain, a ring or a bracelet for everyday wear at her new home. New brides are often given plenty of formal jewellery and very little they can wear on an ordinary Tuesday.
• For the sisters themselves: matching bangles or rings for all the sisters on the mehndi night. It is a popular choice and looks good in photographs.

Bangles or rings

The two categories suit different sisters. Bangles belong to eastern clothes and to occasions, and they are the easier gift for a sister who dresses up for weddings and Eid. Rings go with everything, including jeans and a university bag, and they suit a sister who wears jewellery every day rather than only on special days.

• If she stacks glass churiyan with metal bangles, add two metal bangles in her tone. They will be worn with everything she already owns.
• If she wears one or two thin rings on most days, add a stacking band with a little texture or a single small stone.
• If she wears a kara on one wrist, a ring is better than another bangle, which would compete with it.
• If you have no idea, look at her hands in recent family photographs. The evidence is usually there.

A brother buying for a sister can simply ask her mother or another sister for the bangle size. It is a very ordinary question in most households and nobody will think twice about it.

Birthdays, by age

Getting the size right

1. 1Bangles: measure the inside diameter of one of her rigid bangles. Sizes here run 2.2, 2.4, 2.6 and 2.8 — the traditional scale, where 2.4 means two and four-eighths of an inch, not 2.4 — and 2.4 and 2.6 are the most common adult sizes.
2. 2Rings: borrow a ring from the finger she will wear it on and measure the inside diameter in millimetres. Ask her directly if the gift is not a surprise — sisters usually know their own size.
3. 3Younger sisters: take the larger size. Children and teenagers grow, and a ring that fits today may not fit at Eid next year.
4. 4If sizes are uncertain, choose a necklace or an open bangle with some flexibility.

Budget by occasion

These are typical ranges for fashion jewellery, not real gold. Zayr's women's rings, for instance, are rhodium- or gold-plated over a hypoallergenic base and set with cubic zirconia, which makes them good gifts for a sister who wants something to wear often without worrying about losing gold.

The best sister gift is the one she would not lend you.

Your gift sits alongside a lot of other jewellery at a sister's wedding: the bari from the groom's side, whatever your parents give, and pieces from relatives. Another heavy set rarely gets worn. The better gift is something she will wear in the months afterwards, when the bridal jewellery has gone back into its boxes.

• For the mayun and mehndi: yellow, green or floral bangles that suit the outfit. These are functions for bright, light pieces, not formal sets.
• For after the wedding: a fine chain, a ring or a bracelet for everyday wear at her new home. New brides are often given plenty of formal jewellery and very little they can wear on an ordinary Tuesday.
• For the sisters themselves: matching bangles or rings for all the sisters on the mehndi night. It is a popular choice and looks good in photographs.

Bangles or rings

The two categories suit different sisters. Bangles belong to eastern clothes and to occasions, and they are the easier gift for a sister who dresses up for weddings and Eid. Rings go with everything, including jeans and a university bag, and they suit a sister who wears jewellery every day rather than only on special days.

• If she stacks glass churiyan with metal bangles, add two metal bangles in her tone. They will be worn with everything she already owns.
• If she wears one or two thin rings on most days, add a stacking band with a little texture or a single small stone.
• If she wears a kara on one wrist, a ring is better than another bangle, which would compete with it.
• If you have no idea, look at her hands in recent family photographs. The evidence is usually there.

A brother buying for a sister can simply ask her mother or another sister for the bangle size. It is a very ordinary question in most households and nobody will think twice about it.

Birthdays, by age

Getting the size right

1. 1Bangles: measure the inside diameter of one of her rigid bangles. Sizes here run 2.2, 2.4, 2.6 and 2.8 — the traditional scale, where 2.4 means two and four-eighths of an inch, not 2.4 — and 2.4 and 2.6 are the most common adult sizes.
2. 2Rings: borrow a ring from the finger she will wear it on and measure the inside diameter in millimetres. Ask her directly if the gift is not a surprise — sisters usually know their own size.
3. 3Younger sisters: take the larger size. Children and teenagers grow, and a ring that fits today may not fit at Eid next year.
4. 4If sizes are uncertain, choose a necklace or an open bangle with some flexibility.

Budget by occasion

These are typical ranges for fashion jewellery, not real gold. Zayr's women's rings, for instance, are rhodium- or gold-plated over a hypoallergenic base and set with cubic zirconia, which makes them good gifts for a sister who wants something to wear often without worrying about losing gold.

The best sister gift is the one she would not lend you.