After money, jewelry was the most popular graduation gift category this year, according to a new survey by the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council.

The JCOC August Weekly Omnibus Study finds that more than one-third of respondents know someone graduating this year, and, of those, 60 percent planned to purchase a gift.
The study finds that 36 percent of those offering graduation gifts give money and 24 percent choose to give jewelry. Gift certificates represented the third most popular choice, selected by 16 percent of gift givers.

Necklaces, bracelets and earrings in yellow gold and white gold were the most popular graduation gifts for 2006. Most consumers spent up to $200 on their gifts, the study finds.

Independent jewelers and jewelry chain stores appeared the most common places to purchase graduation jewelry gifts, with 25 percent of those polled making their purchases at each. Department stores came in third, with 13 percent of consumers polled buying their graduation jewelry gifts there.