E-Mail This Article to a Friend All that glitters Jewelry isn’t the only thing that sparkles. This holiday season, go for the gleam at stores across town. BY LIZA WEISSTUCH

December gets a bad rap for being short on daylight, but with every boulevard and back alley in the city decked out in tinsel and strung up with bitty lights, it seems any hour of the night could pass for dusk. Of course, that might also be because in storefronts across town, diamond-encrusted bracelets and luminous lamé accoutrements are bathed in beams brighter than the spotlight used on Madonna’s last tour. Just a glance is enough to inspire grand fantasies of gifts we’d love to get — er, give. No matter how hard we gaze at the gems, though, it won’t increase the value of the silver in our wallets.

But all that glitters, gleams, and shines isn’t necessarily from Tiffany. In fact, there’s a wealth of treasures you can nab on a moment’s notice that will attract interest without forcing you to dip too far into your savings.

We’ll start with the fashion fiends. Though your sister would certainly go gaga for those sassy Gucci pumps, a glittery belt might be just the accessory she needs to whet her appetite for next year. At H&M you can find thick fabric belts speckled with silver or gold ($5.90), or skinny red ones ($7.90) that would perfectly match Dorothy’s slippers.

Glossy-magazine ads for Cartier diamonds have probably served only as a painful reminder that you’ve avoided buying something for your favorite glamour gal. But a quick expedition to So Good Jewelry should take care of anyone who likes trinkets and charms. No need for a flashlight here in the event of a power failure; there are enough rhinestones and gems on display to light up a cave. Choose from brooches of butterflies, peacocks, spiders, and an array of other glittery members of the animal kingdom ($9.99–$44.99). There are also necklaces ($9.99–$34.99) and earrings ($12.99–$19.99) in countless configurations and colors, and satin sacks festooned with radiant beads, buttons, and bows ($19.99–$39.99). Or bestow her with the means to make even her own skin shimmer. Shimmer Body Powder ($28.50) from Victoria’s Secret comes in its own luxurious jeweled brush with satiny bristles.

Some on your list may prefer to apply the Midas touch to their homes. Add luster to a kitchen with a shiny stainless-steel stovetop espresso maker ($45–$49) from Polcari’s Coffee. And almost anything else in stainless steel can be found at the Museum of Useful Things, like ribbed mugs ($24) for that coffee, ice-cream scoopers ($10.50), sundae cups ($8.50), and cooking utensils ($10.50–$15.50) that shine like the chrome on a new Cadillac.

If your darling’s kitchen is already equipped, consider glamming up the living room. If disco balls are too outrageous, candles that shimmer like one of Liberace’s pianos are more versatile. Posh has 10-inch tapers ($7.50) suitable for any holder, along with glittery pillar candles ($16).

Now pop into Vellum for some shiny origami foil ($3.75–$6.75) to wrap up the small stuff, and large sheets of gourmet paper embedded with sparkly specks and feather bits ($6.75 and $9.75/sheet). The packaging will reflect your brilliance.

Where to find it:

• H&M, 350 Washington Street, Boston, (617) 482-7001; CambridgeSide Galleria, 100 CambridgeSide Place, Cambridge, (617) 225-0895; www.hm.com

• Museum of Useful Things, 49B Brattle Street, Cambridge, (617) 576-3322; www.theMUT.com

• Polcari’s Coffee, 105 Salem Street, Boston, (617) 227-0786.

• Posh, 557 Tremont Street, Boston, (617) 437-1970.

• So Good Jewelry, 349 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 259-1053.

• Vellum, 55 Dartmouth Street, Boston, (617) 247-2323; www.vellumstore.com

• Victoria’s Secret, various locations; www.victoriassecret.com