SUNDAY STORY -- HOLIDAY SHOPPING:Priciest presents

We all see the commercials — the man or woman being led out of the house, with their mate’s hands over their eyes, to their holiday gift: the brand new car fit with a giant red bow.

Or how about the ones talking about giving up one month’s salary to make a gift stand out?

Many Newport-Mesa gift-givers would fit right in under this scenario as they apparently can be quite benevolent during the holiday season as evidenced by their charitable donations and generosity toward each other.

It’s not entirely unusual to see those cars with the oversized bows fixed atop the sunroof waiting in the driveway of some lucky resident on Christmas Day. And both Fashion Island and South Coast Plaza shopping centers are filled with high-end boutiques that require customers have a seriously stocked bank account.

So what new cars are we most likely to see in someone’s driveway on Christmas morning this year? And what sort of gift items will be filling shopping bags at the malls?

Fashion Island’s Traditional Jewelers owner Marion Halfacre said diamonds continue to be a girl’s best friend, and this year, he said the cut many will be getting under the Christmas tree or for Hanukkah are the radiance and cushion cuts.

“They just look good…. A lot of the jewelry that has diamonds centers around those two stones,” Halfacre said. “Those two cuts are … the biggest sellers this season.”

The colored-diamonds trend has not cooled, Halfacre said, adding that he sells a few yellow-and-pink diamonds.

“But mainly people look at them — we don’t sell a lot since they are much more expensive, but we do have a nice selection,” Halfacre said.

Tired of diamonds? This year, check out the pearls. Halfacre said he’s been selling quite a few of them, but not just the small, off-white pearls of old.

“Pearls have been really strong this season, but it’s the big pearls,” he said. “The pearls from the South Seas, Tahitian pearls and golden pearls.”

Almost every woman knows instantly they’ve been pampered with a gift that comes in a little blue box with the white ribbon. Tiffany and Co.’s name is synonymous with luxury, and this year the store’s traditional pieces continue to be popular.

“Of course, Tiffany’s being a traditional store, we do quite a bit of business in more traditional stones,” Tiffany’s salesman Gerry Levine said. “We sell a lot of rubies, sapphires and emeralds, as well as having leading, cutting-edge designers creating the pieces.”

This time of year, Tiffany’s diamond engagement ring sales also jump.

“You would think the concentration of shoppers would be more focused on gift giving of holiday items, but we do a lot of business in engagement rings,” Levine said.

If a holiday shopper is in the mood for something a bit larger than a necklace, pendants, rings and earrings, look no farther than Newport Beach, which is home to luxury car dealerships anticipating plenty of their fleets leaving the lots with big red bows.

Fletcher Jones Mercedes’ General Manager Garth Blumenthal said that early in the holiday season many customers started planning to buy their loved one a luxury car.

“I would say there’s certainly a lot of interest in the new GL, which is a sport-utility [vehicle] that just won Motor Trend Truck of the Year,” Blumenthal said. “There’s still always interest in the SL convertibles … and the CLK Cabriolet convertible.”

Year after year, the convertible cars, which can cost from the mid-$40,000s to over $80,000, are popular gifts. The GL can cost more than $50,000.

Fletcher Jones will also deliver the car wherever the buyer would like in order to surprise the recipient.

“It’s really a lot easier than people think, and it can be very discreetly coordinated, so they can certainly make sure it’s a fantastic surprise,” Blumenthal said. “We’ll customize the delivery depending on what the client would like to see happen.”

So whether it’s at the mother-in-law’s house or Five Crowns for a holiday dinner or party, Fletcher Jones will deliver the car in luxurious fashion.

Lexus Newport Beach is also beginning to see its cars rolling off the lot as holiday gifts.

For the discerning fashionista on the gift list, a visit to South Coast Plaza’s new Emilio Pucci store or the iconic Armani store may be in order. Looking for a nice suit? Check out the Bernini Platinum store at South Coast Plaza.

Watches are a very popular Christmas gift, Halfacre said. Other than Traditional Jewelers, which does have a large selection of watches, Fashion Island’s Charriol specializes in high-end watch designs.

South Coast Plaza’s Bvlgari shop’s big ticket items this year are men’s and women’s watches.

South Coast Plaza’s Cartier store celebrated its grand reopening last week, and the expanded store is chock-full of sparkly items for the hands, wrists, necks and ears.

A stop at Neiman Marcus or the Apple store in Fashion Island would be enough to knock anyone’s name off the gift list, no matter what their age.

If you’re looking to tantalize another sense, try Fashion Island’s Teuscher Chocolates & Cafe for its signature champagne truffles. These are no ordinary chocolates. The cream center is filled with none other than Dom Perignon.

The family dog has become a real part of many families in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, and many consumers haven’t left him off the list. Muttropolis in Fashion Island offers doggy treats, extravagant canine fashion, and everything in between. A hot item this holiday season for the pups is Muttropolis’ Zig Zag Crystals Leather Collection encrusted with Swarovski crystals.

It’s no secret many Newport-Mesa residents have the propensity for giving extravagant gifts, and this year is no different.

“This market lends itself to giving some really cool, expensive toys as gifts. There’s no question about that,” Blumenthal said. “I’m sure Mercedes and other luxury brands are having similar experiences.”