Jewelry for Mothers
Celebrating motherhood through jewelry is a long-standing tradition
By Kathy Shaskan
From the lockets of the Victorian era to today's sleek, sterling silver pendants, moms have always loved jewelry that carries the names or birthstones of their children.
Moms love to brag about their kids -- and they have the jewelry to prove it. Whether it's a tiny locket with a baby picture tucked inside or an enormous ring festooned with every child's birthstone, "mommy jewelry" is not only a reminder of mom's sweetest accomplishments, but a great conversation starter that usually leads to -- what else -- bragging about the kids!
The desire of moms to wear glittery badges of maternal valor is a fact of life that jewelers have relied upon for centuries. Moms of the early 1800s wore gold lockets with snippets of their children's hair inside. Photography was barely out of its infancy when somebody -- or somebody's mom, more likely -- said, "You know, I'd really like to get one of those newfangled photo-thingies taken of the baby, so I can put it in my locket and show it to the girls at the next tea party." By the Victorian era, when large scale manufacturing became possible, the photo locket was a must-have item.
After the modern birthstone list was created in 1912, it was only a matter of time before moms were sporting brooches and rings where each gem represented one of the little darlings.
In the 1950s, this specialized jewelry took a different twist, with hip moms adding representations of each child to their charm bracelets. In the 1990s, jeweler Aaron Basha updated this look with his high-quality but pricey Baby Shoe charms, which are still popular for hanging on necklaces, bracelets or even solid gold diaper pins.
Jewelry Gifts for Mom
Today, with so many women in the work force, mommy jewelry has taken on another poignant purpose. A mom can pause for a moment during a stressful day and sneak a peek at that photo in her locket or run her fingers over the jewels on her bracelet. It's a quick but powerful reminder of what's really important in life.
The modern mom can choose from thousands of different approaches to mommy jewelry, ranging from traditional to edgy, from silly to chic.
Designer Jenn Dewey offers a lovely and symbolic Acorn and Leaf Pendant in her online shop, Jenn's Jewels. The item can be customized by the choice of gemstone, metal, and even the type of oak leaf preferred.
Several popular examples of mommy jewelry come from the retailer Red Envelope. The company's success in this unique area of merchandise began with a charming item called the Pea In The Pod Necklace, created by designer Michael Michaud. It consists of a realist-looking peapod in sterling silvr or gold, into which one, two, three or four freshwater pearls are inserted to represent the children in the family.
After the smashing success of this design, new ideas followed (after all, there had to be something to give Mom the year after she got the Pea in the Pod, right?). Current favorites include the Mother's Embace Birthstone Necklace, a sterling-silver item that can hold up to five birthstones. It has an elegant circular shape which, according to the Red Envelope website, "serves as a symbol of the never-ending love a mother gives a child." The Pride and Joy Necklace features the child's name engraved on polished-sterling-silver with either blue topaz for a boy or rose quartz for a girl.
A sign that mommy jewelry has truly moved into the modern age? New items are being designed that represent birth mother, adoptive mother, and child.