A jewellery gift idea for Mother’s Day is not an easy thing. It’s all too common to see online that we start to think of our mums as all the same. The truth, obviously, could not be further from this. Every mum is an individual, with tastes and styles that are as varied as they come. If there’s one thing we can get behind, though, it’s that mums tend to know what they like. With jewellery, that territory comes with observing and knowing (sometimes, even from borrowing pieces from her collection) how her tastes lean.
The tip for coming up with a lovely jewellery gift is to think broadly. Don’t get bogged down by the need to get anything particularly fancy, trendy or expensive. More often than not, it’s the thought behind the gift (better yet if you write it on a card!) that makes it special. Instead, try to consider things that fit into her style. Does she wear a certain colour of gold or metal more than others? Is there a bare wrist or neck that you could contribute to? Have you noticed her at a loss for either occasion-wear or everyday pieces? Is there a timepiece she treasures that she’s never had the time to spiff up? The possibilities are vaster than they first appear.
Jewellery, and even accessory creations from a jeweller, is a precious gift that’s sure to be loved. These are fairly big ticket items to be sure, so make your choice with thought and care. Maybe there’s a milestone you’d like to mark, or that you’re simply now at a place where you can go big for mum to express your love. Regardless, the ideas in this gift guide are selected as much for their beauty and style as they are to inspire your creativity and sentiment.
Here, Vogue’s guide to some jewellery gift ideas for Mother’s Day.
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Something to keep close and wear everyday
How about a bracelet in 18-carat gold that’s as easy to wear as slipping a scrunchie over your wrist? The Flex’it collection by Italian jewellery brand Fope is designed with tiny springs that connect each link, so their pieces are flexible and comfortable to wear.
Fope Flex’it bracelet in rose gold with a diamond, from €2,520
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Something precious and pretty without breaking the bank? Consider this bracelet that pairs rose gold with iridescent mother-of-pearl.
Goldheart Colourella bracelet in rose gold with mother-of-pearl, $268
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Tiffany & Co. describes the meaning behind its HardWear collection as representative of love’s transformative strength—a thought that applies incredibly well to maternal love. This small link ring is a great option with some sentimentality for a mum who likes her jewellery with an edge.
Tiffany & Co. HardWear small link ring in yellow gold with diamonds, $8,450
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Great diamonds are much more accessible today, thanks to the many lab-grown options out there. A pair of diamond ear studs is a timeless style, and all the better with sizeable stones in reach.
Heinrich Freeman Munich diamond ear studs, from $1,089 for a pair in 18-carat white gold and 0.5-carat lab-grown diamonds total weight
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A precious bouquet in gems
Flowers are the classic gift for mums to wake up to on Mother’s Day. Why not go a little step further this year and turn those blooms into a precious floral jewel that will last far longer? Many jewellers and designers take inspiration from flowers, so a veritable garden of options abounds. From Chanel, no prizes for guessing the maison’s elegant bloom of choice.
Chanel Extrait de Camélia bracelet in rose gold with a diamond, $7,850
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And from Boucheron, a curved and geometric stylised interpretation of a peony, with its pavé petals curling around a centre diamond.
Boucheron Pivoine pendant in white gold with diamonds, $6,800
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Something classic with a twist
If there is a lesson to be learnt from chic mums, it’s that age and time are crucial ingredients for personal style. Knowing what one likes is tremendous, and playing to that is one way to think about a gift. Start with the archetype, and look for a fresh twist. One example: is she a fan of Hermès handbags and its iconography? Well then, extrapolate from that and consider a double tour bracelet with the famous Kelly buckle.
Hermès Kelly Chaine bracelet in silver, $5,400
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The famous four-leaf clover Alhambra by Van Cleef & Arpels is at peak popularity these days. Mostly, people know the collection for its ornamental stones: onyx, carnelian, mother-of-pearl and the like. A more unusual, in-the-know design for a real jewel fiend of a mum comes in the form of hammered gold Vintage Alhambra, a far rarer style to score but one that’s sure to stand out.
Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra earrings in yellow gold, $6,450
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Something to enhance what mum might already have
The wonderful thing about a fine watch or jewel is that it’s meant to last a long time. A little refresh now and again can make something cherished for decades feel new again. If your mother wears a favourite watch almost everyday, for example, why not take a moment to check out how the leather strap is doing? There’s a good chance it’s a little well loved, maybe even a little worn out from things like water.
A thoughtful thing to do, then, is to give that watch a bit of a refresh. Whether that’s with a new leather strap in a more customised favourite colour, or a bracelet to offer mum the option of a sporty style on watches with interchangeable systems. Cartier’s recently reopened boutique at Takashimaya, in fact, now hosts the maison’s first dedicated client care area in Singapore–perfect for getting customisations like these taken care of.
Cartier Ngee Ann City, Takashimaya Shopping Centre, 391 Orchard Road #01-33
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We’re always talking about the jewels and accessories one puts on for the day. But there is something to be said about taking your jewellery off after a long day and having a beautiful place to store them. Think about how a jewel box or organiser would sit on her dressing table and approach it as you would a decorative object for her room.
Completedworks jewellery box, $814
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A little luxury from a big time maison
We get it. Many of us have surely felt like our love for mum, if put to a sum, could buy us the world. Reality is just as often not quite as imaginative, but the impulse to treat, pamper and delight a loved one persists. If you know she’s a fan of fancy jewellers—better yet, the style of a specific maison—try looking beyond the four- and five-figure displays and at the accessories collections for something that’s fancy and a little more accessible.
Bvlgari Serpenti bracelet in silk twill with an emerald green enamel motif, $495
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Cartier has a beautiful fragrance collection, and little else comes as beautifully designed and packaged as its Nécessaires à Parfum range. Interchangeable slim glass bottles—almost all of the maison’s signature scents are an option—are sheathed in a golden case that can be personalised with an engraving. Best of all, it comes exquisitely presented as an objet de vivre in a fabric-lined red Cartier box that can be hot stamped with initials.
Cartier Nécessaires à Parfum La Panthère case with La Panthère eau de parfum, $790
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Something with a personal touch
Personalised jewellery is always fun to receive because it comes with the added touch of individual thoughtfulness. An alphabet or name pendant is a classic she may or may not have already given a whirl, so let’s try a bracelet for a change. This straightforward cord design by Otiumberg is especially apt if you have the kind of relationship with your mum that’s like a best friend.
Otiumberg Totem Name cord bracelet, from $50 for a bracelet and $12 for a letter in sterling silver
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Or if you’d like to give the idea of words on a jewel some serious elevation, take a leaf out of Empress Joséphine of France’s playbook. She commissioned, in her private life, sets of acrostic bracelets with secret messages from Chaumet for her two children—spelling out their names in coloured gemstones. The Parisian jeweller has revived this beautiful sentiment in modern form, perfect for a truly one-of-a-kind creation. This bracelet pictured spells out ‘MUM’, with a morganite, green uvite (an uncommon form of tourmaline), and malachite.
Chaumet Les Acrostiches Jeux de Liens bracelet in rose gold with coloured gemstones, price on request
