Family Jewels aka Mom Jewelry We Like
A curated selection of keepsake jewelry to celebrate the arrival of new babes and motherhood that isn't cheesy or cliché.
Mom jewelry gets a bad rap, and we can very much understand why. Lots of charm bracelets, lots of hearts and whimsical engraving. So when my friend dm'ed to see if I had any under-the-radar recommendations, I pulled up my alternative mom jewelry book marks and was pleasantly reminded how many excellent options there are for the discerning new parent. Below is a picture of my daughter and her chipped front tooth (how did it get chipped? I truly am not sure, but she must have biffed pretty hard). I patiently waited until that particular tooth fell out which took forever and then I sent it over to my version of the tooth fairy to magically transform this precious keepsake into a tiny toothy pendant for me to wear pretty much every day. You can see it below coupled with my son’s first lost tooth. Is it a little weird? Sort of freaky? It is. But it’s the kind of imperfect snapshot of babyhood to childhood that feels the most special and I like to keep it close. -Court
Herewith we are sharing some favorite atypical mom jewelry recommendations. It’s light on the charm bracelets and hearts, and heavier on classic and elegant with a few dashes of idiosyncratic silliness. It’s celebrating our weirdo offspring after all!
Quarry La Petite Souris Charm from $400: You mail your child’s first tooth (or fourth? Who are we to judge!), you get the tooth back plus a version in gold on a simple chain. Cannibal mom chic.
Mociun Time Capsule Bracelet from $1,550: Stash a precious keepsake inside (maybe a little lock of bb’s first curl?) and add a birthstone or engraving to customize this classic bracelet you can wear daily and forever.
Cynthia Del Giudice Initial Brooch from $73: Here's a Calder-esque brooch option you can personalize with a single or double initial, and a friendly reminder that people making interesting things abound in the Etsy universe if you know where/how to look! Via the wayback machine and the always-excellent
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Faris Kira Necklace from $145: A simple, customizable gemstone necklace that looks great layered or on its own.
Ursa Major Not Your Grandfather’s Signet Ring from $540: The perfect contemporary signet ring where you can choose your child’s initials or perhaps a special family combo.
Simuero Faro Ring $165: We like the handmade feel of this little gemstone ring made from recycled silver that’s been gold plated.
Marlène Lyotard Kids’ Art Brooch from €125: Kids make a lot of art, and some of it may be worth preserving in the form of keepsake jewelry you can proudly wear.
Grainne Morton Detachable Drop Earrings £235: We’re always here for a twofer. These magpie-esque stone and glass earrings can be worn as shown or as simple mismatched studs.
Rachel G. Bubbles $75: These puffy bubble letters are perhaps the most “mom” option of the bunch, but they are so cute nonetheless.
Charlotte Chesnais Alphajewel Necklace $450: We love these sinuous charms that don’t immediately read as letters and can be braided with colored thread or combined as you prefer.
Sophie Bille Brahe Ensemble Ring $11,000: Our priciest pick, but so elegant and fun.
Blanca Monrós Gómez Tiny Studs $198: The prettiest little studs that are easy to incorporate for daily wear.
If you tend to gravitate towards vintage or not-brand new jewels, you also have a great many options here. You can search Art Nouveau or Edwardian locket, vintage blank signet, Elsa Peretti/Tiffany letter brooch, or Speidel ID bracelet and then go to your local jeweler to get it engraved using something you love as an example.
Whatever you choose, finding a little keepsake to honor this phase of life can be a special way to contextualize and memorialize the infinitely complex feelings that accompany the transition to motherhood.
We’d love to hear your mom jewelry picks and adventures, if you would care to share.
Thanks for reading. Please email all constructive feedback with the subject line “I hate you I wish you weren’t my mom.” See you very soon.
Court + Grace
My friend Allison Korn makes handmade silver jewelry including some birth jewelry. I have a c-section necklace from her that I adore. It doesn't seem to be on her site anymore but she does have a placenta-inspired necklace and other cool stuff https://allisonkorndesigns.com/collections/birthing-jewelry
My husband got me pieces from Catbird for the birth of both of my babies and I will wear them forever! So many personalizable options, charms, birthstones, gorgeous chains. It’s fine jewelry so can get pricey but I find their price points approachable for something very special. Highly recommend for classy mom jewelry that doesn’t look like mom jewelry!