How Vogue’s Jewelry Director Celebrates Her Little One With Heirloom-Worthy Pieces
Ever since I had my daughter a little over two years ago, my approach to jewelry has changed. The majority of pieces on my wish lists center around beautiful gems that honor and celebrate my little girl. My first Mother’s Day fell right around the week that I was returning to work from maternity leave, and rather than being focused on my back-to-work wardrobe, all I could think about was wearing a piece of jewelry that would make her feel close to me no matter where I was. Later that year, during our first holiday season as a family of three, I asked my husband for a gold medallion charm with all three of our first initials. Also, that season, I gave my mother a locket with my daughter’s picture inside.
Last year, I was drawn to jewelry that incorporated garnet, which is my daughter’s birthstone. To be honest, I wasn’t overly excited about this particular stone (I’m a spoiled sapphire baby), but I worked with a jeweler in New York who understood the plight of that other red stone. Together, we waited until the perfect garnet with the perfect shade came along and used it for a signet ring, and now I can’t take my eyes off it.
This year, I’m more focused on timeless pieces that work for both of us regardless of age or decade. I’m looking for simplicity more than anything else. After all, she can always have stones reset when she inevitably inherits them if they’re not to her taste—or if she wants them to feel just as much hers as her mothers.
All this is to say that while there are many ways to celebrate your child with gifts like swaddles and board books, jewelry is perhaps the most meaningful way for a parent to hold their little one close to their heart. There is a forever quality to a birthstone, monogram, or locket. I’ve come to think of these pieces as little treasures that my daughter will wear one day and collect in a special keepsake box. One fellow editor friend has actually designed a special jewelry box for her own daughter and her heirlooms. Every year, my friend adds a special piece to the box and plans to give everything to her on her 18th birthday.
This has certainly inspired me as far as my own jewelry collection goes, not only because I want to pass down these small trinkets and treasures to my daughter, but also because it’s helped me appreciate the charms, necklaces, and rings I wear every single day. My little girl is, after all, my most precious muse.
Below, here are a few pieces of jewelry to honor your own little one and your role as a parent. They’re beautiful now, and they’ll be beautiful for years to come.
