The world of jewelry is far more in-depth and complicated than it may seem at a glance. There are pieces for all occasions and for all types of people. Mothers are no exception. You want to get the mothers in your life something perfect, but what? Melt their hearts with a necklace made with them in mind.
So what is a mother's necklace? The answer is mother’s necklaces are gifts that will be cherished for a lifetime! like a mother's ring they usually include the kids names, birthstones or both.
They are a wonderful way to show your mother/mothers or the mother of your children that you love and appreciate all they do every single day.
We are going to show you the difference between mother’s jewelry and regular jewelry, what these pieces typically look like, when to get one, and places you can find them!
Mother’s Jewelry vs. Other Jewelry
Making a distinction between the two may seem a little puzzling to you. After all, isn’t it all just the same thing at the end of the day? The answer is no.
You probably would not get your girlfriend any old ring if you were going to propose. Why? Because you want something made with extra care to send her the right message. The same can be said of mother’s jewelry pieces.
Mother’s
- Usually engraved
- More charms on necklaces
- Child-centered charm shapes
- Several birthstones
Others
- Not typically personalized
- One central charm on necklaces
- Several themes
- Usually one to two birthstones, if any
Now that you know the basic differences, let’s go into the specifics of what mother’s jewelry, specifically necklaces, looks like.
What Do Mother’s Necklaces Look Like?
That is a great question! Mother’s necklaces usually have a few themes in common that set them apart from other jewelry items, as we discussed before. What I did not tell you is that each difference has a wide variety of ways to make the piece intimate and special.
Bond Between Mother and Child
The main theme of the necklace highlights the bond between a mother and her child or children. This can be done in a few different ways, but most of them include the birthstones of the children and maybe the mother’s as well. This is the central decoration of any piece, even most minimalist styles.
Birthstones
There are several gems that represent the months of the year. These are called birthstones. If you need help figuring out which birthstone represents which month, take a look at this handy guide!
- January: Garnet, lighter shade of red than a ruby
- February: Amethyst, deep purple in color
- March: Aquamarine, blue-green tinted gem
- April: Diamond, clear in color
- May: Emerald, deep green
- June: Pearl or Alexandrite; pearls are usually white and opaque while alexandrite changes colors based on lighting
- July: Ruby, deep red like blood
- August: Peridot, lime green tint
- September: Sapphire, dark blue in color
- October: Opal or Tourmaline; opals are comprised of many colors in one stone, while tourmaline comes in a variety of colors through different stones
- November: Topaz or Citrine; topaz is an amber yellow while citrine is more of a burnt orange color
- December: Turquoise, opaque and light blue in color; this has special significance is many Native American tribes as well, so you can take that into consideration if your family has Native blood.
Name Engravings
Another great feature of mother’s necklaces is the opportunity to have them marked with unique engravings! This adds a more personal touch to the piece to make it all her own.
Typically, the names you have etched into the piece will be the names of the children. If they all happen to have particularly long names, try having the dates of their births engraved instead. If there is room, engrave the mother’s name or initials. That way, they will always be together in spirit.
Does she have a lot of kids? Do not let that deter you from giving her one of these necklaces! This one from Think Engraved has space for six different names. The site has necklaces with fewer name spaces as well, so mothers with few children will not be left out.
Charm Shapes
Each necklace comes with a different charm or charms. There are tons of shapes to choose from to fit your theme; your choices are practically unlimited!
Heart
A pattern I have noticed when it comes to the shape of the charms on mother’s necklaces is that they are often fashioned in the form of a heart. They are appropriate because they symbolize her everlasting love for her children; isn’t that neat?
Infinity
While many follow the heart-shaped theme, there are other meaningful charms that are just as beautiful. For instance, some are shaped like the infinity symbol.
The bond between a mother and child lasts forever, no matter what. If you need a starting point to get inspiration from, look at an example here.
Footprints
Some are formed in the shape of footprints, symbolizing the impact that children leave on you forever. Find one here if this seems like the perfect gift.
Minimalist
If this particular mother is more of the subtle type, there are tons of minimalist mother’s necklaces that are elegant and beautiful.
- This necklace has a thin chain with little birthstones all in a row for a delicate touch of style.
- A layered necklace with charms for two initials adds a personalized feel without being too flashy.
- Mothers encourage their babies to one day spread their wings and fly off to great heights. That is why bird themed necklaces are both appropriate and cute! This one has a charm for each member of the family: mama bird, father bird, and all of the little chicks. Each charm can be personalized with an engraved initial. If the children are still small, maybe give her a little nest necklace with three pearls, keeping her babies close to the nest and her heart.
- If this mama is fiercely protective, a mother bear and cub necklace could be the right choice for her.
Whatever style you choose, I am positive that the mother in your life will be touched by something so thoughtful. Speaking of, you may want to figure out what she would want to match her personal style. I will show you how to go about doing that without ruining the surprise.
Choosing the Right Style for Mom
This is a fairly simple job, as long as you are sneaky about it! Here are a few different methods for finding the best match to go with everything else this mother loves.
- Ask your siblings or your father. If you are shopping for your own mother, ask the family members around her what they think she would like. Chances are that someone will know exactly what she has been pining for! Try your sisters first. They have probably already borrowed her jewelry and could tell you everything you need to know, including the color, metal, and chain length of the pieces she has owned in the past.
- Take note of what you have seen her wearing before. If a woman shows off a piece of jewelry regularly, you can be 99% sure that she actually likes it instead of doing it just to humor the gift giver. If they are doing that, they only do so on rare occasion in my experience.
- Rifle through her jewelry box. Of course, you would need permission in most cases, but you could always frame it as needing a reference to buy yourself or your significant other something. This makes her feel complimented because you find her style appealing, and it gives you a chance to keep the secret. If you are a woman yourself, this is perfect! Just borrow whatever necklace you need as a starting point for your gift hunt.
Thank goodness necklaces are not as hard to fit as much as rings are! The process for covertly figuring that one out is much more complicated. That is just an added benefit of buying one of these instead of going any other route.
Now that you know what to get, find the best time to give the necklace you chose to her. If you do not already have a holiday in mind, maybe this will help.
Occasions for Giving a Mother’s Necklace
You could give her something like this just because it is Tuesday and you love her, but there are a few special times of the year in which giving her a mother’s necklace goes above and beyond the usual expected gift.
Mother’s Day
This is a no-brainer. Mother’s Day is all about celebrating the mothers in your life! They do so much hard work that is often taken for granted every single day. It is a thankless job except for one day per year.
A mother’s necklace is a fantastic way to truly show her that you love and appreciate her. Gift cards are okay, but they are impersonal. Mothers really like to feel that someone is making something unique just to show her that they care. After all, she spent months making kids. It’s only fair, right?
Birthdays
Another year has come and gone for both her and her children. When they are all grown up and have moved away, moms sometimes get lonely and worry that they have left her behind for good.
If this is your mother, you need a gift that will reassure her that you are always thinking of her, even if you’re miles and miles away. If you are a college kid, this is even better! The gift will still be nice without breaking the bank and having to eat ramen noodles for the rest of the semester.
Baby’s Birthday
If the child of this mother in your life is still young, get her a gift along with the one you are getting for the baby! This could be appropriate for your spouse or girlfriend to convey to her that you are in awe of the strong woman she is and to thank her for raising up your child or children to be the best they can be.
Just make sure that the baby doesn’t tug on it and break it. They tend to do that. (This is why you are thanking her for what she does, in case you needed a reminder.)
Christmas
It goes without saying that Christmas is a time for both religious practice and gift giving. If you know a religious mom, there is a mother’s necklace out there for her that combines both the love of her children and the love she has for her religion.
This one on Etsy has a cross and charms for each member of the family that she holds dear. There is space for a spouse’s name as well.
This necklace (also on Etsy) has three charms, one for a child’s name, one for a birthstone, and the last reading, “God gave me you.” This is a bonus if she is also a fan of country music!
Where to Find Mother’s Necklaces
There are a few different shops in which you can find a mother’s necklace that is sure to wow the mom you are celebrating. Each one pays special attention to your piece and makes sure that it is absolutely perfect and personal!
Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace full of small businesses and artisans that craft their jewelry by hand. Since your necklace is not mass market produced, you can rest assured that everything will be of high quality by the time it ships out. The prices are entirely worth the excellent craftsmanship you will not get at a big chain jewelry store.
Some of the most popular stores on the site for jewelry are:
- Dawn’s Metal Designs. This seller has 5 stars with thousands of reviews, and they have sold over 19,000 pieces! Needless to say, you can trust this person with your money.
- GLDNxLayeredAndLong is a seller with 5 stars out of over 55,000 reviews. They have sold hundreds of thousands of pieces since their start. They have been around since 2012, so they have experience in the jewelry making field that can hardly be rivaled by other sellers.
- Whirly Bird Designs is a 5-star seller with over 7,000 reviews. They have sold around 43,000 pieces.
- BIJOUXbyMeg has 5 stars with over 5,000 reviews. They have sold around 30,000 pieces so far.
As you can see, you would be in great hands with any of these businesses if they have pieces that are to your liking.
Think Engraved
Think Engraved is a business that actually started out as a 5-star seller on Etsy and has since worked its way branching off onto their own site! The store is run by brothers who know the value of family and what strengthens the bond between each member.
Think Engraved puts love into each piece made and inspects everything to make sure that you will not be getting anything less than a unique and gorgeous gift. They are far more affordable than the competition as well without sacrificing quality or time.
As you may have guessed from the name, this business does all kinds of personalized jewelry, including mother’s necklaces! This is a prime place to get jewelry adorned with birthstones, too.
Amazon
Amazon seems to have everything conveniently located in one place. It just makes sense that sellers on the site have mother’s necklaces. Of course they do! It is Amazon.
Be careful to read reviews before buying, though. While many sellers are reputable, some could try to scam you. It is not common, but the danger is still present on any site you go to.
This one by AJ’s Collection has great reviews, and it combines three of the most popular mother’s necklace choices: engravings, footprints, and a birthstone. Another piece of theirs also has good standing with customers, and it is engravable with a birthstone as well. Both options have subsets in which you can choose different lengths of chain to make sure the necklace will fit just right.
Each of the places mentioned has a wonderful reputation with customers, so now you do not have to worry about being scammed out of your hard-earned money or turning up empty-handed at whatever occasion you planned to give this to her. Stick to the guide, and everything should turn out just fine.
Hopefully, you see that mother’s necklaces are wonderful and thoughtful gifts to get for any mother in your life now that you know what they are. They are personal, beautiful pieces and fit any style a mother could ever want.
The reputable businesses that make your necklace will guarantee high quality with more affordable prices than chain stores could provide, and mom will get something truly unique. She is one of a kind, and she deserves something that reflects that fact! All you have to do is pick something, and the artisans who craft it for you do the rest.
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