Already we’re more than a week into April, which demonstrates just how quickly the month is sure to fly by. As May approaches, it’s high time to begin thinking about Mother’s Day gifts, whether they be for the moms, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, friends, or teachers in your lives, or whoever else you’d like to celebrate.
The great thing about Mother’s Day is there’s no one-size-fits-all gift, no standard of gifting. Every mom or mom-like figure is different, as should be every gift. I myself look forward to a new pair of pajamas, to promptly spill juice of some kind on while breakfasting in bed (if years past are any indication), though I do advocate for a sparkly accessory to wear with them. And when it comes to jewelry, I think there really is something special for everyone.
Take the medallion pendant, for example. Though at first glance they’re all somewhat similar—a round circle adorned with some manner of gemstones or icon, mostly sparkle or texture from afar—up close, they can be deeply personal. You’ll often find a symbol or a word, an initial or even an inscribed message or date. The same can be said for nameplate necklaces, which these days go far beyond first names and range from dates, places, and words to symbols, shapes, and artistic patterns.
A new collection from Au Xchange celebrates moms while supporting girls’ education in partnership with the Malala Fund, which works to ensure education opportunities for girls all over the world. The pendants that comprise the collection are gorgeous—round, octagonal, and square shapes of gold emblazoned with the symbols for mother in Urdu, Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic. In addition to the medallion-like selections, there are also nameplate-style necklaces featuring a choice of mom or mama in Hindi, these versions available in 14k yellow, white, or rose gold.
The collection is special in its aesthetic, but it’s the partnership with the Malala Fund—founded in 2013 by Nobel Peace Prize laureate and girls’ education activist Malala Yousafzai, along with her father, Ziauddin—that sends it soaring.
Azra Mehdi, an attorney and jewelry designer who founded Au XChange in November 2019, immigrated to the United States from Mumbai, India, in search of higher education, so the pairing is a poetic fit. “Deprived of education herself, my mother was adamant about giving her daughters an equal opportunity to education as her sons,” said Mehdi in a statement. “I attribute my professional success as an attorney as well as the confidence to pursue my passion for jewelry solely to education, which is why an essential component of Au Xchange’s business model is supporting girls’ access to education.”
From April 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022, Au Xchange will donate 10% of every sale to the Malala Fund. To see all 10 pieces from the AX-MOM collection, visit auxchange.com, and visit malala.org to learn more about the Malala Fund.
Top: AX-MOM Chinese Mom necklace in 14k yellow gold with 0.38 ct. t.w. diamonds, $2,100; Au Xchange
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