I had been thinking of the average Mother’s Day shopper as a daughter or son, someone looking to delight their mom with the perfect token of appreciation. But I think that’s wrong.

For families with young children—teenagers, even—I think it’s actually the significant other’s responsibility to secure the perfect gift, their obligation to present material items that mom will love. As for the kids, well, if it were up to them in the first place, they’d probably get their mom anything from a homemade Play-Doh heart to a breakfast in bed of cereal or maybe even a necklace, depending on age. I think with children, it really is the thought that counts—a simple “I love you and I’m so glad you’re my mom” would work wonders, honestly, and maybe leaving mom a little private time for the day would cement any kid as the world’s best gift-giver.

Spouses, on the other hand, not so fast. They might secure the most wonderful, amazing gift and say that it’s to mom from baby, but it’s still up to them to figure out what that gift is. And, at the end of the day, the mom knows and feels how loved she is by her whole family, because it just may have been her spouse who orchestrated that day at the spa (not this year), that breakfast in bed, that unbelievable piece of jewelry.

So for my significant other, I’ll make it easy—it’s this one.

This unicorn ring by Retrouvai is one that says, “I love you more now than I did when I met you. I appreciate everything you do for our family. You are important and unique. I love your cooking, and it’s okay that you just spent a month’s rent at the Container Store.”

Or something like that—that’s just off the top of my head. I don’t want to put words in his mouth or anything.

Though the message this ring conveys to me will be different than what others interpret, the aspect of uniqueness is a common thread. Rare and beautiful, unicorns represent an individuality not often seen across the board, a sacred sense of self that sets a person aglow, allows them to sparkle. I don’t particularly think I have that glow all myself, but it’s the best feeling knowing (or, I guess, assuming?) that my family thinks I do. In this case, the image of a unicorn says more with its mere presence than you could find in a Hallmark card, and its form encased in a golden signet ring—an especially in-demand style at the moment—means that message can live on for as long as someone (me!) wears it.

The ring has a literal message, too: It’s engraved with the words beautiful and mysterious on the inside. And who wouldn’t want to be described in that way?

Top: Baby Fantasy unicorn signet ring in 14k yellow and rose gold, $1,255

Brittany Siminitz

JCK Contributing Editor