It was hard to cover the spring 2018 edition of Metal & Smith without a laser focus on pieces that would make great Mother’s Day gifts. Held May 3–4 in New York City, the timing was just right, and the jewelry trade show known for championing the work of indie and emerging jewelry designers was chock-full of ready-to-ship contenders.
Most of the pieces I’ve chosen to highlight below drew me in with their good looks alone, but a few were also designed with an interesting story or concept attached, making them as meaningful as they are beautiful.
That this ring is called Controlled Chaos made me chuckle because that’s motherhood in a nutshell. Just me?
Controlled Chaos open circle ring with round and baguette diamonds in 18k white gold, $4,543; Meredith Young
I love the drama of these labradorites clustered together, and how the smoky colors are liveliest when the light is dim. No skimping on the diamonds either. And let’s not forget that labradorite is the stone of change and transformation—if mom’s on, or has just completed, a journey of some sort, this is her stone.
Labradorite cluster earrings with diamonds in sterling silver, $735; Pamela Bloom
Star motifs convey exactly what you want to say without saying it, whether the mom in your life is your shining star, your lucky star, a rock star…you get the idea.
Mini Stella necklace with diamonds in 14k yellow gold, $880; Emily Kuvin
Four reasons why I like this Darśana pendant as a Mother’s Day gift: 1) It’s from a line with a strong point of view—each piece is detailed with glass cut from an antique reproduction mirror, which is meant to act as a conduit to the flow of receiving and reflecting God’s love and beauty; 2) The design is called Karis, which means “filled with grace and kindness” in Greek; 3) It can be worn on the reverse side, which features an engraved eye (the eye of God) flecked with a diamond—so, two looks in one; and 4) A portion of the profits is contributed to organizations that support residential care and restorative programs for Chicago-area survivors of sex trafficking.
Karis pendant with mirror slice and diamonds in 14k yellow gold, $1,350; Darśana
“I have enough jewelry.” Okay, but she probably doesn’t have this pointy stacking ring from a hot new metalsmith out of Atlanta, which layers beautifully with other styles, especially if you buy two and wear them as guard rings.
Slice ring with black spinels in 14k gold, $460; Pieces of Starr
When diamond studs are on the wish list but feel too basic. Also, I’ve said before that studs are perfect for new moms, because babies tug at danglers.
Angular fan diamond baguette earrings in 14k white gold, $1,930; Ri Noor
A diamond pendant is nice. A diamond pendant designed specifically to support animal shelters and other nonprofits is soooo much nicer. (The New York–based designer plans to donate 25 percent of proceeds from the sale of each piece to the organizations noted below.)
The Give Back collection, from left: Star pendant (benefits NOLS); Lightning Bolt pendant (benefits Shatterproof); Dog Paw pendant (benefits ARF); and Dog Bone pendant (benefits North Shore Animal League), all 18k gold with diamonds, $575 each; Jessica Arden
Top: Arm candy bracelets with colored sapphires, price on request; Shelly Zucker (image via: @shellouch)
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