Editors

Remembering My Mom Through Her Jewelry

EditorsMay 06, 2022

Remembering My Mom Through Her Jewelry

Associate Editor Lenore Fedow takes us on a tour through her late mother’s jewelry box, highlighting the stories behind each piece.

20220506_Mother's Day header NEW.jpg
Pictured here is a selection of jewelry that belonged to Associate Editor Lenore Fedow’s late mother. In her latest opinion piece, she reflects on the stories her mother’s jewels tell.
My mom, Mary, was the most beautiful woman in the world.

I say that not as a brag but as a fact. She had dark brown eyes, a bright smile, a sharp wit, and the best laugh you’ve ever heard.

Her signature scent was Trésor by Lancôme, mixed with coffee and fabric softener.

I would stand in the bathroom doorway while she got ready for work and watch her do her hair. She’d warn me before she broke out the hairspray so I’d have time to run and hide from the toxic cloud.

My mom’s jewelry style was classic. She always wore her engagement ring—a round brilliant diamond on a simple yellow gold band—and her matching wedding band, set with waves of melee diamonds stacked in slanted rows.

20220506_Mother's Day-1.jpg
My parents, Mary and Bruce, on their wedding day in July 1993. My mom wore a white satin power suit and a tiara, because, as they say, go big or go home.


She also had a rotating collection of pendants my father bought her through the years.

She’d add earrings if she was feeling fancy.

Nearly all my mother’s jewelry was gifted to her. She seldom bought jewelry for herself but then again, she rarely spent any money on herself.

She worked long hours for law firms in the city, holding down two jobs for a while to pay our tuition. I wanted for nothing.

20220506_Mother's Day-2.jpg
This is a collage of photos of my mom and I, and my sister Justine, through the years.


Though on a budget, she was a well-dressed woman. Her jewels were never flashy, a far cry from my grandma’s bold style. My mom carried tokens of love.

 Related stories will be right here … 

She dyed her own hair and did her own nails, and her natural nails were perfect, with bright white tips like a permanent French manicure. I’d hold her hand and admire her engagement ring, turning it to catch the light.

It was the first diamond I ever saw, given to her by her childhood sweetheart, the little boy who stood on his roof to watch her play softball after the nuns chased him away from the neighborhood field. It was beautiful.

“You can have that someday if you’d like,” she told me once. “I’ll give the band to your sister.”

When she died in 2015, I couldn’t bear to look at her jewelry. It was too painful, a tangible reminder of what was lost.

And so my dad set her jewelry to the side, locking it away for safekeeping until my sister, Justine, and I were ready.

The years have softened my anger, the bitterness over the unfairness of losing her before she could reap the spoils of a life of hard work. But the grief is still fresh, hitting me like a wave when I least expect it.

I’ve heard people say they sometimes dial a loved one’s number to tell them something, forgetting for a moment that they’ve passed.

I don’t understand that feeling. I have felt my mother’s loss from the moment she left us.

I had never known a world without her before that moment, and the adjustment has been a difficult journey, lightened only by my faith and those who love me enough to take the walk with me when it gets too hard to travel alone.

With time, it was easier to speak about her, and sharing her stories began to bring me comfort.

With even more time, about six years’ worth, I was ready to look at her jewelry.

For a simply dressed woman, she had a lot to look through.

Like all moms, before she was my mom, she was cool. Like “I wear a leather jacket and my boyfriend (later husband) is in a heavy metal band” cool.

She was a yellow gold loyalist, an interest I acquired over time rather than inherited, like our shared love of Bob Dylan.

20220506_Mother's Day-3.jpg
At left is a photo of my parents at one of my dad’s performances in the 1990s. At right is my mom in a cool leather jacket.


Diamonds were her stone of choice, with the occasional pearl thrown into the mix.

There were a lot of gold chains—think ‘80s chic—and pendants, including a rose and a No. 1 symbol.

My favorite is a mouse charm. My Italian-American mother couldn’t sing, but that didn’t stop her from serenading her children with a Lou Monte song called “Pepino the Italian Mouse.”

Mostly in Italian, with a little English sprinkled in, it tells the tale of a man who wants to invite his girlfriend to dinner but keeps getting foiled by a mouse named Pepino who eats all of his cheese and drinks all of his wine. The idea of a man chasing a drunk mouse is peak comedy.

20220506_Mother's Day-4.jpg
A closer look at my mom’s mouse charm. This guy just cracks me up.


Another pendant reads “World’s Best Aunt.” She had 13 nieces and nephews.

There was a necklace with three birthstones, a ruby, a citrine, and an amethyst, to represent my brother, me, and my sister.

I remember how much my mom was loved and loved in return, and I understand better why the loss was so great.

I have a greater appreciation for the power of jewelry to forge connections and the love and memories it conveys from one generation to the next. It’s something we write about all the time, and it can seem like cheesy marketing speak until you’re holding your mother’s jewelry in your hands.

My mom, like me, was a private person. I wondered if she’d want me to write this.

The only thing I know for certain is she wouldn’t want her jewelry to sit in a box gathering dust in the closet, and that her story is one worth telling. My mom’s jewelry commemorates a life filled with love and celebration.

I also know that I can only feel a loss this great because I’ve experienced a love that great in my life. That’s a blessing not afforded to everyone.

So, this Mother’s Day, I ask that if you share this grief, be it for your mother or someone else, that you reach out to those who love you and feel no shame in seeking help or counseling.

Oh, and call your mother. She worries about you.

Lenore Fedowis the senior editor, news at National Jeweler, covering the retail beat and the business side of jewelry.

The Latest

Bergman Jewelers family
IndependentsApr 01, 2025
Bergman Jewelers in Omaha Closing After 137 Years

The independent jeweler first opened its doors in 1888.

QVC Group Inc. logo
MajorsApr 01, 2025
QVC Group to Cut 900 Jobs in the U.S.

The layoffs come amid the TV shopping channel’s efforts to restructure and focus on live shopping through social media.

Coconut Grove Jewelry & Watch Show
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2025
U.S. Antique Shows Adds Fall Show in Florida

The debut event will take place in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood this fall.

bench jeweler 1872x1052.png
Brought to you by
The Heart of the Industry: Giving Bench Jewelers the Recognition They Deserve

Bench jewelers spend years honing their skills, Jewelers of America’s Certification validates their talents.

The Jewelry Symposium (TJS)
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2025
TJS to Host Discussion on Jewelry Industry’s Labor Shortage

The roundtable will take place May 17 ahead of the trade show’s welcome dinner.

Weekly QuizMar 27, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Peanuts x Monica Rich Kosann Collection Bracelets
CollectionsApr 01, 2025
Monica Rich Kosann Says ‘Good Grief’ in Peanuts Jewelry Collection

The “Peanuts x Monica Rich Kosann” collection features the comic strip’s classic vocabulary across 10 bracelet designs.

Graphic for What Do We Mean When We Say “Recycled” Gold webinar
Recorded WebinarsMar 31, 2025
Watch: What Do We Mean When We Say ‘Recycled’ Gold?

Three industry experts dive into the complexities of the material often marketed as an “ethical” alternative for metal in jewelry.

Facets-of-Fire-Difference-You-Can-See.jpg
Brought to you by
Natural Diamonds Should Mean More

Natural diamonds mean more than lab-grown, but when every cut is ideal, they all look the same. Customers want more—Facets of Fire delivers.

Mindi Mond Clarity Earrings
TrendsMar 31, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Dripping in Diamonds

Diamonds are not only one of the most prominent gemstones, but the birthstone for those born in April.

Lashbrook ring
MajorsMar 31, 2025
Lashbrook Expands Into Luxury Golf Gifts With Acquisition

The Utah-based company known for making wedding bands has acquired Doubloon Golf.

Bulgari and LVMH Watches CEO Jean-Christophe Babin
WatchesMar 31, 2025
Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin Will Also Head LVMH Watches

The longtime luxury executive led one of LVMH’s watch brands, TAG Heuer, for 12 years before taking over Bulgari in 2013.

Surveillance footage of robbery
CrimeMar 28, 2025
2 Suspects Arrested in $1.7M Smash-and-Grab Robbery of NY Jewelry Store

Authorities said the robbers fled with jewelry and 70 Rolex watches, later taking pictures of themselves posing with big stacks of cash.

Nephrite and Jadeite by Heinrich Fischer, Richard W. Hughes
SourcingMar 28, 2025
19th-Century Jade Book Now Available in English

Lotus Gemology founder Richard W. Hughes has translated Heinrich Fischer’s 1880 book “Nephrit und Jadeit” from its original German.

LÖF The Valentine Ring
CollectionsMar 28, 2025
Piece of the Week: Löf’s ‘The Valentine’ Ring

The ring's design features contrasting lines influenced by work from architecture-inspired photographer Nikola Olic.

Eggs on a shelf
SurveysMar 27, 2025
Consumer Confidence Falls in March Amid ‘Gloomy’ Outlook

The Conference Board’s index fell as consumers continued to worry about the impact of tariffs, the labor market, and the price of eggs.

Richard Rainsford memorial ring
AuctionsMar 27, 2025
300-Year-Old Ring Linked to Witch Trial Judge Goes Unsold at Auction

However, two medieval jewels surpassed estimates at Noonans Mayfair’s recent jewelry auction in London.

Austin Butler
WatchesMar 27, 2025
Austin Butler Joins Breitling as Brand Ambassador

The Oscar-nominated actor debuted in the campaign for the new “Top Time B31” collection, which introduced Breitling’s Caliber B31.

ICA Congress Brazil 2025
SourcingMar 27, 2025
Susan Jacques, Gaetano Cavalieri to Headline 2025 ICA Congress

The Congress is scheduled to take place May 19-22 in Brasilia, Brazil.

Bailey’s Fine Jewelry storefront
IndependentsMar 26, 2025
Bailey’s Fine Jewelry Acquires Fellow NC Independent Jeweler

The family-owned retailer is the new owner of Morrison Smith Jewelers in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Bulova 150 Art Deco Miss America Watch, 150 Art Deco Pocket Watch
WatchesMar 26, 2025
Bulova Celebrates 150th Anniversary With Art Deco Watches

The “150 Art Deco” collection features a Miss America timepiece and a pocket watch from the brand’s Archive Series.

Alex Wellen
MajorsMar 26, 2025
QVC Group Appoints New President

Alex Wellen, formerly CEO and president of MotorTrend Group, has taken on the role.

Jewelers of America’s new logo
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2025
Jewelers of America Announces New Funding Initiative

The Impact Initiative is part of the nonprofit association’s new three-year strategic plan.

Christies regent kashmir sapphire and regal Burmese ruby
AuctionsMar 25, 2025
Christie’s To Auction 35-Carat Sapphire, 13-Carat Ruby

The ruby and the sapphire, which Christie’s calls a “once-in-a-generation masterpiece,” are part of the upcoming Hong Kong jewelry auction.

Diamond earrings held in gloved hand
CrimeMar 25, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Earrings Swallowed Following Grab-and-Run Theft Recovered

The two pairs of earrings, snatched from a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando, Florida, are valued at a combined $769,500.

Emmanuel Raheb CEO of Smart Age Solutions
ColumnistsMar 25, 2025
The Smart Lab: Using Short-Form Videos to Sell More Jewelry

The time to start experimenting with video content is now, writes columnist Emmanuel Raheb.

Pomellato Nudo High Jewelry Campaign
CollectionsMar 24, 2025
Pomellato’s Latest ‘Nudo’ Collections Revamp its Classic Design

From striking high jewelry to miniature fine jewelry, the new chapter continues to highlight gemstones featuring its signature 57-facet cut.

Jamie Singleton, Bill Brace, Rebecca Wooters, Bill Luth
MajorsMar 24, 2025
4 Top Executives to Depart Signet Jewelers Amid Turnaround

The jewelry giant is reducing its senior leadership by 30 percent as part of its new turnaround strategy.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy