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.

The Latest

Image of Winona Ryder and Iman from Pandora’s Be Love marketing campaign
FinancialsAug 15, 2025
In Q2 Results, Pandora Talks Tariffs, Q4 Plans

The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.

Audemars Piguet Starwheel Watch
WatchesAug 15, 2025
Audemars Piguet Acquires Majority Stake in Manufacturer

Its investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.

Nicolette Bianchi
MajorsAug 15, 2025
Rio Grande Names New Marketing Director

Nicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.

rio-article photo-diamond.jpg
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine Jewelry

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

Pippa Small Myanmar Fish Cluster
CollectionsAug 14, 2025
In Midst of ‘Sardine Girl Summer,’ Pippa Small Looks to ‘Flounder Fall’

Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.

Weekly QuizAug 15, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Casio America CEO Yusuke Suzuki
MajorsAug 14, 2025
Casio America Names New CEO

Longtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.

LA Trading Day
SourcingAug 14, 2025
West Coast Orgs to Host Trading Event, Mixer in LA

The full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.

an instructor and a student in a bench jewelry classroom
Brought to you by
Investing in the Next Generation of Bench Jewelers

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Stephanie Gottlieb Ring
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Proposes With Gigantic Oval-Cut Diamond

Model Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.

International Colored Gemstone Association logo
SourcingAug 13, 2025
ICA Names 2025 Board of Directors

The board elected 9 new directors at its recent ICA Congress in Brazil.

Whiskey Barrel Ring
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Colorado Jeweler, Whiskey Maker Collab on Ring Giveaway

Three winners will receive a custom ring from Honest Hands Ring Co. inlaid with a piece of history from Denver-based distillery Stranahan’s.

People shopping in a mall
SurveysAug 13, 2025
These Are The 25 Hottest Retailers, Says NRF

JD Sports and Wawa were among the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S. last year.

Columbia Gem House Winza sapphires and rubies
SourcingAug 13, 2025
Columbia Gem House Launches Winza Sapphires, Rubies

The new inventory, all untreated, features vibrant hues and unique bicolor combinations.

Gemfields Faberge
SourcingAug 12, 2025
Gemfields Sells Fabergé for $50M

Acquired by a tech investor, the historic brand will continue to focus on jewelry, accessories, and timepieces.

Shipping containers on a ship
Policies & IssuesAug 12, 2025
Higher Tariff on Chinese Imports Paused for 90 Days, Trump Says

President Donald Trump issued an executive order extending the pause on higher tariffs to November as negotiations with China continue.

Jacquie Aiche Thunderbird Slab Collection Campaign
CollectionsAug 12, 2025
Jacquie Aiche’s New Collection Harnesses the Energy of the Thunderbird

The “Thunderbird Slab” collection features a thunderbird motif as a symbol of power, protection, and boundless possibility.

Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams
ColumnistsAug 12, 2025
Creative Connecting: How to Take a Better Headshot

Columnists Jen Cullen Williams and Duvall O’Steen share tips on how to elevate your professional image.

Vigil for slain Wheat Ridge, Colorado jeweler Peter Damian Arguello
CrimeAug 11, 2025
Man Convicted of First-Degree Murder in Death of Colorado Jeweler

Peter Damian Arguello, a jeweler in the Denver suburb of Wheat Ridge, was found dead inside his store in November 2023.

Lisa Bridge
IndependentsAug 11, 2025
Lisa Bridge to Depart Ben Bridge Jeweler

The retailer, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, is becoming part of the Berkshire Hathaway Jewelry Group with Helzberg.

Bethenny Frankel
Events & AwardsAug 11, 2025
Bethenny Frankel to Give Keynote at CBG’s Experience Show

The Continental Buying Group’s 2025 Tampa Experience Show is slated for Sept. 8-10.

Brilliant Earth Jolie Mosaics engagement ring
FinancialsAug 08, 2025
Brilliant Earth’s Q2 Sales Up 3% as Engagement Ring Sales Rise

The company raised its full-year sales guidance while noting it has not yet assessed the potential impact of the latest tariff news.

Jewellers for Hope charity event
Events & AwardsAug 08, 2025
GJEPC’s Jewellers for Hope Celebrates 10 Years of Fundraising

The organization has raised more than $1.3 million for charity since its inception.

Rahaminov Diamonds Emerald-Cut Diamond Bezel Bangle
TrendsAug 08, 2025
Piece of the Week: Rahaminov Diamonds’ Bezel Bangle

The brand’s latest iteration of a bezel-set diamond bangle features clean lines and a timeless design for a new modern silhouette.

Black and white photo of Tony Bennett near a microphone
WatchesAug 07, 2025
Bulova’s New Collection Honors Tony Bennett

The first watch in the series commemorates his participation in the Civil Rights movement, marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.

Sapphire page in Chatham’s “Ultimate Lab-Grown Catalog”
Lab-GrownAug 07, 2025
Chatham Releases Catalog for Loose Lab-Grown Gemstones

The catalog contains a complete listing of all the loose gemstones in stock, as well as information about the properties of each stone.

Rembrandt Blue Jay, Hummingbird, Cardinal Bird Charms
TechnologyAug 07, 2025
Rembrandt Charms Debuts New Website, Bird Charms

The company added a retailer dashboard to its site and three new birds to its charm collection, the cardinal, blue jay, and hummingbird.

Shipping containers on a ship
Policies & IssuesAug 06, 2025
Tariff on India to Rise to 50%, Trump Says

An additional 25 percent tariff has been added to the previously announced 25 percent.

×

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