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

LIM-401 2024 National Jeweler Supplier Bulletin- iD100 Web and Eblast FINAL (1).jpg
Supplier BulletinApr 24, 2025
Protect Your Customers and Your Business

Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America

Iowa jeweler Herman Ginsberg
IndependentsApr 24, 2025
Longtime Iowa Jeweler Herman Ginsberg Dies at 99

A third-generation jeweler, Ginsberg worked at his family’s store, Ginsberg Jewelers, from 1948 until his retirement in 2019.

Charles & Colvard moissanite ring
FinancialsApr 24, 2025
Charles & Colvard Delisted From Nasdaq Due to Noncompliance

The company failed to file its quarterly reports in a timely manner.

gia1d100 btyb.jpg
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your Business

The risk of laboratory-grown diamonds being falsely presented as natural diamonds presents a very significant danger to consumer trust.

Young Diamantaires
SourcingApr 24, 2025
Young Diamantaires Transition to Nonprofit

The organization also announced its board of directors.

Weekly QuizApr 24, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Mined + Found "Hope" Matchbox Locket
TrendsApr 24, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: So Charming

Charms may be tiny but with their small size comes endless layering possibilities, from bracelets to necklaces and earrings.

Bulgari’s expanded factory in Valenza, Italy
MajorsApr 23, 2025
Bulgari Doubles Size of Jewelry Factory in Italy

Located in Valenza, the now 355,000-square-foot facility includes a new jewelry school that’s open to the public, Scuola Bulgari.

gia-topimage 0325.jpg
Brought to you by
A Brilliant Future Is Here

Get online education from GIA experts.

Jason McNary accepting FGI Fine Jewelry Rising Star award for Paola Sasplugas
Events & AwardsApr 23, 2025
PDPaola Creative Director Wins FGI’s ‘Rising Star’ Award

Paola Sasplugas, co-founder of the Barcelona-based jewelry brand, received the Fine Jewelry Award.

1999 Cosmograph Daytona, Ref.16516
AuctionsApr 23, 2025
Rare Custom Rolex Daytona Heads to Auction

A platinum Zenith-powered Daytona commissioned in the late ‘90s will headline Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in Geneva next month.

Carmelo Anthony and Jaylen Brown David Yurman campaign
MajorsApr 23, 2025
David Yurman’s New Campaign Stars Carmelo Anthony, Jaylen Brown

The basketball stars wear men’s jewelry from the “Curb Chain” collection.

Woman wearing Zales jewelry
MajorsApr 22, 2025
Zales’ Rebrand Takes Playful Approach to Fine Jewelry

The Signet Jewelers-owned retailer wants to encourage younger shoppers to wear fine jewelry every day, not just on special occasions.

JAR Apricot Blossom bracelet
AuctionsApr 22, 2025
Christie’s to Auction JAR Jewelry Collection

The 21 pieces, all from a private collector, will be offered at its Magnificent Jewels auction next month.

National Jeweler columnist Lilian Raji
ColumnistsApr 22, 2025
The PR Adviser: Building Buzz Through Word of Mouth

Lilian Raji answers a question from a reader who is looking to grow her jewelry business but has a limited marketing budget.

Avi Levy
GradingApr 22, 2025
Avi Levy Is GCAL By Sarine’s New Chief Growth Officer

GCAL by Sarine created the new role to sharpen the company’s focus on strategic partnerships and scalable expansion.

Scottsdale Fine Jewelers store exterior
IndependentsApr 22, 2025
Brinker’s Jewelers Acquires Fellow Independent

The Indiana jeweler has acquired Scottsdale Fine Jewelers in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Cartier Exhibition Installation at Victoria & Albert Museum
Events & AwardsApr 21, 2025
An Exhibition Exploring the History of Cartier Is Now on Display

“Cartier: Design, Craft, and Legacy” opened earlier this month at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Bill and Birdie Levine of Van Cott Jewelers
IndependentsApr 21, 2025
New York Jeweler to Close After 111 Years

Van Cott Jewelers in Vestal, New York, is hosting a going-out-of-business sale.

IJO Director Samantha Larson
IndependentsApr 21, 2025
IJO Names New Director of Vendor Relations, Merchandise Strategy

Industry veteran Samantha Larson has held leadership roles at Borsheims, McTeigue & McClelland, Stuller, and Long’s Jewelers.

Events & AwardsApr 21, 2025
Jewelers of Louisiana, Mississippi Jewelers Association to Co-Host Convention

The two organizations will hold the educational event together this fall in Mississippi.

Daymond John
Events & AwardsApr 18, 2025
Daymond John to Give Keynote at JCK Las Vegas

The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.

Dukachi Easter Bread Pendant
CollectionsApr 18, 2025
Piece of the Week: Dukachi’s ‘Easter Bread’ Pendant

The Ukrainian brand’s new pendant is modeled after a traditional paska, a pastry often baked for Easter in Eastern European cultures.

Bremer Jewelry
IndependentsApr 18, 2025
Bremer Jewelry to Reveal Renovated Store

The jeweler has announced a grand reopening for its recently remodeled location in Peoria, Illinois.

Tiffany & Co. Strong Like Mom campaign
MajorsApr 18, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Employees Star in Mother’s Day Campaign

The “Strong Like Mom” campaign features moms who work at Tiffany & Co. and their children.

Athena Calderone x John Hardy Collection
CollectionsApr 17, 2025
John Hardy, Athena Calderone Partner on Art Deco Decor-Inspired Collection

Interior designer Athena Calderone looked to decor from the 1920s and 1930s when crafting her first fine jewelry collection.

Movado Connect 2.0 watches
FinancialsApr 17, 2025
Movado Group to Increase Prices to Offset Tariffs Impact

During a call about its full-year results, CEO Efraim Grinberg discussed how the company is approaching the uncertainty surrounding tariffs.

Natural Diamond Council Diamond Learning Center Graphic
Lab-GrownApr 17, 2025
NDC Launches Its Diamond Learning Center

The free program provides educational content for jewelry salespeople and enthusiasts to learn or refresh their diamond knowledge.

×

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