What Is A Mother’s Ring ? Here’s The Meaning Behind It

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Are you a mother ? Are you about to become one ? Is your wife a mother and you’d like to get her something nice ? Do you want to get something for your own mother ? Well, what about a mother’s ring ?

Today we’re explaining just what a mother’s ring is, what it usually looks like, and the meaning behind it. There really are few things sweeter than a mother with a constant reminder of her children, and possibly a grandmother’s reminder of her children and grandchildren ! This is especially sweet when the kids are far away.

mother rings

What is a mother’s ring ?

A mother’s ring is a ring that is worn by a mother, and it has the birthstones of each of her children included in the design. Sometimes the names of the children are engraved as well. It’s usually gifted on Mother’s Day, and it is a constant reminder of the love between the mother and her children, even when the children are away, such as college or moving several hours away.

These rings have become more popular in the past few decades, as birthstones have become more and more popular in jewelry.

What is a grandmother’s ring ?

A grandmother’s ring follows the same idea as a mother’s ring, only it includes the birthstones of her grandchildren as well, or possibly only those of her grandchildren. In such cases, the grandmother may wear a separate ring for her own children, the mother’s ring.

In the case of grandmothers with many grandchildren, these rings can become cumbersome so they are not very common to see on a daily basis.

If you were thinking of a gift for your grandmother, perhaps a different piece of jewelry with the entire family’s birthstones would be better ? Something like a pendant, or a bracelet that would make having so many stones in it easier to wear than a ring.

Read also: What Is A Push Ring ? 

What do mother rings look like ?

Mother’s rings are highly customizable and there is no specific style they usually come in, aside form including birthstones. This means you can find very elegant mother’s rings that only have the birthstones set in a beautiful design, or you can find mother’s rings that are larger and display both the birthstones and the names of the children.

Or, you can get a custom-made mother’s ring from a jeweler, in which case the design will be unique. Whichever design you choose, one thing remains the same: birthstones. Each one represents a child. So let’s look at a few examples of mother’s rings to get you inspired.

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First up is this half-eternity band ring, with princess-cut gems in the middle as birthstones.

The ring is highly customizable, in that you can add up to 6 birthstones. The side stones are always going to be white CZ and the birthstones are also CZ. The ring metal is 925 sterling silver, and you can have it plated in 10k white gold, rose gold, yellow gold, or platinum.

Another example of a mother’s ring is this one, complete with engraved names.

There are various designs and they change according to the number of children (birthstones) you want on the ring, from 1 to 9. Each birthstone has the name engraved next to it. The gems themselves are cubic zirconia, and there is some engraving on the inside of the ring as well.

And finally, if you have a single child, you could wear nearly any ring as a mother’s ring, as long as it has the appropriate birthstone. A stackable band with your child’s birthstone all around, or perhaps without the birthstone but with the name engraved on the inside of the ring ?

Traditional and modern birthstones list

So now that you have a few ideas of what the rings look like, let’s take a look at the birthstones the rings would include. There are two main sets of birthstones: traditional and modern. Some mothers opt for stones from a single set (so only traditional or only modern), while others choose to mix them according to their preferences.

The reason there are now two sets of birthstones is because the traditional ones have become scarce (such as true zircon, for example), or have been reclassed as semi-precious. So here are the old and new lists.

Traditional birthstones, used mostly in the 15th-19th century:

  • january – garnet, hyancinth
  • february – amethyst, hyancinth, pearl
  • march -bloodstone, jasper
  • april – diamond, sapphire
  • may – emerald, agate
  • june – pearl, emerald, turquoise, agate, chalcedony
  • july – turquoise, onyx, carnelian, ruby
  • august – sardonyx, carnelian, moonstone, topaz
  • september – chrysolite, zircon, sardonyx
  • october – opal, aquamarine, beryl, coral
  • november – topaz, pearl, cat’s eye
  • december – bloodstone, ruby, lapislazuli, chrysoprase

Modern birthstones, used since the 20th century (specifically 1912):

  • january – garnet
  • february – amethyst
  • march – aquamarine
  • april – diamond
  • may – emerald
  • june – pearl, moonstone, alexandrite
  • july – ruby
  • august – peridot, spinel
  • september – sapphire
  • october – opal, tourmaline
  • november – yellow topaz, citrine
  • december – blue topaz, lapis lazuli, tanzanite

Do you put the mother’s birthstone in the ring ?

Traditionally the mother’s own birthstone is not put into the mother’s ring, only the children’s birthstones are present.

However you can customize a mother’s ring a turn it into a family ring, complete with the mother’s birthstone, the father’s birthstone, and the children as well.

What finger do you wear a mother’s ring ?

A mother’s ring can be worn in any finger of any hand, there is not specific place for it. Most mothers prefer to wear it on their right hand, usually because the left is already busy with the engagement and wedding ring.

That being said you can wear your mother’s ring on any hand you like, on any finger you like, as long as it fits and does not get in the way of daily life.

Who buys the mother’s ring ?

The mother’s ring is usually bought by the children, or the father in some cases. This does not mean you cannot buy your own mother’s ring if you like. The point is that this is usually a gift that si given to mothers on Mother’s Day, but you can also buy it for yourself to remind you of your children.


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