DesignTeeth Monthly | May 2026
Vintage gifts for Mother's Day, Victorian lockets, the American Museum of Natural History's Hall of Gems, and favorite jewelry Substacks.
A monthly dispatch of new finds, quick takes, and happenings in jewelry design.
For Architectural Digest, I put together a guide to shopping vintage for your mom. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I assume most people have already figured out their gifts, but if you’re a last-minute shopper, perhaps it will inspire you to take a quick trip to Housing Works or your local flea market to see what you can unearth — or, at the very least, consider going vintage next year. While the guide includes everything from 19th-century American quilts to Italian midcentury glass, there’s also a section on Victorian lockets. I spoke to Ju Kim, founder of Laelius Antiques, who shares her expert insights on assessing quality and provenance in Victorian lockets. Here’s an excerpt:
If Mother’s Day is a time for unabashed sentimentalism, there may be no more fitting gift than a Victorian locket or brooch—objects steeped in symbolism and “meant to be worn close to the heart,” says Ju Kim, founder of Laelius Antiques. “In the 19th century, jewelry was not just decorative, but also a silent, sophisticated language used to convey deep affection and personal stories.”
Floriography, or the language of flowers, became especially popular during this period. Victorians used coded botanical motifs—"forget-me-nots for remembrance and ivy for fidelity and friendship," among them—to “express what words often could not,” says Kim.
Stay tuned for a longer conversation with Kim about her path into antique jewelry and the business she built around her passion for it.
Speaking of lockets and mothers … my mother gave me this sweet Victorian crescent-and-star locket while I was expecting my son three years ago, from Thea Grant. In the 19th century, the crescent motif became a popular symbol of female empowerment, femininity, and the cycles of life — all of which are intrinsically linked to motherhood. Inside the locket is a photo of Colum, and now that he’s older, he loves opening it and asking me who the baby is. It is, indeed, meant to be worn close to the heart.
Last Sunday, we took our son to see the dinosaur exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History. After chasing him around Tyrannosaurus rex and Stegosaurus bones, we eventually ended up in the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals. Our visit to the hall was all too brief because our son needed a nap, but it is on my list to return to. Fortunately, it has a pretty snazzy interactive website with plenty of information and gem-world glitz.
When I started DesignTeeth, I was pretty green when it came to the world of jewelry — particularly the journalists and historians who write about it. Had I been paying closer attention, I might have talked myself out of the project. (I’ve always been shy about writing on subjects where I’m not an expert.) But the more immersed I’ve become in all things jewelry, the more I’ve gotten to know — and appreciate — a few Substacks that do a thoughtful job covering the topic.
Top of my list is jewelry historian and writer Beth Dawson’s Precious Things. Her posts are both elucidating and accessible. I particularly enjoy her vertical on notable female jewelers and her series “Jewelry I’d Buy at Auction Right Now,” which feels like the ideal cheat sheet for the best work at auction.
Rob Bate’s The Jewelry Wire is a no-nonsense newsletter focused on the jewelry business. As his tagline says: “The news you need in one quick read. Full of good stuff, not fluff.” As you’d expect, he keeps you in the loop on the latest developments and breaking news in jewelry, from the diamond market to the ups and downs of mall jewelry retailers.