In an age of mass produced plastic toys, clothing, jewelry and just about everything else, family heirlooms are disappearing. As fewer things are made to last fewer and fewer things are surviving or being kept to pass along to the next generation. To some that seems less like progress and more like a tragic loss of our traditions and family and cultural heritage. For those that value them there are still quality items on the market that families are sure to hang on to. The focus if this article is heirloom quality baby items.
Tiffany's offers a number of sterling silver items for babies like spoons, rattles and cups. A nice touch is having the gift monogrammed. Having a child's initials or name put on a silver rattle is a great way to permanently associate the object with the person. You might also try Hermes or even shop online for companies like Empire and Lunt. Something like a sterling silver rattle can cost anywhere from around $50 up to several hundred and buying one with from a known company with some history can both add value and encourage future generations to keep them in the family. The idea is to spend a little more and get something that the child will be inclined to give to their children some day or possibly continue the tradition by getting the child one of their own. Even things like baby bracelets and tiny rings can be both affordable and worth keeping.
One family, interviewed for this article, has a tradition of getting each new member of the family a monogrammed gold ring when they are born. The rings are seldom actually worn by the child (for obvious reasons) and may even only be placed on the fingers for a few photos or special occasions but they are kept by the parents until the child turns sixteen when they are given back strung on a necklace. It's a fun thing for the family and neat to see in photos or at gatherings when many(especially the women) are wearing their necklaces. One described it this way, "It makes us feel closer. We have a tradition, a shared history we can see." Even the men have them though they seem less prone to wear the rings on necklaces one gave his as a wedding gift to his wife and another gave his to his wife when they were expecting their first child. One woman said she wore her daughter's baby ring on a chain for most of the sixteen years before the girl's sixteenth birthday. She did so again when her daughter went to college and asked her to wear it while she was away from home.
Unlike an adult signet ring, a baby ring can be very affordable. Some can be had for under $30 while others might go for upwards of $100 or more. You can find them virtually anywhere in jewelry and vintage shops or online at places like www.Jewelbasket.com. Though this might be another item to consider splurging on a known company that has been around for a while.
To some this sort of thing might seem a little stuffy but it can also help symbolically tie generations together and start a child off "right" with something that is not disposable. If our current throw away culture doesn't sit well with you, teaching children to buy less and buy things that will last is a great way to be the change you'd like to see.
There are endless options for gifts, traditions and heirloom quality items to give to your loved ones. The key is to think ahead and spend wisely. Things like grandfathers watch, your great aunt's ring or even the quilt your great grandmother made that now covers your sleeping child have real value beyond any dollar amount. We might as well get attached to things that have some character and a chance of being around later when we get nostalgic.
Photo JT Barnhart 2009
