Mother’s Day jewelry spending tops $7.5 billion, NRF says

Jewelry is poised to take about $7.5 billion of this year’s record $38 billion Mother’s Day spend, making it the biggest dollar winner in a holiday still dominated by flowers at the register. The National Retail Federation says 84% of U.S. adults plan to celebrate, and the average planned spend has climbed to a record $284.25 per person, a sign that shoppers are leaning into gifts that feel personal, not generic.

That spending pattern matters because it shows where the money is actually going. Flowers remain the most popular choice, with 75% of shoppers planning to buy them, but jewelry leads in dollars, ahead of special outings at $6.4 billion, electronics at $4.4 billion, flowers at $3.2 billion and greeting cards at $1.3 billion. Mark Mathews, the federation’s chief economist and executive director of research, said, “Mother’s Day remains a priority for many Americans, and they plan to lean into the holiday despite current economic uncertainty,” adding that consumers are “gifting from the heart” and looking for gifts that create lasting memories.

For shoppers, that points toward pieces with staying power: solid gold, clear karat counts and silhouettes that can live beyond the holiday. Kinn Studio’s Family Legacy collection follows that script with necklaces, rings, earrings, charms and lockets in 14k yellow gold, all framed as pieces for daily wear now and for passing down later. The brand’s Mother’s Day campaign uses founder Jennie Yoon’s daughter and her friends, a reminder that the strongest emotional pitch in jewelry is still the simplest one: something that can be worn, remembered and inherited.

Retailers should take the channel data as seriously as the sentiment. Online and department stores are tied as the leading gift destinations at 33% each, followed by specialty stores at 29% and discount stores at 26%. That mix suggests a broad market, from polished mall counters to e-commerce, but the product case is narrowing around recognizable classics. In gold, that means clean chains, pendant necklaces, lockets and compact rings that read as thoughtful rather than trendy. When a brand says a piece is meant to last a lifetime, the real test is whether it is solid gold, clearly labeled and built to be worn hard, not just gifted once.