Jay-Z sporting a 500K sapphire ring, reportedly a 'push present' from his wife.
Jewellery as a ‘push’ present
6.0 k views | Posted March 13, 2012 |
We know about Valentine’s Day and the eternity ring, and now it seems the next step in relationship gifts is “the push present” for new mothers.
Apparently the days of celebrating the birth of your child with a hug and maybe a bouquet of flowers are gone, at least that’s the case if you follow the examples of Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson and Beyonce.
Called a “push present”, or “baby bauble”, a trend has arisen in America over the past few years of partners presenting the new mother with jewellery to mark the arrival of a newborn.
The push present has gained popularity from American gossip magazines reporting cashed up celebrities like Mariah Carey and Jessica Simpson receiving presents from their partners immediately after they gave birth. The presents are typically jewellery (often diamonds), usually in the range of $15-30, 000.
There have even been reports of men receiving push presents for being supportive, rapper Jay-Z was seen sporting a $500K blue sapphire ring after his wife, pop star Beyonce, gave birth to their child earlier this year.
After contacting a handful of jewellery retailers in Australia it would appear the push present concept is yet to make the leap across the Pacific, however given the trend seems to have sustained itself beyond a fad in the US, it would appear there are grounds for Australian jewellers to start taking notice.
Outside of engagement rings most traditional key jewellery selling occasions are locked on the calendar, so given the birth of children is not seasonal this new trend could provide Australian jewellers with an extra ongoing market.
Overseas some suppliers are starting to directly target this market to great effect.
US pendant manufacturer BabyFeet Jewelry is still less than a decade old, and has rode the wave of push presents from the beginning. It creates gold and silverware products that seem singularly intended to be baby baubles.
“‘Few pieces hold the same meaning that BabyFeet jewelry does,”’ reads a catalogue from the official website. “It signifies love, family and your most treasured creation. Show everyone how much this tiny life means to you; whether it’s your first or fifth, created or adopted, yours or your child’s.”
The emergence of the push presents has not been met with entirely open arms, however, with some commentators debating argument over whether birth should be a gift-giving occasion. To read their arguments click the below links.
Further reading:
The Economist
Chris Illumanati for AskMen
Alan Aymie for The Cradle