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Nine Antique & Vintage Christmas gift ideas for your wife and mum
Posted by Chris on 28/11/2025
As Christmas approaches once more, at the forefront of our minds is what to buy for the women in our lives this year.
It's often difficult to know where to start when buying Christmas gifts for women. That’s why we’re here to help, with our top antique and vintage Christmas gift ideas for your wife, or your mum – or even that special sister in your life.
You only need to turn on the television, search online, or walk through a high street from November 1st each year to be bombarded with attention-grabbing advertising for all sorts of modern gifts for your wife or mum. And it’s so easy to be overwhelmed by it all.
With newly-made Christmas gifts for women come a dearth of sustainability or, dare we say it, integrity – especially when there are plenty of incredible antique and vintage gift ideas to choose from. These pieces have already had their carbon footprint paid off many years ago, and unlike anything you can buy from a high street shop, they’re one-of-a-kind, usually hand-made, and bring with them an untold backstory.
It's for these reasons that antiques make such a wonderful gift at Christmas: and why the past makes a great present.
To get you started with your Christmas shopping, we’ve listed a few of our favourite items in each category, but we’d say it’s worth exploring each one for yourself to see if anything grabs your attention.
What are the best Christmas gift ideas for your wife or mum in 2025?
- Antique & Vintage Jewellery
- Vintage Wristwatches
- Couture: Vintage Chanel
- Art Nouveau
- Antique Miniatures
- Antique Kitchenware
- Jardinieres
- Vintage Sewing Boxes
- Vintage Compacts
1. Antique & Vintage Jewellery
Top of the list of our Christmas gift ideas for your wife or mum has to be antique and vintage jewellery. Whilst some pieces might push the top of anyone’s price range for Christmas gifts, they certainly qualify as some of the most special that you can buy.
There are so many beautiful pieces to choose from on Antiques.co.uk that it’s been a challenge picking our favourites – we’d encourage you to explore for yourself.
Antiques.co.uk's top picks:
- Dainty Emerald & Diamond Three Stone Ring (pictured above), £685 / $906
- ‘Hands Cradling a Heart’ 1967 9ct Gold Claddagh Ring, £579 / $766
- Vintage 9ct Rose Gold Ruby & Diamond Ring, £745 / $986
2. Vintage Wristwatches
Does the lady in your life like wearing a wristwatch? If they do, then a nice vintage watch might prove to be a wonderful Christmas gift for them. And if they don’t, perhaps they’d enjoy being given one – as an elegant addition to their wardrobe for evenings out, or dinner parties.
There are plenty of options on Antiques.co.uk, and as a bonus, most are listed at really affordable prices. Plus, it’s a thoughtful gift for someone who isn’t into the latest wearable tech…
Antiques.co.uk's top picks:
- Ladies Swiss Mechanical Wristwatch with Presentation Box (pictured above), £75 / $99
- Centaur Automatic 25 Jewel 9ct Gold Wristwatch, £145 / $191
- 9ct Gold Ladies Wristwatch, £195 / $258
> See more antique & vintage wristwatches
3. Couture: Vintage Chanel
Vintage couture almost always makes an appearance when we’re thinking about the best gifts for your wife and mum. Whilst not everyone is a collector, or even a habitual wearer of couture items, it goes without saying that a piece of couture makes the person wearing it feel like a million dollars – although thankfully, vintage pieces won’t have a matching price tag!
From brooches and flats to neckties and scarves, Chanel is a popular choice for gifts for women – and there are plenty of beautiful pieces to explore.
Antiques.co.uk's top picks:
- Enchanting Gold Heart and Key Dangle Chanel Brooch, Pink Diamante, "CC" logo (pictured above), £540 / $714
- ‘Colorama’ 100% Silk Camellia Brooch, £365 / $483
- Vintage Chanel Gold & Pearl Belt, Original Box, £1,250 / $1,654
- Collection of Atelier Leo Tissandie Haute Chanel Fashion Designer Drawings c.1930, £200 / $264
4. Art Nouveau
We adore the Art Nouveau era – a period inspired by the flowing lines of nature, femininity and beauty. That’s why we’ve included it on the list of Christmas gifts for your wife and mum – because it speaks to the very core of all of the beautiful, strong women out there.
Antiques.co.uk's top picks:
- Art Nouveau Bretby Vase, £145 / $191
- Elegant WMF Lily of the Valley Pen Tray, c.1906 (pictured above), £185 / $244
- Flamboyant Art Nouveau Diamond Ring, c.1890-1910, £8,095 / $10,716
- Art Nouveau Centrepiece, £180 / $238
5. Antique Miniatures
Miniatures were all the rage with the upper and burgeoning middle classes in the 18th and 19th centuries, before the advent of photography – as they were a way to keep someone you loved close to your heart. And as Christmas gifts for your wife, or mum, they tick a lot of boxes. These beautifully hand-painted images not only evoke a delightful sense of the past, but they’re literally miniature, meaning that they’re easy to wrap, ship, and find a place for on a dressing table or mantelpiece.
They also bring with them an untold story of not just the person in the painting, but one of the loving relative or partner who originally gave it. A meaningful way of showing your mum or wife that you care about them.
Antiques.co.uk's top picks:
- Georgian Miniature of ‘Emma’, £395 / $522
- Miniature Oil Painting, c.1760, £275 / $364
- A Georgian Officer and Wife’s Miniatures (pictured above), £1,450 / $1,919
6. Antique Kitchenware
There’s a decent chance that your mum or wife is a dab hand in the kitchen (probably from looking after you for so long). But without wishing to stereotype here, there are some really delightful little antique kitchenware items which would make lovely gifts for the lady in your life – especially if they enjoy cooking or baking.
Antiques.co.uk's top picks:
- Georgian Fruitwood Treen Lemon Squeezer, £100 / $132
- 19th Century Oak Rack with Serving Ladles and Spoons, £600 / $794
- The Gourmet Boiler no.5, Challis Patent (pictured above), £145 / $191
7. Jardinieres
Bear with us here, as this won’t be a Christmas gift idea that you’ll hear often. But we think that a nice little jardiniere (a fancy plant pot) could be just the ticket this year – especially if the person you’re giving to has green fingers.
Jardinieres are suitable for indoor use, and depending on the material, outdoors too. They can really transform a hallway, living room or kitchen – and their typically larger size means that they lend themselves to accommodating a larger plant. You’ll often find Japanese or Chinese designs on jardinieres – a nice exotic Christmas present idea!
Antiques.co.uk's top picks:
- Dinanderie Embossed & Cast Brass Jardiniere, c.1920, £375 / $496
- Quality antique Japanese Satsuma jardiniere, d.1900, £345 / $456
- Pair of Antique Chinese Jardinieres, d.1890 (pictured above), £365 / $483
8. Vintage sewing boxes & machines
We all have childhood memories of seeing our mum or grandmother knitting, or sewing – in front of the fire, listening to the radio or perhaps watching television with the family. And chances are that your mum, or wife, still picks up a needle and thread today.
That being the case, we think that an antique or vintage sewing box (or machine) would make a lovely Christmas gift for her – a special place to keep sewing accessories at home. We are particularly taken with an extra special listing below: a vintage electric Singer sewing machine at just £145.
Antiques.co.uk's top picks:
- Walnut jewellery or sewing box, circa 1880 (pictured above), £550 / $728
- Ercol Sewing Box, £295 / $390
- Vintage Electric Singer Sewing Machine, £145 / $191
- Charming Vintage Sewing Box, £45 / $59
> See more vintage sewing boxes & accessories
9. Vintage compacts
These days, makeup is kept in a range of separate little containers, and usually reside loose in a drawer or handbag. The women of days gone by had a much better idea: makeup cases and compacts. We particularly love that not only are vintage compacts easy to ship, but they’re also super affordable, usually coming in at under £100.
Antiques.co.uk's top picks:
- 1950s Hand bag Compact by Mascot, £75 / $99
- 1950s Vintage Agme Swiss Mother of Pearl Powder Compact/mirror/make up case (pictured above), £52 / $68
- Enamelled Ladies Compact, Early 20th Century, £195 / $258
> See more antique & vintage compacts
Your next read
Hopefully these suggestions of the best antique and vintage Christmas gift ideas for your mum or wife have been helpful. If our top picks didn’t quite do it for you, it’s always worth browsing the ‘see more’ links to explore what else might be in those categories.
Happy Christmas shopping!
ICYMI: take a trip back to Christmas 2024 for more inspiration on what to buy for her at Christmas.