How to show you really value higher education

The media and social media are full of stories about graduation at the moment. The vast majority of these are genuinely positive, up-beat and often life-affirming. It is a great time of year in universities to celebrate the achievements of graduates, the challenges and adversities that have been overcome and the sense of optimism about the future, even if the world out there looks pretty bleak. 

During my many years in working in higher education I participated in several hundred graduations (in addition to attending my own and those of family members). I always found these to be uplifting and often moving events and a real highlight of the academic calendar. Not to mention the specific pleasure of seeing notable figures recognised with honorary degrees. 

After ceremonies in that delightful period of mingling, celebration and mild chaos, usually in the sun but sometimes in the rain, you often see new graduates presented with gifts from proud relatives. Usually these are bunches of flowers or some form of university branded merch like a scarf or a cute teddy bear. You know the kind of thing.

But it does seem that there is now much more emphasis on making a big deal of the new graduate’s achievements which goes a bit further than floral or knitted tributes. The main  evidence I have for this is this exciting guide recently published in the ‘Luxury’ section of The Times which suggests a number of luxurious graduation gift ideas for the class of 2025. As they put it:

University is over and real life is about to begin — here are the presents that will send your graduate off in style.

Graduation marks a significant life passage, so mark it with something special. When it comes to graduation gifts, no present could be better than the relief of knowing your exam days are behind you. Still, it’s important to honour our graduates as they enter the next phase of life with something special to remind them of the hard work it took to get here.

Well, hard to argue with the sentiment but I have to say I am genuinely gob-smacked by the cost of some of these items.

Anyway, these are my personal highlights:

Moët & Chandon x Pharrell Williams nectar impérial non-vintage magnum

Celebrations call for champagne so invest in the best and choose this limited edition bottle from renowned champagne house Moët & Chandon in collaboration with the current creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams. Chin-chin.

A mere £540 for 150cl, Moët & Chandon at Harrods.

Anya Brands Stabilo Boss Original coin purse charm

A playful nod to those late nights studying, this Anya Hindmarch coin purse charm is crafted from capra leather and pays homage to the humble highlighter pen — an indispensable tool of every student.

Humbly priced at £295, Anya Hindmarch

Aspinal of London 14-inch leather photo album

Following three (or more years) living student life to the fullest, they’ll undoubtedly have a camera roll full of cherished memories. Encourage them to print the best by gifting your graduate this hand-bound leather photo album which features 50 card pages. Choose from blue, navy, burgundy or black and personalise the front cover with up to two lines of text.

Priced for just small change at £235, Aspinal of London

Anya Hindmarch bespoke Walton travel bag

Gone are the days of throwing all their stuff in a bin bag and hopping in the car. A true “grown-up” owns a proper travel bag and Anya Hindmarch’s bespoke Walton bag is it.

At the very grown up price of £1,150.

Tank Louis Cartier watch

For a cost exceeding one year of your university fees your nearest and dearest could give you a nice watch:

Give the gift of being on time — whether it’s for their first interview, their first day on the job or that first important client meeting. A classic Cartier Tank Louis is something they’ll have forever.

An absolute steal at only £9,800, Cartier at Goldsmiths.

Karma, love and opportunity

But this one takes the biscuit. For the other two years of fees plus a bit you could get a FoundRae New Beginnings 18-karat gold multi-stone necklace.

Aptly named the ‘New Beginnings’ necklace, this pendant from luxury American jewellery brand FoundRae is crafted from 18-karat yellow gold and features a London blue topaz to represent karma, a green prasiolite gemstone heart to depict love, and a horizon pendant — a symbol of opportunity. Founded in 2015 by Beth Hutchens, the label’s mission is to create modern heirlooms which also happen to make thoughtful gifts.

It really doesn’t get more thoughtful than this at a mere £19,245, FoundRae at Net-a-Porter.

All pretty astounding, I feel and a world away from cufflinks or a nice pen.

Beyond luxury

But if you really are among the super-rich and you want to recognise properly the success of your very clever offspring I would like to suggest the following:

Going for a whirl

We all know that British marque Aston Martin makes excellent cars, but a few years ago in collaboration with Airbus, they also produced a helicopter. A true treat for someone who has it all, the ACH130 Aston Martin Edition can be decked out in four different interior and exterior designs, bringing the luxury of a plush Aston Martin interior to the skies. Seats are emblazoned with the Aston Martin logo and other subtle details are found throughout the cabin.

Every graduate would be interested in this at the very subtle price of $5.8m

The final frontier

A seat on a Blue Origin spaceflight does not come cheap. There is an initial $150,000 deposit followed by a further sum which could go as high as $28m, which was the auction price of one of the seats on an early flight. But think of the views.

Island life

This island in the Bahamas is on the market for under £12m:

Leaf Cay is a prime location fully serviced private island located 2 miles to the west of Staniel Cay, the beating heart of The Exuma Cays. Leaf Cay has three beaches, a large dock, great elevations, and a number of buildings on the island including a main house and guest house. The island has power supplied by an underwater cable from Staniel Cay, making for hassle-free private island living.

What new graduate wouldn’t welcome this kind of hassle-free environment?

Going to work on a Fabergé Egg

The most famous of the Faberge firm’s  creations are the 50 Imperial Easter eggs, of which 44 are currently known to be in complete or partial physical existence. These eggs were commissioned for the Russian tsar Aleksandr III (10 eggs) and tsar Nikolai II (40 eggs) as Easter gifts for Alexander’s wife and Nicholas’s mother Empress Maria Feodorovna, and Nicholas’s wife Tsaritsa Alexandra Feodorovna. 

$33m is recent sale price for these ludicrously over the top knick-knacks. But perfect for the new flat.

Whatever luxury gift you choose to give to mark a loved one’s graduation, you are well advised to splash the cash a bit. Students work hard, their working lives won’t be easy and they need something to make the day a wee bit more special. Go on, they are worth it.