9 great gifts for graduates

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Hearing the familiar strains of "Pomp and Circumstance" means one thing: commencement season has arrived. Graduating from high school or college is a momentous occasion — so celebrate your favorite scholar with a special keepsake or gift that will be indispensable as they embark on their next chapter of life.

Avec Linen Classic sheet set 

Moving out of a dorm — and a Twin XL bed — calls for brand new, luxe sheets. Avec's Linen Classic top and fitted sheets and pillowcases are made out of an incredibly soft linen-blend fabric that gets smoother after every wash. With this cozy bedding, a good night's sleep is all but guaranteed.  

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$197, Avec

Custom gourmet fortune cookies

Their future is bright, and you can give them a dessert to prove it. Tucked inside these 12 handmade cookies are fortunes you get to select from a list of more than 80 options. The chocolate-covered treats arrive in a cute takeout-style box, ready to be cracked open and savored.

$42, Uncommon Goods

Five Minute Journal: Graduate Edition

As exciting as it is to graduate, it can also be scary to jump into the real world. The Five Minute Journal aims to alleviate those worries through writing prompts designed to help users "become more mindful and live with intention." Spending just a few minutes in the morning jotting down hopes for the day and going back at night to reflect on what actually happened can lead to clarity and gratitude. 

$28.95, The Paper Store

Locket Sisters Roxie Belle heart locket  

Meet the modern version of the classic heart locket. Instead of grabbing scissors and cutting up a photograph so it fits inside, you simply upload the image and let Locket Sisters take it from there. They crop the picture, print it and securely place it inside the locket with a protective resin. Dainty and delicate, the heart locket is made of sterling silver and comes with a chain, with options ranging from 16 inches to 30 inches long.

$150, Locket Sisters

Mount Royal gold plated pocket watch 

A pocket watch can both commemorates a milestone and serve as a reminder that time marches on. This mechanical double hunter pocket watch has a skeleton dial style, allowing you to see the gears and wheels inside. The case is snazzy enough on its own, but can also be engraved with a date, name or short sentimental message.

$160, Pocket Watch

Ninja Specialty Coffee Maker 

Turn their kitchen into a coffeehouse with this versatile machine. It brews four different styles of coffee in six sizes, from one cup to a full carafe, and has a built-in frother that folds away when not in use. Traditionalists might just use it for black coffee in the morning, but those open to channeling their inner baristas can have fun making lattes, macchiatos and cappuccinos.

$139.99, Amazon

Papier personalized notecards 

With a beautiful set of personalized notecards, your graduate just might discover the lost art of letter writing. Papier offers dozens of designs from different artists and uses thick, "satisfyingly textured" paper for its cards, with plain white envelopes included in each kit. 

Starting at $66 for 20 cards, Papier

Rollink Flex Vega medium checked suitcase

Think of all the places they can go with this collapsible suitcase. From a post-graduation jaunt to their first trip for work, the Rollink Flex Vega will keep up, with its sturdy polycarbonate hard shell and coated wheels. The suitcase carries a lot when fully expanded, but flattens to just two inches thick for easy storage; slip it under a bed or in a closet until the next vacation.

$186.75, Rollink

Swarovski Crystalline Nova pen 

A little sparkle makes everything better, and Swarovski's blinged out Crystalline Nova pen takes that sentiment to the next level. Filled with more than 1,000 crystals, it puts on a show as it glides across paper — jotting down a grocery list or to-do list just became a lot more glamorous.

$69, Swarovski