Jewelry never looked so goodWould you believe me if I said my necklace is about 60 years old? When my grandmother was young she lived in Italy, she was born and raised in the city of Palermo, Sicily. As a kid, she used to work very hard with her parents and brother to keep them living a stable life. As a reward for all of her hard work, my great grandparents would submerge her in beautiful jewelry such as earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, and other precious accessories. In the 1900s and even still today, Italy was not only known for its pizza but also for its yellow gold and traditional, high-quality, precise designs. After growing up, getting married, having my father and his brothers, my grandparents decided to immigrate to the united states. Because of the low amount of jobs and poor conditions, my grandparents decided to come to the United States, in search of better opportunities.  However, as a senior citizen, my grandma no longer wears jewelry that often, which results in her passing down all the dainty jewelry she has obtained. In addition to being named after my grandma, Jennifer, she had many monogrammed necklaces that she knows I would love, she passed down a necklace that means a lot to me. Not only is Christmas a time of giving and her favorite thing to do is pass down jewelry she’s worn for ages. Wearing this necklace every day stands for the love and unity my family has. My Jennifer necklace is made from and 18-karat yellow gold and also is made with real diamonds bought with my grandmother’s money.

– Jennifer A DiMaria

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant