Mama Helen, my maternal grandmother, had the most extensive jewelry collection with pieces from the 1920s – 1960s https://hobbylark.com/collecting/antique-jewelry3 that remain rare finds. She bought some jewelry in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, yet she really valued her collectables.
She offered a story behind just about every piece of jewelry. It is why I am able to piece together so many connecting points in her life and that of our family. Her pearl necklaces from Asia, Native American pieces from Mexico and Harlem Renaissance-era bracelets and necklaces, are among the several pieces in her jewelry collection that give a glimpse into how this mother of six really lived. As an aside, my mother, Angie Wead, who is now in her 80s, is Mama Helen’s oldest child.
What she left behind and what you may locate in your relatives’ jewelry boxes is more valuable in genealogy research.
If you wish to know more about how to turn your ancestor’s home into a genealogical treasure hunt for “Road Show”-style results and for successful ancestral purposes, plan to join us for three workshops Family Genealogy Workshop – Hillside International Truth Center in February 2021. The workshops are tax deductible and all proceeds will benefit the Sankofa Hillside International Truth Center, Atlanta, GA.
