Grandma's jelwery box

I have a lovely grandmother. When I was little and sad or sick, she always let me try on her diamond rings. Even at age four, sparkly jewels made me feel better. Now when I go home to visit she often catches me rummaging through her jewelry box. Although she still wears most of it, she’s handed over some amazing pieces to add to my small but growing collection.

She bought these earrings when she was in her twenties. I love that I'm wearing them this many years later in my twenties as well.


I love this delicate ring and wear it all the time. It came from another one of my jewelry box heists, but originally hails from Europe.


This bracelet, circa 1954, came from an island in Greece called the Island of Rhodes.


Remember the gold watch on my Fall fashion hunting list? Well over Thanksgiving weekend while I was visiting with my grandma, she gave me the most amazing gold watch with a tiny diamond on the face. Gorgeous. It’s no Marc Jacobs, but it belonged to my grandpa who was quite a classy man. He bought it in Barbados while on vacation.


This aquamarine, pearl and gold necklace came from Turkey and belonged to my great, great grandmother. Aquamarine is known as the stone of Greece and is extremely popular in the area.


I’d been on the hunt for the most amazing, delicate, sparkly, drop earrings for my wedding. Yet again, my grandma came through for me and I wore these white sapphires from Greece on my big day. They were my something old.


For my 25th birthday, my parents gave me this chic chunky gold ring with a diamond moon and star. It belonged to my dad’s mom and was made by a family friend in Montreal who often handcrafted her jewelry.


Lastly, a remarkable brown leather Gruen watch of my grandpa's. It’s versatile and classic. The back of the face is inscribed with the name, Ron. Which happens to be the name of both my grandpa and my dad. It feels special to wear.



Wearing vintage jewelry gives you a certain feeling. There’s always a story to accompany an old watch, bracelet or earrings. That history makes the piece far greater than a material object because it was a part of someone’s life.

Do you wear a favourite vintage or family piece of jewelry?