The U.S. jewelry trade was built by an amalgam of immigrant groups whose legacies span multiple generations As we celebrate JCK’s 150th anniversary, we’re also looking back on the origins of the American jewelry trade. The discussion is impossible to have without acknowledging the unique roles that Jewish, Armenian, and Indian immigrants played in the industry’s development. Many of these individuals’ forebears fled persecution, political unrest, and wartime upheaval in their homelands. Others were motivated by the irresistible promise of new business prospects and the siren song of American culture, with its opportunities for growth and prosperity no matter how humble one’s beginnings.      One important thing these three groups have in common? Their ancestry is inextricably linked to jewelry, whether they were diamond merchants, bench workers skilled in the craftsmanshi