Cliffside “Jewelry”

Sparkly, flashy personal items were not prominent on the people of Cliffside, for not many had the money to buy non-essentials. Beyond a Bulova on the wrist or a Hamilton in his watch pocket, the Cliffside man usually went around unencumbered by anything that could be classified as jewelry. Except for two important objects: his Cliffside High School ring and the tie pin bestowed upon him by Cone Mills for his years of service to the company.

The cost of such a ring in 1953 was about $35, a lot of money in those days, money that could have gone for groceries, but moms and dads scrimped and did without in order for their graduates to own this coveted object. And dads wore the tie pins with pride, in the event they wore a tie at all.

Photos by Jim Scancarelli