This gold frame pendant is part of the Yip family collection of jewelry that was passed on to Linda Yip, a fourth-generation Chinese genealogist and historian. The pendant has a jade ring with a carved character in the centre, meaning longevity in Chinese. Symbolism played a crucial role in Chinese visual culture, with specific motifs and symbols delivering propitious and protective messages. The latter nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries were a time of tremendous uncertainty and danger for Chinese Canadians in both Canada and China. Therefore, many propitious symbols were used to invoke good fortune, passing on people’s wishes for long life and happiness for their families. In Linda’s circumstance, family jewelry from the older generations also preserve Chinese cultural roots and forge inter-generational connections.