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Keepsake pandemic necklace raises money for the White Center Food Bank

The sterling silver pendant is handmade in Seattle and 50% of each sale goes to the White Center Food Bank. #k5evening

SEATTLE — Two jewelers in Seattle created a keepsake necklace to mark this strange and historic time.

Mari Nelson and Misbah Rehman design and repair jewelry at M & M Jewelry Studio.

“Jewelry tends to be very symbolic for people,” Nelson said.

With that in mind, they’re hand-making a sterling silver pendant inscribed with the words “We Got This” on the front, and “Stay Home, Stay Healthy, COVID 19, 2020” on the back.

The business and life partners are creating them in their Pioneer Square studio.

"Which has been a nice isolation tactic for this whole pandemic because we're always together anyway,” she said, laughing.

But like so many small businesses, the pandemic hasn’t been easy on them. For a while, they feared they’d go under.

"As a small business, we don't have a lot of room to survive for months and months without bringing in any income,” Rehman said.

Somehow, they've survived - and they found new inspiration through three words of encouragement.

"’We got this,' kind of resonated with us,” Nelson said. "Because I think we - as well as a lot of people - felt like, we don't have this.”

The jewelers say they can be gifted to friends or loved ones, passed down as heirlooms, or worn as a reminder.

"You wear that, it's something that's sort of asserted in you,” Nelson said. "To feel the hope from it."

Rehman added, "Actually, this pandemic showed us that we're all in this together. We're one people dealing with this one problem."

That's why they decided to give away half of the necklace profits by donating 50% of every sale to the White Center Food Bank.

For all the pandemic has taken, the jewelers believe there is still much to gain – including memories of hope and tenacity that will be passed down for years to come.

"It seems to have connected people in a lot of ways, which is really beautiful,” Nelson said.

The necklaces cost $100 and can be purchased on Etsy.

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