Since my grandchildren couldn’t pronounce Grandma this was the name that sounded remotely close to what they were calling me! We, especially me, love It!
This name is also used in Catalan, where it is also the word for "gem". The data on the Instituto Nacional de Estadística website shows that it has been in use in Catalonia since before the 1930s (when the records began). [noted -ed]
"Gemma" it is also a very common Catalan name and its meaning is from the same Catalan word 'Gemma', which means 'precious stone'. It's not a nickname but the word itself used nowadays for defining a precious stone.