TrendsJan 11, 2022
There’s So Much More to Neil Lane Than ‘The Bachelor’EditorsJan 14, 2022
See a Few of Betty White’s Best Jewelry Looks
Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff celebrates the Golden Girl’s jewelry style ahead of what would’ve been her 100th birthday.
Among the best Betty White jewelry looks: this animal homage she wore for the media preview for the Los Angeles Zoo’s annual Beastly Ball fundraiser in 2015. (Photo credit: Jamie Pham/ Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association)
I am a huge fan of “The Golden Girls,” but I have a confession to make. Rose, played by the late Betty White, was not my favorite. In fact, she wasn’t even my second favorite. Those honors go to Blanche (Rue McClanahan) and Dorothy, played by the inimitable Bea Arthur.
Still, I was sad when a call from my best friend on New Year’s Eve afternoon alerted me to the fact that White was gone, a TV legend and the last of the Girls to go.
When people think of White, so many things come to mind—her status as a pioneer for women in the world of television, her stand for civil rights in the 1950s when she refused to boot Black tap dancer Arthur Duncan off her show (which was canceled shortly thereafter), and the importance of Rose and “The Golden Girls” to the LGBTQ community (please see the “72 Hours” episode from season 5).
White was also a lifelong animal lover and advocate and, while she was not a collector on the level of someone like Elizabeth Taylor, I think her jewelry deserves some attention, as does the #BettyWhiteChallenge.
A viral movement, the challenge encourages people to donate $5 to their favorite animal charity this coming Monday, Jan. 17, which would have been White’s 100th birthday. My money is going to Little Wanderers, a nonprofit that helps New York City’s neediest cats.
Happy heavenly birthday, Betty! Now on to the jewels …
Pet Sets
Jewelry, as we all know, is an expression of the personal. It’s worn to remember and honor love ones, and to communicate passions and beliefs.
For White—who cited animals as one of her two (or more) passions while accepting the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010—it was a way to communicate her love of all things wild, and it was done in the most elegant way.
A pair of panda bear earrings set, perhaps, with black and white diamonds appear to be a favorite and I love the big gold elephant earrings she’s wearing in this tribute video the Los Angeles Zoo made.
White also had an enviable collection of statement necklaces, including more than a couple big cats (a personal favorite of mine) and a dazzling diamond elephant she sported at the 2015 People’s Choice Awards, where she took home the award for Favorite TV Icon at the age of 93.
Embed from Getty Images
One of my favorite Betty White jewelry looks isn’t from an awards show, though; it’s fittingly from an event at the Los Angeles Zoo.
At a 2015 media preview for the zoo’s annual Beastly Ball fundraiser, she paired a bold big cat necklace with a sweet little Tiffany & Co. diamond heart given to her by friend and fellow actress Jennifer Love Hewitt and her panda bear earrings.
White’s relationship with the Los Angeles Zoo started when it opened in 1966 and continued for the next five decades.
To understand how much animals meant to her—and how much she meant to them—check out the homepage of the Los Angeles Zoo’s website.
A memorial to White is front and center and it links to an entire page honoring White and her decades of dedication to the zoo, its missions of conversation and education, and its animals.
The zoo has created a tribute fund in White’s honor, in case anyone is looking for an animal charity for the #BettyWhiteChallenge.
Golden Girl
Like Marion Fasel, I love the fashion on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
The show, which ran from 1970 to 1977, was one of the highlights of Betty’s career, with her role as horny homemaker Sue Ann Nivens garnering her two Emmys.
The characters’ style on Mary Tyler Moore is simple, sleek and classic, just what I like—the mini-dresses, the pantsuits and, my favorite, the plain turtlenecks worn with a few gold chains.
Mary Tyler Moore, who played Mary Richards on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” is pictured in a scene with Betty White as Sue Ann Nivens in 1975. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
A 1974 publicity portrait of Betty White as Sue Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” a role that won her two Emmy Awards. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
It was #neckmess lite, if you will, and Sue Ann Nivens was here for it.
I love the layered look in this publicity photo of White from 1974, the medallion paired with what looks like two longer gold chains.
Thank you for being on-trend.
The Proposal
In her 1995 book “Here We Go Again,” White tells the tale of what I can only assume were two of the most meaningful pieces of jewelry she ever received and they both came from the love of her life, Allen Ludden.
The way White tells it, Ludden, a widower with three children whom she met while a guest on his game show, “Password,” wanted to marry her. Twice divorced by then, White was understandably a reticent bride.
One night over dinner in New York, Ludden gave White a “beautiful gold wedding ring with a small circle of diamonds,” and told her, “You might as well keep it, because one of these days you’ll put it on for keeps.”
White refused the ring, but Ludden wasn’t giving up. He “put that damned ring on a chain around his neck, where I would be constantly aware of it … This went on for three months,” she wrote.
That Easter, Ludden gave White another piece of jewelry, a pair of “small flower earrings—petals of gold, with tiny diamonds, rubies and sapphires” that were clipped to the ears of a stuffed bunny, with a note imploring her to say yes. (White was also a stuffed animal lover.)
She did. White and Ludden were married on June 14, 1963 and remained married until his death in 1981. She never remarried.
I’ve had a hard time finding any good pictures of either the ring or the earrings. Perhaps I am just missing them, or maybe she found these items difficult to wear following Ludden’s death.
Either way, the last of the beloved Golden Girls gave me plenty to look at—and smile about—over the last couple weeks.
Rest well, Betty.
More on Editors
The Latest
MajorsJan 02, 2026
Marc Metrick Out as CEO of Saks Global Executive Chairman Richard Baker will take over the role as rumors swirl that a bankruptcy filing is imminent for the troubled retailer.
Events & AwardsJan 02, 2026
Jan Mohr, Couture’s ‘North Star,’ Dies at 71Mohr had just retired in June after more than two decades as Couture’s retailer liaison.
SourcingJan 02, 2026
IDCA Elects New President, Board of DirectorsShekhar Shah of Real Gems Inc. will serve as president of the Indian Diamond & Colorstone Association in 2026.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
CollectionsJan 02, 2026
Lalaounis’ 2026 Good Luck Charm Speaks to ResilienceThis year’s good luck charm features the mythical horse Pegasus, and is our first Piece of the Week of the new year.
Weekly QuizDec 23, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsDec 30, 2025
Becka Johnson Kibby to Lead Edge Retail AcademyAs part of the leadership transition, Sherry Smith will take on the role of vice president of coaching strategy and development.
SourcingDec 30, 2025
India Chosen as KP Chair for 2026It marks the third time the country has headed the Kimberley Process. Ghana will serve as vice chair.
Brought to you by
Roseco Releases New Full-Line CatalogRoseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.
WatchesDec 30, 2025
Bulova, Stetson Collab on Watches With Western FlairThe new Bulova x Stetson designs highlight two animals often associated with the American West—the bison and the Texas Longhorn.
CollectionsDec 30, 2025
Rahaminov Diamonds Pops Up in FloridaIts residency at Yamron Jewelers will run through May 2026.
IndependentsDec 29, 2025
In Memoriam: Industry Friends We Lost in 2025From influential executives to innovative designers, we pay tribute to the people we said goodbye to this year.
MajorsDec 29, 2025
Tanishq Opens New Stores in Florida, VirginiaThe retailer is expanding into areas with large Indian and South Asian populations.
MajorsDec 29, 2025
Nanis Opens First Flagship Store The Italian brand has opened its first flagship amid the peaks of the Dolomites in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy.
SourcingDec 29, 2025
‘Unearthed: Raw Beauty’ Exhibition Opens at LA MuseumThe new curation at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County showcases rare gem and mineral specimens in their uncut, natural state.
CrimeDec 24, 2025
LA Jewelry District Couple Pleads Guilty to Hiding Millions from IRSThe couple pleaded guilty to concealing at least $127 million in cash transactions at its precious metals businesses.
SurveysDec 24, 2025
Consumer Confidence Falls Again in DecemberConsumers shared concerns about prices, inflation, tariffs, trade, and politics in the survey’s write-in response section.
AuctionsDec 24, 2025
Bonhams to Open New U.S. Flagship in NYCIn February 2026, the auction house will move its headquarters to the former Steinway Hall, a neoclassical landmark on Billionaires’ Row.
Events & AwardsDec 24, 2025
NYC Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show Announces Winter EventThe new show will take place Jan. 23-25, 2026.
SourcingDec 23, 2025
Mining Titan Brian Gilbertson Dies at 82The former BHP Billiton leader and Gemfields chairman is remembered for his influential leadership throughout his 50-year mining career.
Events & AwardsDec 23, 2025
Bulgari Reimagines Costume Designers Guild AwardThe LVMH-owned brand has partnered with the costume design union to revamp its award for 2026.
MajorsDec 23, 2025
Kering to Acquire Stake in Raselli Franco GroupThe luxury titan inked a deal to acquire an initial minority stake in the jewelry manufacturer with a pathway to full ownership by 2032.
MajorsDec 23, 2025
For Future Reference Vintage Enters Bloomingdale’sThe company’s curation of unsigned vintage and estate jewelry debuted at the Bloomingdale’s in Costa Mesa, California.
CrimeDec 22, 2025
Customs Seizes Hundreds of Fake Rolex, Cartier WatchesIn the recent multi-shipment seizure, CBP also found counterfeit Audemars Piguet, Moncler, and Chrome Hearts items.
Recorded WebinarsDec 22, 2025
2025 Jewelry Rewind: Looking Back on an Eventful Year Jewelers of America execs and National Jeweler editors discuss tariffs, the sky-high gold price, and the engagement that broke the internet.
MajorsDec 19, 2025
MadaLuxe Group Acquires Ippolita The luxury goods company said founder Ippolita Rostagno will remain at the brand’s helm.
MajorsDec 19, 2025
LVMH Names New Bulgari CEOLaura Burdese, who joined the Italian luxury brand in 2022, will take on the role in July.
EditorsDec 19, 2025
2025 Jewelry Superlatives: A Yearbook-Style Year in Review The National Jeweler editors revisit the most noteworthy industry happenings and design trends from 2025.
