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.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Editors
The Latest
CrimeFeb 11, 2025
2 Men Charged With Selling Stolen Jewelry, Watches in NYC Diamond DistrictOne of the men is said to be connected to the South American crew charged with burglarizing Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow’s home.
ColumnistsFeb 11, 2025
Peter Smith: 9 Store Manager Archetypes Smith details the types of store managers he’s encountered, with the goal of helping retailers find a person who’s a fit for their store.
WatchesFeb 11, 2025
Bulgari, MB&F Launch Reimagined ‘Serpenti’ WatchThe brands immersed one of Bulgari’s most famous historical icons in MB&F’s ultra-mechanical universe of haute horlogerie.
Brought to you by
3 Ways to Capitalize on America’s Newfound Love of Colored GemsColored stones are stepping into a jewelry spotlight typically reserved for diamonds—are you ready to sell color?
FinancialsFeb 11, 2025
Boucheron a Bright Spot as Kering’s Full-Year Sales Sink 12%The luxury titan’s full-year performance was weighed down by struggling sales at its star brand Gucci.
Weekly QuizFeb 06, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsFeb 11, 2025
Midas Chain Releases First Diamond CollectionThe jewelry manufacturer has launched more than 100 pieces made with natural diamonds.
SurveysFeb 10, 2025
Jewelry Resilient in 2024 Even As Luxury Sales Slipped, Says Bain & Co.Bain & Co.’s latest report on the luxury market examines why the market’s customer base is shrinking and how to appeal to consumers in 2025.
Brought to you by
3 New Year’s Resolutions for Jewelry Lovers The new year feels like a clean slate, inspiring reflection, hope, and the motivation to become better versions of ourselves.
CrimeFeb 10, 2025
Counterfeit Jewelry Kept Kentucky Customs Agents Busy in January, CBP Says Officers in Louisville seized 28 shipments of fake jewelry and watches that would have been worth more than $27 million if genuine.
CollectionsFeb 10, 2025
Hearts on Fire Flips Jewelry ‘Inside Out’ in New CollectionThe collection centers on the art of tailoring, inspired by designs that feature folded fabrics, such as a tuxedo lapel.
Events & AwardsFeb 10, 2025
Select Jewelry Show Heads to NashvilleThe trade show has added a new location to its fall line-up.
CollectionsFeb 07, 2025
Piece of the Week: Jade Trau’s ‘Ladybird’ CharmFrom the brand’s latest collection of lucky charms, the ladybird is seen as a bearer of good fortune and a ward against negative energy.
SourcingFeb 07, 2025
De Beers’ Production Guidance Slashed, Anglo Anticipates Another WritedownThe moves come amid a prolonged period of lower demand for diamonds, particularly in China.
Events & AwardsFeb 07, 2025
Registration Opens for Stuller’s Bench Jeweler WorkshopThe workshop returns in March, along with the “Battle of the Benches” mini challenge series.
IndependentsFeb 06, 2025
106-Year-Old Jewelry Store Saved by New OwnersTwo attorneys purchased Windsor Jewelry, which was set to close, and will retain all existing staff at the downtown Indianapolis store.
MajorsFeb 06, 2025
Oscar Heyman Employee Celebrates 60 Years With the Company Adam Heyman joined the family business in 1965, just weeks after graduating from Columbia Business School.
CollectionsFeb 06, 2025
De Beers Jewellers’ New High Jewelry Pays Homage to the Beauty of TreesThe “Essence of Nature, Chapter One” collection echoes trees and roots, literally and figuratively, through three sets of high jewelry.
IndependentsFeb 06, 2025
Hamilton Jewelers Revamps Palm Beach BoutiqueThe fourth-generation, family-owned jeweler has given its Worth Avenue store a new look.
CrimeFeb 05, 2025
‘The Timepiece Gentleman’ Sentenced to 5-Plus Years Behind Bars Luxury watch dealer Anthony Farrer pleaded guilty late last year to defrauding clients in a scheme with Ponzi-type elements.
FinancialsFeb 05, 2025
Pandora Posts Double-Digit Growth After Strong Holiday SeasonIn its full-year results, the retailer shared its 2025 outlook and an update on the global rollout of its lab-grown diamond collection.
TrendsFeb 05, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Feeling Fabulous in FebruaryCelebrate February birthstones and the gem shows in Arizona this month with a versatile stone like amethyst.
MajorsFeb 05, 2025
DCA Promotes Kristen Scheetz to Director of Education, MembershipScheetz has been with the nonprofit since 2007.
SourcingFeb 04, 2025
New Deal With Botswana Is Done, De Beers Confirms The agreement will allocate an increasing proportion of the country’s rough diamonds to the government of Botswana over the next decade.
Events & AwardsFeb 04, 2025
Van Cleef & Arpels’ Astronomy-Inspired Jewelry to Land at AMNH“Cosmic Splendor: Jewelry From the Collections of Van Cleef & Arpels,” opens April 11 at the American Museum of Natural History.
SurveysFeb 04, 2025
Valentine’s Day Jewelry Spending Forecast to Hit Record High, Says NRFThose celebrating Valentine’s Day this year are expected to spend a record $27.5 billion on jewels, flowers, candy, and more.
MajorsFeb 03, 2025
Qurate to Close HSN’s Florida HQ Amid RestructuringLayoffs will reportedly start next month as HSN plans to move into QVC’s location in Pennsylvania.
AuctionsJan 31, 2025
Elizabeth Taylor’s Diamond Bracelet Outshines Estimate at U.K. AuctionThe auction also featured the sale of a Cartier necklace made when Egyptomania was sweeping Great Britain.
