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
Supplier BulletinSep 18, 2025
Will Your Design Define 2026? Enter The Spectrum & Cutting Edge AwardsSponsored by American Gem Trade Association
SurveysSep 18, 2025
Deloitte Thinks the Holidays Will Be Merry, PwC Isn’t So Sure In its holiday report, PwC said the season will be more like jazz—improvisational and less predictable—than an easy-to-follow melody.
MajorsSep 18, 2025
Pandora to Open New Distribution Center in MarylandThe jewelry giant will relocate its existing facility to a larger space in Anne Arundel.
Brought to you by
reDollar.com Is Rolling Out the Next Level Jewelry, Diamond & Watch Consignment ProgramWith their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.
CollectionsSep 18, 2025
Ashley Zhang Launches Garçon New YorkThe designer, who is the creative force behind her namesake brand, has now started a new mini line focusing on chains for fathers and sons.
Weekly QuizSep 12, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingSep 18, 2025
SSEF Opens Applications for 2 Gemology Education Scholarships The awards include tuition for a course at the Swiss lab, economy flights, and hotel accommodation.
TechnologySep 18, 2025
Hill & Co. Launches AI Strategy ProgramThe 21-day program was designed to help jewelry retailers identify opportunities and eliminate inefficiencies with AI.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
AuctionsSep 17, 2025
Mythical Set of Patek Philippe Pocket Watches Expected to Sell for $10M+A set of four Patek Philippe “Star Caliber 2000” pocket watches is part of Sotheby’s upcoming auction in Abu Dhabi.
TrendsSep 17, 2025
Silvia Furmanovich’s Book Tells the ‘Journey of a Jeweler’The Brazilian jeweler’s latest book marks her namesake brand’s 25th anniversary and tells the tale of her worldwide collaborations.
WatchesSep 17, 2025
Bob’s Watches Acquires Vintage Rolex Won on ‘The Price is Right’ The Submariner Ref. 1680 with a Tiffany & Co. dial came from the original owner, who won it as a prize on the game show in the 1970s.
TechnologySep 17, 2025
Jewelers Mutual Launches Shipping Solution App for Shopify The new integration allows users to manage shipments directly from the Shopify dashboard.
CrimeSep 16, 2025
2 Robbery Suspects Killed in California Pawn Shop ShootoutSix people were shot last week at an Oakland cash-for-gold shop as employees exchanged gunfire with individuals trying to rob the store.
CollectionsSep 16, 2025
Chopard Adds New Designs to Its ‘Ice Cube’ Capsule CollectionThe jeweler has expanded its high jewelry offering, which launched last year, with new pieces featuring its cube motif that debuted in 1999.
SourcingSep 16, 2025
Natural Diamond Council Launches Retailer Accreditation ProgramBen Bridge Jeweler and Lux Bond & Green were a part of the pilot program.
SurveysSep 15, 2025
Resilient Shoppers to Boost Holiday Retail Sales, Says DeloitteIt’s predicting a rise in retail sales this holiday season despite economic uncertainty and elevated inflation.
SourcingSep 15, 2025
Gemfields Achieves $32M at High-Quality Emerald AuctionIt included the sale of the 11,685-carat “Imboo” emerald that was recently discovered at Kagem.
SourcingSep 15, 2025
AGTA Elects 8 Members to Board of Directors The newly elected directors will officially take office in February 2026 and will be introduced at the organization’s membership meeting.
EditorsSep 12, 2025
Out & About: Mining Sapphires in Rock Creek, MontanaAssociate Editor Lauren McLemore headed out West for a visit to Potentate Mining’s operation hosted by gemstone wholesaler Parlé Gems.
TrendsSep 12, 2025
Piece of the Week: Arunashi’s Fordite and Rhodolite EarringsFordite is a man-made material created from the layers of dried enamel paint that dripped onto the floors of automotive factories.
Events & AwardsSep 12, 2025
Al Gilbertson Wins 2025 Robert M. Shipley AwardGilbertson has worked as a researcher, jeweler, lapidary artist, appraiser, and business owner throughout his decades in the industry.
Policies & IssuesSep 11, 2025
Supreme Court to Hear Tariffs Case in November A decision likely won’t come until January 2026 at the earliest, and the tariffs remain in effect until then.
MajorsSep 11, 2025
Tabayer Opens Nordstrom Shop-In-ShopLocated in the revamped jewelry hall at the retailer’s New York City flagship, this opening is Tabayer’s first shop-in-shop.
SourcingSep 11, 2025
Need to Sell More Natural Diamonds? De Beers Has an App for ThatThe new, free app offers accessible educational content, like games and podcasts, for U.S. retailers.
MajorsSep 10, 2025
Stuller to Swap Gold Scrap for Full Credit to AccountAs the gold price rises, the manufacturer is offering a 100 percent payout through Sept. 30 for gold clean scrap.
SourcingSep 10, 2025
Tech Meets Style in the New Loewe x Jacob & Co. HeadphonesJacob & Co. partnered with the German technology company on two pairs of headphones, one set with diamonds and the other with sapphires.
TrendsSep 10, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Archival Jewels Bring Life to ‘Frankenstein’Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 “Frankenstein” will feature 27 jewels and objects from the storied brand, including pieces from its archives.
