SourcingNov 25, 2024
William Goldberg Celebrates 2 Major Milestones With New Book“The William Goldberg Way” was released in honor of the company’s 75th anniversary and 25 years of its proprietary Ashoka diamond.
WatchesOct 22, 2020
A Movie About the ‘Radium Girls’ Is Coming Out
It uses composite characters to tell the story of the women who were sickened painting clock and watch dials with radium to make them glow in the dark.
“Radium Girls” stars Joey King (Hulu’s “The Act,” FX’s “Fargo”) and Abby Quinn (2019’s “Little Women,” Netflix’s “Black Mirror”) as dial-painters Bessie and Jo Cavallo. It will be in theaters and available to stream Friday.
New York—The story of the women who were sickened painting watch and clock dials with radioactive glow-in-the-dark paint in the early 20th century is being retold in a feature film.
Directed by Lydia Dean Pilcher and Ginny Mohler, “Radium Girls” opens Friday in select theaters and also can be screened virtually.
Set in 1925, the movie stars Joey King and Abby Quinn as Bessie and Jo Cavallo, composite characters inspired in part by three real-life sisters who worked in the dial-painting factory in Orange, New Jersey: Quinta Maggia McDonald, Albina Maggia Larice and Amelia “Mollie” Maggia, who was the first dial-painter to die when she passed in September 1922.
Bessie, an aspiring actress, and Jo, who wants to be an archeologist, are employees of the fictional American Radium Factory whose dreams are derailed when Jo falls ill.
The cause, they eventually figure out, is radium, a finding American Radium vehemently denies despite having research to the contrary.
The Cavallo sisters, along with other dial painters who have fallen ill, take the company to court on behalf of Jo and the other women who have become sickened by ingesting radium.
The release of “Radium Girls” brings the story of the real-life dial-painters—whose courageous actions laid the groundwork for worker protections in the United States—to the big screen, though it has been told in documentary and book form before.
“Radium City,” directed by Carole Langer, came out in 1987, and in 2017, London-based author Kate Moore published a nonfiction book about the women who labored in dial-painting factories in both New Jersey and Ottawa, Illinois.
National Jeweler did a Q&A with Moore earlier this year in which she detailed her writing and research process for “The Radium Girls” and discussed parallels to the current situation in which many essential workers find themselves due to COVID-19.
VIDEO: The Trailer for ‘Radium Girls’
“Radium Girls” the movie was produced by Lydia Dean Pilcher and Emily McEvoy, with Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner among the executive producers.
Mohler and Brittany Shaw wrote the screenplay.
To see where it’s playing near you or to pre-order a virtual ticket, visit RadiumGirlsMovie.com.
More on Watches
The Latest
Lab-GrownNov 25, 2024
Lab-Grown Co. Lusix Sold to 2 Companies for $4M Fenix and Dholakia Lab-Grown Diamonds have jointly acquired the Israel-based company, which grows diamonds using solar power.
IndependentsNov 25, 2024
Sophie Bille Brahe Opens First US StoreThe Danish brand has opened an appointment-only location on Madison Avenue in New York City.
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
Events & AwardsNov 25, 2024
The Original Miami Beach Antique Show Panel to Feature Fred SavageThe actor and watch enthusiast will be part of the show’s education lineup.
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
EditorsNov 22, 2024
Out & About: Inside the CD Peacock MansionStep inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
CollectionsNov 22, 2024
Piece of the Week: Xander Jane’s ‘Spiked’ Pearl StudsThese punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
SourcingNov 22, 2024
Facets of Fire Expands to Include Pear, Marquise DiamondsThe company brings its nanotechnology to two new fancy cuts for diamonds that feature its signature color and brilliance.
Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2MThree Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund RequestsA federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ CollectionCynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San FranciscoThe new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
IndependentsNov 21, 2024
Mary Moses Kinney Is Now Part of The Edge’s Team Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
CrimeNov 20, 2024
Sotheby’s to Pay $6.25M Settlement to NY State for Alleged Tax FraudThe auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
Kering Debuts New Jewelry Award With Sustainability FocusThe four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New CollectionThe “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation EffortsThe money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
The Jewelry Symposium Opens Registration, Scholarship ApplicationsThe event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
CrimeNov 19, 2024
Woman Killed in Armed Robbery of Sacramento Jewelry StoreLocal reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry SaleA collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYCThe Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
EditorsNov 18, 2024
Q&A: Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton on the Jeweler’s RebrandHampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry WeekThe group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra ScottThe collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
