posted
I was at the Gem and Jewelry show in Dulles (actually Chantilly, VA) this weekend and none other than Loretta Swit was there with a booth, selling her own line of jewelry and accessories she designed herself. I have to say that her work is pretty good. Much of it is very simple, yet elegant, and not at all overpriced in my opinion. (I think she should change the name of her line, though. "Swithearts" was almost saccharine enough to make me go into a siezure right there at the show.)
Anyway, I hate the idea of coming across as a fan-boy of anything, really, so I was mostly just listening to what she was saying to the other patrons. However, my mom's 60th birthday is coming up and I saw this beautiful heart-shaped pin. It was a gold heart outline, lined on the outside with tiny (probably 2mm) garnet spheres set sideways on tiny posts, and on the inside with equal-sized pearls, also on tiny posts, but pointing inward toward a "starburst" style cluster of the tiny garnet spheres. It had a vintage feel to it. Very tasteful and elegant, and just a touch matronly. So I bought it for my mom. As I was making the purchase, I openly admired the pin and told Ms. Swit that I was buying for my mother's 60th. She asked my my mother's name and I told her. Then she pulled out a photo and signed it "To Nancy, Happy Birthday, Lorretta Swit". She was also very nice to sign an autographed photo for my partner, Chris.
I've always thought she was a striking woman. Not conventionally pretty, per se, but very handsome and she certainly works well with what she's got. (But let me tell you, I have never seen lips like those in person before. They are every bit as large as they appeared on TV.)
Just thought I'd share. Someone asked her if the shows keep her very busy and she (almost defensively) replied that she rarely does the shows, and that she is still busy acting (?). I, personally, don't think less of her for having a a sideline. I'd much rather see her hawking jewelry than appearing on Celebrity Boxing or something.
Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Well, I have no idea who Loretta Swit is - but she sounds nice.
As does the pin - though I can't really conceptualise sideways set garnet spheres. I must learn more about jewellry.
Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote: . . . though I can't really conceptualise sideways set garnet spheres.
Draw a heart on a piece of paper. Now go around the outside of the heart with short lines radiating outward (much like a child would add eyelashes to an eye shape). Do the same with the inside of the heart (i.e. short lines radiating inward). Now draw tiny circles on the ends of all the lines. Color the outside circles deep magenta/red and the inside ones creamy pearl/white. Now draw a cluster of tiny circles in the center of the heart. Color them the same red color as the outside circles. That's what the pin looked like.
For a more technical explanation, I believe the garnets and pearls were only half-drilled and pushed over the gold pins radiating out and in from the heart outline. (I'll have to look at it again since I'm at work and the pin is at home.)
And I don't even have to wrap the gift. She put it in a nice box and put that inside a nice zebra-print shopping bag with a gold cartouche sticker holding it closed. It wouldn't look any nicer if I tried to wrap it myself. (Although I may make a ribbon out of gold beads for the pin box itself, just to be extra fancy for my mom).
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