The sighting: Actress Joey King recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote her new show, We Were the Lucky Ones. King’s show ensemble was cute, but what really caught my eye was the jewelry she wore with the outfit she chose for her arrival to the studio.
The jewels: Joey King selected an assortment of gold jewelry to accompany her form-fitting black outfit. Her earrings are Budahood’s Portal of Joy hoops, which I know very little about because the brand has not yet launched its website. She is also wearing two gold rings, one by Charlotte Dauphin and one by Awe Inspired.
What really caught my eye was the actress’s necklaces. Both are a nod to King’s Jewish heritage and presumably also a reference to her latest show, which is a World War II story about a Jewish family.
The upper necklace is a dainty Star of David with diamonds in yellow gold, made by Elisa Solomon Jewelry. The necklace is available on Elisa Solomon’s website in this colorway for $1,070, but it can also be customized with other gemstone combinations.
Below the star necklace is Jennifer Zeuner Jewelry’s Stav necklace, a delicate gold chain with a yellow gold chai. Chai is a Hebrew word meaning “life” and a powerful symbol in Jewish culture. The style is available online in a number of different materials, starting at $132 for gold vermeil or sterling silver and going up to $310 for 14K yellow gold.
The trends: I can’t speak for Joey King, but I know that many Jewish jewelry lovers – myself included – have felt a stronger pull to openly wear traditional Jewish talismans since the war in Israel and accompanying wave of antisemitism erupted in the past year. I’ve spoken with several vintage jewelry dealers who have seen an increase in demand for jewelry with Jewish symbolism for the same reason.
What do we think? I love this. I personally have one of Elisa Solomon’s chai pendants – not quite what Joey King is wearing, but close! – and I absolutely adore it. These two necklaces are as lovely as they are meaningful and I think it’s great that Joey King chose to wear them on an occasion when she knew she was sure to be photographed.
Most jewelry stores will have a options for stylish crosses in their cases, but it’s less common to see symbols of the Jewish faith rendered in such a lovely and wearable way. Both the Elisa Solomon six-pointed star and Jennifer Zeuner chai are beautiful and poignant and I’m very glad to see them getting the attention they deserve.
Judgement: 18/10 for a meaningful and stylish jewelry choice.
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