Living the Suite Life

By Carrie Soucy, Senior Editor -- JCK Online, November 1, 2005

From the A list to the D list, celebrities had their pick of jewelry for the Emmys in September. In the penthouse of the Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive, 40 jewelry designers showed their wares at Platinum Guild International's suite. Nearby, the American Gem Trade Association was holed up at the Beverly Hilton showcasing the work of several dozen others.

Jewelry played a prominent role on the red carpets, and stylists and celebrities—while still over-reliant on some old standby brands—are discovering the vast array of design and materials available.

Platinum Guild has been hosting similar suites for several Hollywood awards for several years, but PGI's Michael O'Connor declared this year's event one of the most successful yet. On the red carpet, meanwhile, more celebrities were heard crediting the company that loaned them jewelry, at times with humility that proved celebrity-placement gratitude is a two-way street.

“When you're on the D list, you have to keep mentioning the company so they'll lend to you again,” said red-carpet host Kathy Griffin as she credited her jewelry to Erica Courtney.