Dolly Parton may be best known for her love of rhinestones, but she also inspired many to sparkle with her jewelry style. The beloved singer, actress, and philanthropist was known to stack rings, collect butterfly brooches, and show off her sizable diamonds.
Parton’s representatives announced her death at age 80 on Tuesday, and jewelry industry members who worked with or were inspired by the Tennessee-born star spoke out about the pleasure of collaborating with her and the joy she brought to everything she did, including her impressive jewels.
Holly Daniels Christensen, founder and designer of Dune Jewelry, tells JCK she created the Dolly Parton Heart of Sand necklace to honor Parton as an icon and her connection to home, which Christensen says is also a hallmark of her brand. Dune donates 10% of the proceeds from the piece to Parton’s Imagination Library.
“She was bold, generous, resilient, wildly talented, and she wore her faults like diamonds,” Christensen says. “She skillfully navigated perceptions of who she was to turn negativity around with humor and heart. I’ve always admired that about her. She didn’t shrink herself to fit into someone else’s idea of who she should be. She dreamed bigger, worked incredibly hard, and brought every bit of herself along for the ride.”
International Colored Gemstone Association CEO Brandee Dallow posted a Parton tribute on her personal social media; the self-described “huge music fan” tells JCK she has followed Dolly her entire life.
“I remember when I first began learning about everything she did for others—how much she gave, how much she gave away, and how quietly so much of it was done. It really stayed with me. Here was someone with extraordinary success and influence who seemed to understand that those things didn’t lessen her obligation to do good in the world. These things actually gave her the opportunity to do more of it,” Dallow says.
Parton—who once sang that “it’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world”—was best known for jewelry that was as oversized as her generosity. She loved a big hoop or chandelier earring. She had several wedding rings, she told Vogue, and her largest diamond came on her 50th anniversary, when she received a 3 ct. diamond. She adored charm bracelets, stacking rings, and the butterfly brooches her fans often gifted to her.
In a profile for W magazine, Parton’s longtime creative director, Steven Summers, said she started wearing costume jewelry partly because of her tendency to give away the pieces when she met fans.
“She used to wear real stuff,” he said. “But if someone told Dolly they liked her earrings, she’d take them off and hand them to that person! I’d say, ‘Those were real diamonds!’ And Dolly would shrug. So now we always go for fakes.”
Tributes to the late singer came in like waves of grief that we all collectively felt upon learning of Parton’s death. Kendra Scott on Instagram wrote that Parton was her “North Star” and an angel on earth. The two collaborated on several jewelry collections inspired by Parton’s songs and her love for butterflies.
“I feel so blessed and lucky to have known her, to have loved her and I will cherish our moments together with honor,” the post said. “Dolly had a gift for making everyone feel special and her presence will be so greatly missed. Her spirit, her generosity, and her joy will stay with me always. I love you, Dolly.”
Fred Leighton on its Instagram tribute said Parton wore its jewels to the 2006 Oscar ceremony, where she was nominated for Best Original Song. (Fun fact: Her song “Travelin’ Thru” from Transamerica lost to Three 6 Mafia’s “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from Hustle & Flow, and Parton sent the hip-hop group, fellow Tennesseans, a congratulatory note.)
“Ever the brightest light with her immense talent, her angelic voice, her joy, and generous heart, she leaves a legacy of music, literacy, and of acceptance and love. RIP, beautiful Dolly,” the Fred Leighton post said.
Top: Dolly Parton at the 2006 Vanity Fair Oscar party wearing Fred Leighton jewels (photo: AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
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