Sharp-eyed jewelry aficionados may have noticed a familiar geometric pair of earrings on the dais during the Jan. 21 daytime Inauguration 2013 festivities. No, we’re not talking about Beyoncé’s massive Lorraine Schwartz emeralds. (Although no one missed those!) We mean the earrings second lady Jill Biden chose to accessorize her silvery, bow-tied Lela Rose coat—which were from the popular Gemstone Collection by New York City–based designer Kara Ross.

“We had sent a bunch of options to Jill Biden to wear,” says Ross. “We weren’t sure what clothing or jewelry she would choose. Of course we were thrilled that she chose the earrings!”

The hand-carved earrings—set with white sapphires in sterling silver—“go with any color clothing because they’re white mother-of-pearl,” says Ross. “They looked great, because they looked feminine and flattering and not ‘too much.’”

Michelle Obama has worn pieces from Ross’ Gemstone Collection as well. And Ross has actually designed jewelry from wood from a White House magnolia tree; read more about that—plus her jewelry collections—in the May 2012 issue of JCK.

JCK