I’d be lying to you if I told you I didn’t enjoy a little break from the realities of life by watching some stress-free TV. So I got a little (a lot) giddy when the Assistant Costume Designer from TV Show "The Young and The Restless" ordered an emerald tie bar from me.
We chatted a little bit about what she wanted (she was interested in matching cufflinks which we ended up not making) and I had no idea I was talking to someone from a TV show, as far as I was concerned, I was just chatting to a customer. We decided that the tie bar that she originally bought would be too small, so I gave her two larger options. She chose the larger options, I made it and sent it off to California.
Which brings me onto another story…
Since lockdown started here in March, things got quiet. I realized that up until that point, I had been rushing around so much, doing things for others and generally keeping myself busy. The lockdown really enabled me to reflect on where I was in my life and to have a think about what I want. It also gave me the opportunity to learn a few new skills, one of which I incorporated into the larger tie bar version.
I set the 4mm created emerald using an Octopus setting, which I learnt from an online course by Lucy Walker Jewelry (if you’re reading this and are a jeweler – she’s an amazing teacher if you’re looking to learn new techniques). This was actually my first attempt (that’s how easy the setting is to master) and it looks fantastic – well I’m happy with how it came out anyway. And so it seems were The Young and The Restless because they got back in touch with me a few weeks later, saying that the tie bar was a hit, that they’d filmed it a number of times!
So far, it has aired on:
Season 48, Episode 24 (approx. 21 mins in)
Season 48, Episode 29 (approx. 4:40 mins in and approx. 13:45 mins in)
Season 48, Episode 31 (approx. 0:46s in and approx. 28 mins in)
Season 48, Episode 32 (approx. 25:30 in)
Season 48, Episode 33 (approx. 7:00 in and approx 16:00 mins in)
Season 48, Episode 34 (throughout episode)
Here's a little video mashup of it's starring debut!
And I’m told the tie bar will be airing multiple more times between now and the end of the year.
If you’re interested in the storyline, here’s an abridged version. Dina has passed away and before she died, she wanted her son to find the “Teardrop of Love” – a large emerald necklace with smaller emeralds surrounding it. Her son found it and as a tribute to his mother, he had pieces of jewelry made for each of the close family members using the smaller emeralds from the necklace. Kyle (the character played by Michael Mealor who is wearing my tie bar) is the grandson of Dina.
I’m really grateful for this opportunity and it’s been an amazing experience to see my jewelry on TV!
UPDATE!
I was asked to make a second tie clip the same as before, with the emerald, but with the addition of a small moissanite.
This one was aired on Christmas Eve, 2020. Summer gave it to Kyle as a Christmas gift, it has the stone from her necklace set in the tie bar. You can view the edited video here:
