The Pearls Come Full Circle
Friday, November 28, 2008 at 9:33 AM 
Photo courtesy of PRNewsFoto/NEWSWEEK
In 1996, jewelry designer Carolee Friedlander purchased faux pearl clip earrings and a necklace at a Sotheby's auction. But these weren't just any pearls - they had belonged to former First Lady and style icon, Jacqueline Kennedy. At the time, the designer said she planned to produce a special line of jewelry inspired by the pieces. "Jackie loved pearls and we can all relate to that," Friedlander said. It was surely of great delight then, when Carolee staffers realized our future First Lady Mrs. O was a fan of Carolee pearls herself. They first noticed she was wearing the 16mm single strand of Carolee pearls when they saw her profile shot in the February 25th issue of Newsweek. How could they be sure? They could see the signature Carolee heart clasp at the nape of Mrs. O's neck. Mrs. O has since been seen wearing the same strand of Carolee pearls on multiple occasions, notably paired with the chic purple Maria Pinto dress she wore when it was announced that Mr. O had won the Presidential nomination for the Democratic Party in June. 
Photo used with kind permission from Flickr photographer kayakbiker2000
From Jackie to Carolee and now to Mrs. O - we love when life comes full circle. Carolee has now begun to call the 16mm strand the "Michelle Pearls". The necklace retails for $50, and can purchased at Carolee.com.
Photo used with kind permission from Carolee