Debra Messing’s Jewellery Box

Nov 8th, 2012

Bohemian beads, Art Deco rings, statement bracelets, sentimental baubles… it’s an eclectic collection for sure, but jewellery lover Debra Messing makes it work. When did you know you were into jewellery more than the average person? “It started with my dad. He was an executive at a jewellery manufacturing firm in Rhode Island, and when I was around five or six, he’d go to New York City once a week for meetings and bring back bags of samples. I’d tear them open and go through everything. I loved it!

No-one I knew wore costume jewellery,and so I felt like I was learning about the world. As I got older, every birthday and Hanukkah gift was jewellery. That was all I wanted-and that was all I would get! “Describe the first piece you bought. “It was a 1940s tricolour gold ring with an emerald-cut amethyst. I got it at an antiques store in New York when I was a graduate student doing off-Broadway shows. It cost $112, and the owner let me pay her $10 a month.


What style of jewellery do you like? ”

“I love anything oversized. It originated from a place of insecurity, actually. I felt my face wasn’t pretty enough for little, diminutive gems. I wanted something big and powerful to take the attention off my face. Growing up, I always wore big hoops, and now I feel there’s something more ‘me’ with large pieces.”Big works well on the red carpet, too. “Yes! I always wear big rings-they are part of my personality. Generally, I like to have bracelets on my arms as well. There is no other place where you can get away with having four diamond bracelets stacked on your arm. I take advantage of that opportunity. ”

What are your favourite gemstones? “I love diamonds,especially the white ones. My hands shake when I’m wearing them. People joke about it, but it’s true. I think it must be a magnetic or chemical thing that happens to me-I just go with it. I’m also drawn to rubies and emeralds too. ”

You wear so many different styles of jewellery, from the more classic, finer pieces to costume. How do you make sense of it all?

“For me, jewellery is a creative outlet, a way to express myself. If I’m going to a charity lunch, I’ll wear my personal antique pieces-one or two rings and maybe a pair of earrings. When I’m on Capitol Hill on behalf of YouthAIDS, I wear pearls. If I’m in a New York mood, I’ll get out my chunky pieces. Even when I don’t feel like going out, the thought of dressing up makes me think, ‘Oh, but I can wear jewellery for a couple of hours! ‘ And then I’ll go. “

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