So much of my life during Covid-19 has revolved around screen-time. Those first few weeks of shelter-at-home I watched network news obsessively, checked in on friends and family across the country via email and text, and spent the rest of the time on Twitter. Once the initial shock of the situation abated a bit, I turned to Turner Classic Movies for non-stop streaming of films that removed me from reality for hours on end. While I cleaned the house or worked on a sewing project, the iPad and the movies came along with me.
Next up was bingeing of on-demand content. My husband and I started to rewatch “The Sopranos,” beginning the saga with the first episode. (We couldn't believe 20 years had passed since its initial airing.) So once again we shared this series together, while on my own I was seeking out every comedy special by Sebastian Maniscalco, plus downloading ebooks from the St. Louis County Library.
That’s right about when the jewelry industry figured out how to make good use of the forced downtime. An absolute deluge of content began appearing in my inbox. Webinars and instructional panel discussions on every possible aspect of the jewelry business, from gemology, to virtual visits to designer studios, to jewelry history lessons – it was all there for the taking. This was offered on top of the daily trade publications that I receive to keep abreast of the industry. It was too much to read, to sign up for, to follow and stay on top of. It became daunting, and for me is definitely too much of a good thing.
But one particular story buried at the bottom of an e-blast caught my eye and gave me immense pleasure. I had always wondered about the jewelry that Carmela Soprano wears as the suburban mob boss’ wife. Her layered gold necklaces are such a distinctive feature of her character, and her spectacular jewelry gifts always came in a Harry Winston box. This fascinating article neatly tied up my love of jewelry, The Sopranos, and binge-ing during the pandemic in a neat, tidy bow. I mean, “Whatta ya gonna do?” I’ll share it with you here, from “National Jeweler.” Enjoy!