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Nancy Pelosi's pearls continue to attract media attention, spurring sales across the country. But the jeweler who sold those cultured pearls says her business hasn't really changed.
Meriwether McGettigan, who has been the Pelosi family jeweler for about 12 years, opened her first retail store, Meriwether on Sacramento Street in San Francisco, California, last fall.
"I had a by-appointment business for 20 years but I was ready for something new," McGettigan says. "I looked for the right location for nine years."
McGettigan specializes in estate jewelry. "I specialize in 20th century pieces, Edwardian, Art Deco, retro, and signed pieces from the '50s, '60s, and '70s. I carry Seaman Schepps and gold bracelets that I design and have manufactured in Italy," she says. "I have pearls all the time, especially when I see strands that are well priced, but I don't have a whole case of them. Right now I have an opera-length strand in the window."
Paul Pelosi, who attended the opening of Meriwether, generally is the one who shops for Nancy Pelosi's wardrobe, including her jewelry. He no doubt deserves a lot of the credit for her best-dressed status.
"Paul Pelosi does scouting for her because she doesn't have time. He shops for her clothes and jewelry. He does a good job," McGettigan says.
She says she can't take credit for suggesting that Nancy Pelosi wear pearls. "I don't know why they decided on pearls. They did some research and then we spent some time discussing them and, in 1999, they purchased a strand of white South Sea baroque pearls. Then they purchased the multicolor South Sea strand and then a strand of golden South Seas."
Pearls quickly became a signature of Nancy Pelosi's wardrobe. "When she started to wear her first strand, I think she realized that pearls are so versatile you can wear them with a white blouse or with a ball gown. They are so wearable. Nancy is extremely practical and pearls are practical and also chic, like she is. The pearls have become a staple."
McGettigan says that all three of Pelosi's strands are 12-14mm and they are all the same flattering length. "Pearls are a nice look and they suit her. They are quiet and sophisticated. She's not a flashy person. She's definitely not into wearing big diamonds or pavé. We made stud earrings to match," she adds.
The pearl necklace that most people mention is the multicolor strand. This fashionable mixed strand is the one inspiring consumers across the country to become a bit more adventurous with their cultured pearls.
"The multicolor strand is her favorite," McGettigan says. "It's a mix of white South Sea, light and medium goldens, and dark medium and dove gray Tahitians. It's a very beautiful blend of colors. Because they are so well blended they go nicely with a lot of clothes."
Like the suits she favors, the pearls are fine quality but not ostentatious. "Nancy Pelosi dresses very simply, Armani and pearls. It goes to show you, the simpler, the better," McGettigan says.
Also quiet and sophisticated, Meriwether may not remain anonymous for long. "I would never have said anything until Paul said to me that the pearls were getting so much attention that I should let people know that they came from me," McGettigan says. "He tells people when they ask. That's probably why my business hasn't really changed, I haven't said anything until now." — Cheryl Kremkow