Submitted by Hartley Jewelers
A few weeks ago, as the outgoing Miss Washington 2011 Brittney Henry was turning over her crown to her successor, she received one last surprise: a custom-designed Miss Washington Ring created especially for the occasion by Hartley Jewelers.
Miss Henry was the very first recipient of the ring, which will now be gifted to all subsequent Miss Washingtons and is also available to be purchased exclusively by previous wearers of the much-coveted crown.
Hartley Jewelers, who created the Miss Washington ring, has donated a gold and diamond crown pendant for the annual Miss Washington for many years. And earlier this year, the company was appointed official jeweler of the prestigious Miss Washington Pageant.
Talia Hastie, the reigning Miss Washington 1988 and now head of the Miss Washington Alumni Organization, was instrumental in reviving the tradition of supplying Miss Washington with a special, custom-designed ring – and also in bringing Hartley Jewelers in on the project.
Hastie has long been a personal client of Hartley Jewelers and knew they were the best choice – her only choice – to create a special, one-of-a-kind custom piece.
Hartley Jewelers has been creating custom jewelry for 45 years and has earned a reputation as one of the area’s absolute best. A carefully selected team of gifted goldsmiths and designers has launched Hartley Jewelers into a category all its own.
She asked the founders of Hartley Jewelers, Rick and Linda Hartley, if they’d consider designing a Miss Washington ring that would be significant to Washington State. Hartley Jewelers was happy to get involved.
“We support many foundations, and have silently supported the Miss Washington Scholarship Organization for many years,” says Travis Thornton, Marketing Manager at Hartley Jewelers.
The official Miss Washington ring was created in celebration of the strengthened liaison between the two organizations and in honor of the young Miss Washington contestants, who do so much for their communities throughout the year.
It was created entirely by hand, beginning with detailed sketches and culminating in a stunning finished piece. Its style celebrates the regional Miss Washington Pageant and stylishly incorporates a “W” into the design. It also reflects elements of the national Miss America Pageant ring and tiara.
Talia Hastie made a call to Peggy Miller, Executive Director of the Miss Washington Scholarship Organization, to see what she thought about giving a special ring to the winner of the Miss Washington Pageant. Miller loved the idea – and also had a proposal of her own to add.
“Peggy said, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if we had a local supporter ring that could be bought and we could give as a thank you gift for our Volunteers of the Year?’” Hastie recalls.
The Miss America Organization is a largely volunteer-run organization, and the largest scholarship provider for young women in the world, giving over $45 million last year in scholarships. In our state last year, over $46,000 in cash scholarships and $500,000 of in-kind scholarships and prizes was awarded.
“I was just looking for another way to say ‘we value what you are doing.’ Because it can be a thankless job,” Miller says with a good-natured laugh.
With Miller’s guidance, Hartley Jewelers also designed a Miss Washington Supporter Ring alongside the Official Miss Washington Ring.
“It’s the first of its kind,” Thornton says of the supporter ring. “It’s intended for friends, volunteers, family, and the general public – and we’re donating 10 percent of all sales of this ring back to the Miss Washington Organization.”
Both rings are available to purchase on Hartley Jewelers’ website, but the Miss Washington ring is exclusively available to current and past Miss Washingtons.
Both Hastie and Miller are thrilled with the rings created by Hartley Jewelers.
“I love them,” Miller says. “They’re both a good representation of a crown image as well as highlighting the W for Washington.”
“I thank Hartleys for stepping up and making them available,” Miller continues. “I’m very grateful to them for their support of our organization.”
Apart from Brittney Henry, who received the official Miss Washington ring, the top five fundraisers this year were given supporter rings as rewards. Hastie and Miller have received glowing feedback from all ring recipients.
“They love them,” Miller says. “They’re beautiful and unique. There isn’t anything else like them out there.”
“After we gave the ring to Brittney, there were eight of us going, ‘I want one!’” Hastie says, laughing. And fortunately, you don’t need to wear a crown to have Hartley Jewelers work closely with you to design a custom piece. They’ve been doing it since 1967 for all of their clients.
Learn more about Hartley Jewelers and see beautiful examples of just a few of their custom creations by visiting their website, Facebook, and Twitter pages. You can also watch this video, which shows how Hartley creates a custom ring.
Hartley Jewelers
400 Cooper Point Road SW in Olympia
360.754.6161
Tuesday – Friday: 10am to 6pm
Saturday: 10am to 5:30pm
