The maker of one of the duchess’ favorite pieces of jewelry has said that Meghan Markle clearly “intends” when she chooses her jewelry.
Shilpa Yarlagadda, the founder and CEO of Shiffon Co. jewelers, said in an interview with People that she has always been “super inspired” by Meghan after watching her speech at the United Nations before she wed Prince Harry in 2018.
She has always greatly inspired me, Yarlagagga said.
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“When I was a senior in high school, I listened to her UN Women speech. She works as a counselor for a group called One Young World, of which I was an ambassador and a fan of “Suits.”
“She always acts with purpose, consideration, and meaning for the potential impact she could have.
“I am aware that she wears jewelry with a lot of thought and consideration. She is a fellow female founder with what she has built, and we both care deeply about empowering women,” she added.
On the front cover of Time magazine in September 2021, Meghan was first seen donning one of Shiffon Co.’s renowned pinky rings. Since then, she has worn the design on numerous occasions, including to the Invictus Games and the queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.
Serena Williams and Michelle Obama are just a couple of the famous people the duchess counts as friends and who also happen to be fans of the company.
According to Yarlagadda, “Meghan wearing our ring was just such an amazing moment.”
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Meghan owns two of the brand’s new 1972 tennis pinky rings in addition to the pinky ring seen on the Time cover. An extended diamond is set at one end of a row of diamonds set in yellow gold in this design, which was inspired by the traditional tennis bracelet.
According to the brand, the name of the design was chosen to commemorate “the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the groundbreaking law that opened the door for women in sports.” Additionally, it contributes 19.72 percent of the revenue from the sale of each ring to an investment fund for women in sports.
Meghan is renowned for her tasteful jewelry choices, fusing new contemporary pieces with antiques from her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
Meghan has carefully curated her image to convey a number of messages while settling into an authentic royal aesthetic. She is fiercely proud of not using a stylist.
One of Meghan’s most well-known jewelry choices during her tenure as a royal was the diamond tiara she wore on her wedding day in 2018 that came from Queen Elizabeth II’s private collection.
Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary, owned the platinum and diamond-set tiara (1867-1953).
In an audio clip that was played during the Windsor Castle display of her wedding dress and accessories, Meghan explained that she considered herself “very fortunate” to have been able to select the diamond tiara and that it “stood out” to her among the other options, despite later reports that there was a disagreement over which tiara she would wear, dubbed by the press as “tiara-gate.”
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On Meghan’s wedding day, other jeweled heirlooms were also worn. When the new duchess left Windsor Castle to go to the evening reception, she was spotted wearing Princess Diana’s sizable cocktail ring with a square-cut aquamarine stone.
Since then, Meghan has reportedly worn the princess’ Cartier tank watch as well as numerous items from Diana’s collection, including the princess’ own diamond tennis bracelet.
In addition to Meghan’s aesthetic preferences, the company Shiffon Co. also piques her interest in social and cultural issues. Yarlagadda discussed how the jewelry store helps women in business through a mentoring program called The Startup Girl Foundation in an interview with People.
She added, “So far we’ve funded 11 incredible female-founded companies,” saying, “Through 50% of our profits, we are investing in female founders and companies that empower women.”
We don’t live in a world of equality, she said.
“One thing I’ve always wanted to do is build this community. Because of this, The Startup Girl Foundation and its goal of giving back were established before I even realized I could sell a single item.
