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The Reason Why Dolly Parton Only Wears Fake Jewelry Will Blow Your Mind

The country queen appreciates a good rhinestone.

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Country music icon Dolly Parton is known for her larger-than-life fashion to match her influential persona. But did you know that much of Parton’s ostentatious jewelry — from those massive diamond rings to colorful necklaces — isn’t real?

It’s not by accident. In a profile for W magazine, Parton’s longtime creative director Steve Summers revealed this tidbit about the star he’s worked with for three decades. “She used to wear real stuff,” he explained about Parton’s bright, attention-grabbing jewelry collection. “But if someone told Dolly they liked her earrings, she’d take them off and hand them to that person! I’d say, ‘Those were real diamonds!’ And Dolly would shrug. So now we always go for fakes.” Sure, she is known for being a generous person, but this really takes the cake. Just another of the many reasons everyone loves Dolly.

But that doesn’t mean that Parton doesn’t sometimes go for the expensive stuff. During her interview, she and Summers played around with a Tiffany diamond bracelet (which even came with a bodyguard to watch over it), but Parton still had a hard time handling the jewels.  “We don’t like the real stuff!” Parton joked to the guard after she proceeded to accidentally drop the pricey piece on the floor. “See what happens when I wear the real stuff?! I’m a rhinestone girl!”

It probably also wouldn’t surprise any Dolly fans to know that Parton herself also likes to weigh in on the size of the accessories she wears. “I can’t wear a jewel that small,” she said at another point during her W interview as she was trying on different styles. “Do you have anything bigger?” Ah, classic Dolly.

The moral of the story? If you ever get the chance to meet Dolly Parton in real life, tell her how much you like her jewelry. Who knows? She may end up handing you something that could possibly be worth quite a pretty penny — or at the very least, a wonderful piece of memorabilia.

This article was updated on September 30, 2022.

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