Julia wears Oie Minnesota has a Julia Roberts connection.
Local designer Liz Oie has been making jewelry with gold, silver and precious and semiprecious stones for more than a dozen years out of her home in Burnsville. While locally the Oie Jewelry line (available at Epitome in Galleria and Stephanie's in St. Paul) has become very popular, last summer Oie's eldest son Collin and his girlfriend, Jenna Schneiderman, took it to New York, where they were living and interning. They set up shop on the street in Brooklyn. Zoe Kravitz (Lenny's daughter) stopped by.
The jewelry did so well that Schneiderman decided to try a few stores. SoHo boutique Callalilai loved it and started carrying it.
The first day the jewelry was in the store, actress Julia Roberts bought a yellow jade necklace. Someone returned on her behalf and purchased a medallion that was hand-painted by Tibetan monks. It features the symbol for Namaste and represents "the light in me and the light in you," said Oie. There are photos of Roberts wearing the latter on her way to the set of "Eat, Pray, Love" in Italy. "When I saw Julia Roberts wearing my necklace, I could not believe it," said Oie. "It's Julia Roberts!"
Oie's work continues to sell in New York -- she has expanded to Foravi and a second Callalilai location. Her new work features more vintage pieces with precious and semiprecious stones. Good news for Minnesotans -- they sell for less here.
At Epitome, earrings are $50 to $150 and necklaces are $100 to $250.
Last-minute gifts Still shopping? Here are some quick places to scoop up goodies for those left on your list.
Gaviidae Market
What: A gift mart in Gaviidae. So you can shop without going outdoors. You'll find apparel by Foat Design, Leendaloo Brand Tees and Ciao Marco, and jewelry by Helen Wang Jewelry, SilverCocoon and Infrared Studios.
