‘Gilmore Girls’ Costume Designer Reveals the Jewelry Richard Gilmore Always Wore and Why
Did you ever notice that Richard Gilmore always wore jewelry? If you didn’t, don’t feel bad. Even the most ardent Gilmore Girls fans might have missed the quick glimpses of the jewelry items Richard constantly wore. A necklace, however, is easily identifiable in a famous season 5 episode, leading some fans to question why Richard was wearing a necklace to bed. Costumer, Valerie Campbell, explained exactly why Richard was sporting gold with his PJs. It comes down to what Edward Herrmann, the actor who portrayed Richard, preferred. Campbell revealed that Herrmann always wore three jewelry pieces for the duration of his time on Gilmore Girls. Richard Gilmore’s necklace was one of those pieces.
Gilmore Girls fans are shocked to see Richard Gilmore wearing a gold necklace in bed in one famous scene
Rory Gilmore and Lorelai Gilmore’s season 5 spat is one of the most hated Gilmore Girls storylines of all time. It seemed out of character for the mother-daughter duo to go so long without talking. The storyline also created an enormous amount of unnecessary tension between Lorelai and her parents, Richard and Emily Gilmore.
In one famed scene, Lorelai lets herself into her parent’s home and drops a laundry basket of Rory’s things onto their bedroom floor as they slept, much to their surprise. When they confront Lorelai, now standing in their bedroom, both are wearing their pajamas. While the scene is classic, it gives rise to another Gilmore Girl mystery. Everyone wants to know what is going on with Richard Gilmore’s necklace in the scene. A Gilmore Girls fan on Reddit couldn’t help but notice that Richard was wearing a gold chain while in bed. The accessory seemed a bit out of character. Thankfully, an insider has the scoop on what Richard’s gold necklace is all about.
According to Valerie Campbell, Richard’s necklace was something Ed Herrmann always wore
Even the most eagle-eyed fans of Gilmore Girls will only notice the gold chain in just a few key moments. Still, it was always around Herrmann’s neck, explained key costumer Valerie Campbell. According to a TikTok Campbell uploaded to the platform, Herrmann always wore the gold cross, regardless of his scene.
So, why can’t fans see it all that often? It’s simply because of the clothing that Herrmann was most often dressed in. His character was a businessman, first and foremost. He spent most of his time in a suit, complete with a tie or bowtie. Since Richard’s collar was always buttoned up, the necklace was easily hidden. If you think about it, there were only a few times when the patriarch of the Gilmore Family wore short sleeves, and he seemed vehemently opposed to t-shirts. That might also explain why fans never noticed a second jewelry piece Richard always wore.
According to the key costumer on ‘Gilmore Girls’ Richard Gilmore’s necklace wasn’t his only hidden accessory
Richard Gilmore’s necklace isn’t the only jewelry piece the famed character was constantly sporting, somewhat secretly. According to Campbell, whenever fans saw the character on screen, he wore the same bracelet and ring, regardless of the scene or the season. In her TikTok, Campbell revealed that Herrmann never removed a copper bracelet he wore to help ease his arthritis or his gold wedding band.
The ring is easy enough to spot in most scenes. That isn’t out of character, though. It makes perfect sense that the character would wear a ring. Completely devoted to his wife, Emily Gilmore, Richard seems like a man who would never remove his wedding band. Apparently, that band belonged to Herrmann. Herrmann married Star Herrmann in 1994. They remained married until his death in 2014.
The bracelet is a bit harder to notice. On the rare occasion that Richard wore short sleeves, like in the season 1 episode, “Kill Me Now,” the bracelet is easy to notice. It’s pretty subtle and refined, though. Most fans likely never gave it a second thought.
Campbell discusses all things Gilmore Girls on her TikTok account, ValeriesCatEyesCream. Campbell is sharing another passion of her’s with the world. The TV and film costume designer has created a book about ice cream, including recipes for her most beloved flavors.
