When it comes to red carpet jewelry, things tend to skew sharply toward the glittering, the oversized, the pavé . . . the phrase “eye-popping rocks” springs to mind. And while there’s a time and a place to frost yourselves (shout-out to Matthew McConaughey), it’s baubles of another sort that have captured the heart of Brie Larson. Namely: one of the Oscar winner’s best friends, multi-hyphenate tarot reader, Reiki master, and jeweler Melinda Lee Holm.
With 25 years of study and practice in the metaphysical to her name, Holm was first spurred to dip a toe into the waters of jewelry after a close friend’s sudden loss. During a tarot reading, Holm noticed numerical and color patterns emerge, and began applying the principles of her readings, as well as Reiki, to a piece designed to bring comfort to her bereaved friend. “The jewelry really came about as a tool to extend the time I had with people doing tarot readings after they left my presence,” Holm tells Vogue.com.
Her delicate yet unfussy creations incorporate everything from alchemical symbols and beautifully imperfect, crystal-clear Herkimer diamonds (actually quartz) to precious metals with energies all their own. Silver, Holm says, is closely associated with the moon and an almost high-priestess sort of intuition, while gold is linked to the sun and forward-moving action. She works with clients to collaboratively create pendants or bracelets that are specifically beneficial to them—though even those who can’t book time with Holm for a reading can fill out a 22-point questionnaire and have a bespoke piece delivered to their door.
Larson and Holm hit it off almost three years ago, courtesy of an introduction by Holm’s husband, and the rest is history. “This fall when it was getting into awards season, I didn’t have to have Brie sit down in front of me for a tarot reading to know what kind of energies were going to be beneficial to her,” Holm recalls with a laugh. “It was pretty clear.” As for the Room actress, MLH’s metaphysical creations did plenty to change her approach to accessorization: “I have never cared much for jewelry before—but her perspective changed that for me,” she tells Vogue.com.
“Melinda’s pieces are elegant but embrace the natural beauty of the stones. They are not cut and carved to be a perfect shape but are as nature intended them.” Larson sports a custom bracelet in iolite, labradorite, rainbow moonstone, and aquamarine, telling us of the design: “It’s for connection to the self, protection of individuality, and opening clear communication. I wear it when I leave the house to run errands or go to the movies. For me, it is a symbol of who I am.” Larson also tapped Holm to create custom necklaces for those closest to her during awards season earlier this year. “The main star was a Herkimer diamond with two pieces of lapis lazuli on either side on a silver chain,” Larson says. “The colors were the same as my Oscar dress and the stones were chosen for their energetic properties. I owe much of my success to the generosity of others—being able to return the favor with her custom necklaces will be something I will never forget.”
The singer and actress isn’t the only one who’s responded strongly to Holm’s healing baubles; she boasts a particularly loyal following across the entertainment landscape, including Mad Men bombshells Christina Hendricks and Jessica Paré. Larson describes Holm as one of her “favorite and most trusted friends on this planet.” Perhaps it’s little wonder that the nonstop world of Hollywood has taken notice: “It is [Melinda’s] life’s work to connect people to their story and their place in this big world. We all work so hard and life moves so fast—it has become vital for me to slow down and feel the present.”
