Handmade jewelry made for Betty White by Hawaii woman goes up for auction

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Betty White fan in Hawaii recently got a big shock.

Melyssa Ching Goya, of Alewa Heights, first met White when she was 17 at a book signing in 1991 in Portland, Oregon.

Melyssa Ching Goya's book signed by Betty White in 1991 in Portland, Oregon.
Melyssa Ching Goya’s book signed by Betty White in 1991 in Portland, Oregon.(Courtesy: Melyssa Ching-Goya)

”I became a fan of Betty’s in the in the mid-80s when Golden Girls first came out,” said Ching-Goya.

Over the years, Ching Goya made numerous trips to visit Betty on the set of several productions.

They developed a special friendship and White eventually named her vice president of her fan club.

”I made jewelry out of Fimo clay beads and I decided one day, it would be fun to send her a bracelet,” recalled Ching Goya. “So I sent it to her and she loved it. She wrote a letter back and then a few years later, I decided oh, maybe she needs a necklace to go along with that.”

White sent flowers on their wedding day since she couldn’t attend, celebrated Ching Goya’s daughter’s birth with a gift of baby clothes and met the rest of the family in 2012.

Betty White and Melyssa Ching-Goya's family
Betty White and Melyssa Ching-Goya’s family(Courtesy: Melyssa Ching-Goya)

They kept in touch until Betty White passed away last year.

”I saw that Julian’s auction was going to auction Betty’s estate,” said Ching Goya.

“When it came to the jewelry section, I noticed some jewelry there that it’s been awhile since I’ve seen it and I realized that was mine! That’s what I sent her how many years ago! I am just floored. I am beyond the moon that that would even be considered part of her collection!”

Bidding starts this Friday at 7 a.m. HST on juliensauctions.com.

The starting bid for Ching Goya’s jewelry is $300.

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