Beauty Gonzalez addresses a time when she found herself in the middle of a controversy after wearing a nearly millennia-old gold necklace at the GMA Gala 2023.
Earlier this year on July 22, the Kapuso artist graced the GMA Gala 2023 clad in a custom-made beige gown by the talented fashion designer Mara Chua and a pair of Stuart Weitzman heels.
While every bit of her ensemble lived up to her name, it was her vintage jewelry that really caught the eye of spectators: a necklace and a pair of earrings crafted from centuries-old gold and reworked by Requiza Jewelry.
Among those who raised the issue was cultural critic Marian Pastor Roces, who addressed the necklace's supposed dark history.
Revisiting that moment during her guesting at Fast Talk wth Boy Abunda on December 6, Beauty revealed that her decision to put off releasing a counter-statement was because she presumed the complexity of the issue.
READ: Beauty Gonzalez Says She's Willing to Donate Her Centuries-Old Jewelry from the GMA Gala 2023
Amid differing opinions, she maintained her stance and expressed her readiness to donate the controversial gold necklace.
"It's a very unending conversation," she said. "I don't think I did something wrong. Some people think it may be wrong, but you know, I was waiting for a call, but nobody called me."
She guaranteed, "I was willing to give it, yeah, I was willing."
While acknowledging the criticism, the 32-year-old celebrity mom emphasized that she only has two conditions for the jewelry's potential donation.
"Basta maganda 'yung puwesto at may pangalan namin doon because it's years of love and collection of me and my husband," she explained.
I was thinking kasi when everybody wears western jewelry, I wanna wear something that is made from the Philippines. Gawa talaga ng Philippine gold 'yan at ginawa ng mga Filipinos thousands of years ago," Beauty continued. "I was really proud of wearing it, 'cause 'di ko pinatunaw. It is as it is, ginawa ko siyang jewelry."
Beauty proceeded to defend her artistic expression, stating, "'Di ka naman nagpatay ng tao, 'di ka nagholdap, 'di ka nag-kidnap. You're just wearing art and art is not to be understood. The more it's not understood, the more beautiful it is."
* This story originally appeared on Pep.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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