{{Short description|American jewelry designer}} {{Infobox person |name = Ann Hand |birth_name = |image = Ann Hand (cropped from JG7 9248 (49470215347)).jpg |image_size = 250px |caption = Hand in 2020 |birth_date = |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |signature = |spouse = Lloyd Nelson Hand |children = 5 |education = University of Texas at Austin |occupation = jewelry designer<br/>businesswoman |relatives = |website = [https://annhand.com/ annhand.com] }} '''Ann Hand''' is an American jewelry designer and businesswoman. In 1988, she founded the jewelry company Ann Hand LLC. She is married to Lloyd Nelson Hand, who served as the Chief of Protocol of the United States under President Lyndon B. Johnson.
== Early life and education == Hand grew up in Houston and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied opera.<ref name= fab>{{cite web|author= <!-- not stated -->|date= January 5, 2010|title= Meet Ann Hand|url= https://www.faboverfifty.com/women/blog/ann-hand/|website= FabOverFifty.com|location= |publisher= Brinsights|access-date= January 8, 2025|archive-date= January 25, 2025|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250125021820/https://www.faboverfifty.com/women/blog/ann-hand/|url-status= live}}</ref>
== Career == Hand is the founder of Ann Hand LLC, a jewelry design company that she founded in 1988.<ref name= wwd>{{cite web|last= Watters|first= Susan|date= January 18, 2005|title= Ann Hand's Capital Jewels|url= https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/ann-hand-s-capital-jewels-587420/|website= Women's Wear Daily|location= New York City|publisher= |access-date= January 8, 2025|archive-date= January 25, 2025|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250125021745/https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/ann-hand-s-capital-jewels-587420/|url-status= live}}</ref> The company is based in the Georgetown, Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite web|author= Adams, Tamara|date= April 3, 2008|title= Rock the vote|url= https://nationaljeweler.com/articles/316-rock-the-vote|website= National Jeweler|location= |publisher= |access-date= January 8, 2025|archive-date= January 25, 2025|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250125022003/https://nationaljeweler.com/articles/316-rock-the-vote|url-status= live}}</ref> Her designs gained notoriety in 1993 after Hand designed a custom pin for Colleen O'Brien Nunn, the wife of Democratic Senator Sam Nunn, to commemorate the unveiling of a restored Statue of Freedom at the U.S. Capitol Building.<ref name= fab/><ref name= washingtonian/> Hand's jewelry became popular with high-ranking U.S. politicians and diplomats,<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date= |title= Ann Hand: Sew much comfort|url= https://washingtonlife.com/issues/february_2006/ann_hand/|website= Washington Life Magazine|location= Washington, D.C.|publisher= |access-date= January 8, 2025}}</ref> and their spouses, including Madeleine Albright and Hillary Clinton.<ref name= washingtonian>{{cite web|last= McElwaine|first= Sandra|date= January 18, 2017|title= DC Jeweler Surprised by Vitriol That Greeted Her Trump Inauguration Collection|url= https://washingtonian.com/2017/01/18/ann-hand-trump-jewelry-blowback/|website= Washingtonian|location= Washington, D.C.|publisher= |access-date= January 8, 2025|archive-date= January 9, 2025|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250109033713/https://www.washingtonian.com/2017/01/18/ann-hand-trump-jewelry-blowback/|url-status= live}}</ref> She designed custom jewelry and gifts for the White House, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Central Intelligence Agency, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the United Space Alliance, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Red Cross, the United Service Organizations, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Smithsonian, The Heritage Foundation, ExxonMobil, the Lockheed Corporation and QVC.<ref name= rwff>{{cite web|author= <!-- not stated -->|date= |title= Ann Hand Exclusive Design RWFF|url= https://www.rwfforum.org/products/ann-hand-pin|website= Republican Women's Federal Forum|location= Washington, D.C.|publisher= |access-date= January 8, 2025|archive-date= January 25, 2025|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250125021754/https://www.rwfforum.org/products/ann-hand-pin|url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last= Dufour|first= Jeff|date= August 11, 2009|title= Ann Hand to close Georgetown shop|url= https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/797587/ann-hand-to-close-georgetown-shop/#google_vignette|website= Washington Examiner|location= Washington, D.C.|publisher= |access-date= January 8, 2025|archive-date= January 25, 2025|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250125021809/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/797587/ann-hand-to-close-georgetown-shop/#google_vignette|url-status= live}}</ref> She also designed pieces for the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and the Clinton Presidential Center.<ref name= rwff/> [[File:5D4A2409 (48996340263).jpg|thumb|right|250px|Hand (right) with her husband and Nancy Pelosi in 2019]] In 2007, Hand designed a line of jewelry for Miss America.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date= November 26, 2007|title= Ann Hand designs Miss America jewelry|url= https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sports/1820025/ann-hand-designs-miss-america-jewelry/|website= Washington Examiner|location= Washington, D.C.|publisher= |access-date= January 8, 2025}}</ref> In 2017, she created jewelry for the inauguration of Donald Trump.<ref name= nbc>{{cite web|author= <!-- not stated -->|date= January 10, 2017|title= Longtime Georgetown Jeweler Ann Hand Ready for the Next Inauguration|url= https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/longtime-georgetown-jeweler-ann-hand-ready-for-the-next-inauguration_washington-dc/8851/|website= NBC News|location= Washington, D.C.|publisher= |access-date= January 8, 2025|archive-date= January 25, 2025|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250125021904/https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/longtime-georgetown-jeweler-ann-hand-ready-for-the-next-inauguration_washington-dc/8851/|url-status= live}}</ref> Her company faced a boycott following the launch of her Trump jewelry.<ref name= washingtonian/> She previously designed jewelry for the inauguration of Barack Obama.<ref name= hunews>{{cite web|author= <!-- not stated -->|date= |title= Political Jeweler Creates Patriotism, Politics in Designs|url= https://hunewsservice.com/news/political-jeweler-creates-patriotism-politics-in-designs/|website= Howard University News Service|location= Washington, D.C.|publisher= Howard University|access-date= January 8, 2025|archive-date= January 25, 2025|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250125021752/https://hunewsservice.com/news/political-jeweler-creates-patriotism-politics-in-designs/|url-status= live}}</ref>
== Personal life == She is married to Lloyd Nelson Hand, an attorney who served as Chief of Protocol of the United States under President Lyndon B. Johnson.<ref name= fab/> They have five children.<ref name= fab/> One of her sons died in a car accident.<ref name= washingtonian/>
She moved to Washington, D.C. in 1965 for her husband's appointment in the Johnson administration.<ref name= washingtonian/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hand, Ann}} Category:Living people Category:20th-century American businesswomen Category:21st-century American businesswomen Category:American jewelry designers Category:American women company founders Category:American women jewellers Category:Businesspeople from Houston Category:Spouses of American politicians Category:Texas Democrats Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people)