Jewelry Maker Boasts Unexpected Prize: Bar Refaeli's Neck

Yesterday was a good day for jewelry maker Robindira Unsworth. Robindira, who designs jewelry with her husband Robert on their collection, discovered that their Three Strand 22K Gold Vermeil Hammered Bead Necklace was featured on the neck of model Bar Refaeli on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

"It was a complete surprise," Robindira told me. "Six months ago, a stylist asked us to send a series of pieces and, a month ago, we got a credit request. So we knew we were in, but we didn't know it was the cover."

Robindira said that yesterday afternoon she got a call from her girlfriend, went online and saw her necklace on Refaeli.

"We went running out of the office, went to a book store and picked up four copies and we were jumping up and down in the magazine section," she said.

SI_2009_cover.jpg

Robindira told us that having pieces featured in magazines usually translates into big sales. "It's hard to know what's going to happen here," she tellls us. "But it's pretty amazing. We're ready."

The necklace that Bar is wearing retails for $413. The company notes that the necklace is also available in sterling silver ($400) and a mix of oxidized silver and gold ($463).

Items from the collection are available in more than 200 high end boutiques and specialty stores including Henri Bendel, Bloomingdales and the Neiman Marcus Catalogue, as well as on the company's Web site, Robindira.com.

Questions? Comments? SportsBiz@cnbc.com