Beauty in Blue

Houston Museum of Natural Science invited more than 500 into its expansive facility for a night of dinner and dancing. This year’s gala honored the Cockrell family and its foundation, which has generously gifted HMNS and other cultural institutions with game-changing contributions. The night’s signature drink — tequila and Blue Curacao in a blue-salted-rim glass — was named for the newest addition to the Lester & Sue Smith Gem Vault, a gigantic blue sapphire called Siren of Serendip.

Mike Rathke
Ernie Cockrell and Bill Montgomery
Ernie Cockrell and Bill Montgomery


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‘Embrace Changes,’ Says Valobra, Whose Namesake Jewelry Store Has Become a Houston Institution
How did you get to where you are today? I had little choice in the matter; I grew up being trained to become the fourth-generation jewelry designer behind my great grandfather, grandfather, and father. It was my duty to carry on the family business and continue the hard work and success they built from nothing, beginning in Torino, Italy in 1905. I was surrounded by jewelry and its craftmanship as a young child and was taught the business from a very young age.
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Evan and Kate Elsenbrook and Elyse and Drew Tolson

SUPPORTERS OF RONALD McDonald House Charities of Greater Houston gathered for a whimsically fun fete at the Hilton Americas hotel. The 2024 Boo Ball was themed "Once Upon a Time," and it raised a true happily-ever-after amount of $1 million — a new record!

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