Paul Joseph Badali, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, employer, and friend departed the Grey Havens for the Undying Lands on December 1, 2024. Paul bravely battled a rare blood cancer and subsequent complications with a stem cell transplant. He was guided through his transition by his loving wife (Melody) and child (Kaden) the morning of the 1st at Huntsman Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

 Born April 29, 1951, in New Haven, Connecticut, Paul was the oldest of three children born to Joseph A. and Emma Welter Badali. Paul grew up in Branford, nestled between the forest and the ocean, which instilled a love of nature and creativity. He married the love of his life, Melody Black, in 1974. Paul passed on his passion for nature and literature to his four children, Loria, Alaina, Janelle and Kaden. Whether it was scuba diving, camping, gemstone hunting, gold mining, metal detecting, bird watching, science, or religious discussion, Paul was always on the hunt for his next adventure and welcomed anyone who wanted to join. 

 Paul was an earth science and biology high school teacher for 10 years, but his passion for working with metals and natural gemstones altered his career and led Paul to found Badali Jewelry. His lifelong love of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings shaped his business in the early 2000s. He obtained licensing to create jewelry from the Tolkien books, which he crafted for nearly two decades. Each of his four children spent time working side-by-side with their dad, spending innumerable hours learning and building the business together. That hard work is now precious to them, as it has shaped their work ethic and lives. 

 During his time as president of the company, Badali Jewelry obtained licensing from numerous science fiction and fantasy authors. Paul was honored and grateful to work with so many literary giants via Badali Jewelry. One of Paul’s greatest honors was to be included as a character in Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive. Thanks to Brandon, the memory of Paul’s smile will live on forever. 

 Paul’s life was filled with adventure, family, friends, and laughter. Paul is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Boyd Adam Badali. Paul is survived by his wife Melody, his children Loria, Alaina, Janelle, and Kaden, his 5 grandchildren, and his sister Debra Badali Wickizer.

 Paul will be remembered for his kind heart, infectious smile, and his passion for life. His passing leaves a void in the lives of those who knew and loved him.

If you would like to send condolences please email alaina.condolences@gmail.com

PAUL'S STORY

THE FORGING OF THE ONE RING OF POWER™:

I read "The Hobbit" for the first time in 1967 as a junior in High School. It was the first book I had ever read in its entirety on my own. I was a very poor reader and it took lots of time, effort, and commitment on my part to read the entire book.  Tolkien's style and the content of The Hobbit captivated my interest and I was compelled to persevere. I now read well and could fill a large trunk with the science fiction and fantasy novels I have since read. The reading of The Hobbit that first time was a turning point in my life. I have been shaped and molded by that first experience with JRR Tolkien in very real ways.

I went on to read The Lord of the Rings™ while attending college from 1969 - 1971.  Later I read The Silmarillion™.  40 years later, here I am a jeweler crafting The Ruling Ring and other officially licensed jewelry from fantasy novels.  In searching for a name for our first daughter in 1975, I suggested Lothlorian.  My wife liked the sound and idea, but shortened it to Loria (loth LORIA n). So even my first-born child’s name was inspired by J.R.R Tolkien, and is proud of it by the way.

Growing up I was a nature boy.  In 1956, at age 5, I found my first crystal at a landfill near our house.  I had never held a crystal before.  I still remember the joy of holding it, the magic of discovery and the thrill of possession. The finding of that first crystal gave me a love of crystals and minerals as well as the thrill of finding treasures in the earth. I have been an avid rock hound ever since. I know exactly what Bilbo felt when first he picked up the Arkenstone.  I love finding things in the earth.

In 1970, I noticed an acquaintance doing some Lapidary work, cutting and polishing gems.  An hour later I had just completed cutting and polishing my first gemstone, a tigereye.  In 1974, I learned to silversmith so that I could create my own settings for the stones I was cutting. I continued my study of jewelry design from 1975 through 1977.  I opened my first jewelry store in 1975. I graduated in 1978 with a BS in Zoology and Botany and taught junior high science and high school biology for 7 years before coming back to the jewelry business.

As a jeweler, being highly influenced by the writings of J.R.R Tolkien, it was inevitable that I would one-day craft The One Ring™ of Power. I had always wanted a replica of the ring.  I probably made my earliest attempts in 1975 or so; crude attempts to be sure. I set about to make it in a serious way in 1997, with several unsatisfying results.  I finally produced a flattened style I deemed good enough in 1998. In 1999, the ring was further refined to the rounded comfort fit style that we currently offer.  I contacted Tolkien Enterprises, now Middle-Earth Enterprises, and negotiated licensing rights so that I could make and sell The One Ring.  That license led to our other licenses with fantasy authors over the years.

Some have asked why would anyone want an object of abject evil like Sauron's Ruling Ring; created to enslave all of Middle Earth under his dark tyrannical rule.  While that was the purpose for which The Ruling Ring was created, that is not what resulted, nor the only thing The One Ring represents.  I feel the ring is a symbol much like that of the cross to Christians.  The crucifix is in all reality a symbol of the greatest evil done in this world, but instead it has become a symbol of the greatest sacrifice ever made to rid the world of a great evil.  I feel that the One Ring is a symbol of Frodo's willing sacrifice of his life to rid the world of a great evil.  It is also a symbol of the bonds formed within the Fellowship's journey and their struggles to overcome evil.

Does not the struggle to overcome evil bring out the best and the worst in us all?  I believe that as the central object of The Lord of The Rings series, The One Ring also represents all that is good and true in Middle Earth.  To me it represents Bilbo's plain straightforward manner and pluck, Frodo's tolerance, patience, and bravery, Gandalf's wisdom and commitment, Galadriel's beauty of soul and kindness of heart, Aragorn's patience and strength, Sam's constancy, loyalty, and humility, and the good in many others who had part in the quest to unmake the evil.   It represents the sacrifice each was willing to make for the greater-good, the finest of human motivations and emotions.  It is a moral and ethical if not an almost religious symbol.  It reminds us that right will always triumph where good people refuse to tolerate evil, and that one individual can make a difference.  It is a talisman of hope and faith.

My jewelry is very much a reflection of who and what I am. Tolkien's writings have had a profound influence on my thoughts, my feelings, my likes, and my desires.  I have been molded by life to be the man who would one day craft The One Ring of Power.   

- Paul J. Badali