Gift Guide: 10 Handpicked Holiday Gifts

Aquatic Ambassador
Jewelry that shows the depth of your affection

While Bill Burgess has been the managing general partner at ABS Ventures for a decade, many Bostonians associate him with another venture altogether—saving the blue planet. His love for marine life started at a young age while he was spending summers sailing the waters of Cape Cod. Today he serves as chair of the New England Aquarium’s board of directors and makes generous personal contributions to the institution with his wife, Barbara. Burgess fosters efforts to create fun and educational marine exhibits and supports the aquarium’s lesser-known global initiatives, but despite his pivotal role, he credits another creature for drawing crowds of 1.3 million to the aquarium every year: “The penguins are really our most important ambassadors down at the aquarium because they’re so playful, animated, and mysterious,” he says. “The Tiffany emperor penguin pin is a beautiful tribute to this majestic animal.” The delicate graduation of spessartite defines the chest of this flightless bird, which is set in black lacquer and 18k white gold, accented by diamonds atop a South Sea pearl. Not unlike this regal character, which goes to extreme measures to perpetuate its species, Burgess shares his greatest holiday wish: “The community’s financial support of New England Aquarium’s mission to preserve, protect, and promote the world’s oceans.”