Dolly Parton and Kendra Scott's Jewelry Collab Features a Nod to One of the Singer's Most Iconic Songs (Exclusive)

A Dolly Parton and Kendra Scott collaboration was written in the stars.

The pair met in 2022 when the jewelry designer had the opportunity to go backstage at Parton's concert in Austin, Texas.

"We just clicked," Scott, who founded her eponymous brand in 2002, tells PEOPLE. "We just really got along great, and she had known about my jewelry, and here we are. The next thing I knew, we were like, 'Let's go into business together. What do you think?'"

Over Zoom, the country legend chimes in with her trademark twang: "And that was one of the best ideas that we've had in a long time."

Marking the beginning of a multi-year collaboration, the collection celebrates the 50th anniversary of Parton's song "Love Is Like a Butterfly," which was released in 1974 — the same year Scott was born.

"The butterfly represents so much to both of us," Scott explains. "It's about transformation. And they're these beautiful, colorful, amazing creatures that really all they do is bring joy to the world. I know for us, we both felt like that's what we wanted to do and we couldn't think of a better song to put this collection together with."

Given the seemingly cosmic connection between Parton and Scott, it only seems right that their jewelry pieces would be rife with significance. Among the 10 unique designs adorned with signature Kendra Scott silhouettes and iconic gemstones, the collection features the Dolly Parton x Kendra Scott 1974 Necklace, with exactly 1,974 necklaces created.

While fans might be expecting bold colors and over-the-top designs inspired by Parton's signature style, Scott was interested in exploring a softer side of the country icon. "When I was designing this collection is it just felt so feminine... you think of pink. You think of those soft colors. You think of the butterfly fluttering in your heart, [which is] why we have the music note heart. All those things kind of went together in the designs."

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"What she saw is a tasteful side of me and then applied what she knows and how she does her jewelry," Parton adds. "But Lord knows what we might do next."

Future collections may very well channel the self-proclaimed "gaud" that the songwriter has come to be known for, the duo teases. After all, it's part of Parton's DNA.

"We didn't have the money to buy anything," Parton recalls of her childhood. In lieu of buying jewelry, she would pick wild berries and paint bracelets onto her wrists. "And then I'd use the same colors on my face," she says. "I just naturally always wanted to be more than I was. I just had an inner thing that wanted to do more on the outside."

Parton's intrinsic individuality is a pillar of her artistry — and that's precisely what this collection sets out to celebrate.

"I think so many women across the world admire her," Scott says. "And they admire her not just for the beautiful music that she writes, but for the person that she is. She has transformed herself over and over throughout her life. She transforms communities. She transforms people's lives. And so we hope that when you wear this, you find that inner Dolly, that inner confidence and that this jewelry makes you not just look good, but it makes you feel good."