Editors

The Emmys Demonstrated 5 Jewelry Rules

EditorsSep 21, 2021

The Emmys Demonstrated 5 Jewelry Rules

There were important lessons to be learned on the red carpet.

20210921_Emmys.jpg
Would it be a major awards show without a backless-dress-with-long-necklace moment? Arguably not. Ingenue Anya Taylor-Joy (left) took a go at the dramatic red-carpet jewelry look in Tiffany & Co. at the 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards held on Sunday in Los Angeles. Star-on-the-rise Cynthia Erivo (right), meanwhile, demonstrated how to inject a little of one’s own personality into a serious jewelry look, mixing her own pieces like Maria Tash earrings with Roberto Coin earrings and choker.
Held every September, the Primetime Emmy Awards don’t typically endure any type of award show competition, with the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and Oscars happening in the winter.
 
However, to echo a phrase I write too often to count, due to the pandemic, the Met Gala took place not on the first Monday of May as is customary, but less than a week before the 2021 Emmys. 
 
That meant it was difficult not to compare the two, what with the Met Gala being so fresh in our collective cultural mind.

Since that event is all about Fashion with a capital F, the Emmys red carpet jewelry looks felt a little staid and a little too boring in comparison.
 
However, actors’ stylists demonstrated a few classic jewelry styling tips and tricks, some more basic than others, that serve as a good refresher on how to let statement gowns and major bling co-exist in harmony, because one doesn’t have to sacrifice the other.
 
So, in the spirit of back-to-school season, here are some educational takeaways from the awards show. 
 
1. Black is carte blanche to go for all-out glamour. 
 
Count on Billy Porter to deliver drama on any red carpet.
 
His outfit was hardly subtle, but a monochrome look really allows stylists like Ty Hunter to go crazy with the jewelry. 

All of Porter’s jewels were by Lorraine Schwartz, the undisputable queen of red carpets, fresh off of her latest endeavor crafting the most elaborate Met Gala jewelry looks.
 
An extra credit styling trick here: Brooches turned into ear cuffs. 
 
2. A strapless neckline is dying for a necklace … and earrings. 
 
My jewelry preference runs to the “more is more” inclination. 
 
A strapless neckline is perfectly complemented with a necklace, but pairing it with large earrings, too, is even better.
 
Embed from Getty Images

Michaela Coel, winner of an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, perfectly demonstrated this. 
 
Her Anne Sisteron 14-karat gold and diamond necklace is extra impactful because of the neckline of her electric yellow Christopher John Rogers top. 
 
Baroque pearl earrings from Alighieri Jewellery made the most of all that empty real estate, though gold-plated jewelry on a red carpet of this stature does make my stomach turn slightly. Costume jewelry should be reserved for the myriad press events leading up to the main show, or the Grammys.
 
If Coel had worn a pair of fabulous baroque pearl and diamond earrings, her look would go from an A- to an A+.  
 
All shade aside, lots of stylists took advantage of the jewelry potential inherent to strapless gowns.
 
Embed from Getty Images

Catherine Zeta Jones wore a Lorraine Schwartz diamond necklace with huge diamond drop earrings from the designer.
 
Embed from Getty Images
 
Actress Yara Shahidi proved an off-the-shoulder neckline follows the same strapless neckline logic.
 
She was a vision in emerald and yellow gold “Cactus de Cartier” necklace and earrings. 
 
3. Every awards show must have at least one backless gown/jewelry moment. 
 
See rule 2. A bare back is just another opportunity for a killer necklace. 

Embed from Getty Images

This awards show’s volunteer for the edict was Anya Taylor-Joy, nominated for her star turn in Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit,” who is loyal to her Tiffany & Co. deal.

The jewelry house ambassador wore two Elsa Peretti “Diamonds by the Yard” necklaces in platinum with diamonds down her back. 

She also wore platinum and diamond cluster earrings; an unenhanced yellow sapphire bracelet with diamonds in platinum and 18-karat yellow gold; an unenhanced sapphire ring weighing more than 17 carats in platinum with diamonds; and a Tiffany “Victoria” diamond vine bypass ring in platinum. 
 
4. Combine major jewels with a dose of your own personality. 
 
Cynthia Erivo is the poster child for this. She first popped up on my radar at the 2020 Golden Globes, wearing Bulgari high jewelry and a ton of diamond studs and hoops in her multiple piercings. 
 
With that many piercings, this look clearly wasn’t for the benefit of an awards show and seemed to speak more to her personal style. She rocked the look again at the subsequent Critics Choice Awards, and Oscars
 
Erivo doubled down on this original mixture of her own jewels with red carpet heavyweights in 2021, this time wearing jewelry in her septum piercing.
 
At the Primetime Emmys on Sunday she did it again, showcasing her fabulous ear array, septum piercing, and a to-die-for Roberto Coin diamond choker.

Erivo was the real-life equivalent of a Kira Kira filter, and takes home the Jewelry Girl award in my book. 

Embed from Getty Images
                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Erivo wore Roberto Coin’s “Pharaoh Cento” choker featuring more than 58 carats of baguette diamonds and retailing for $580,000. She also sported the “Cento” baguette diamond earrings in her first piercing, which sell for $8,880. 
 
5. Be unique, if you dare. 
 
Red carpet watching as a sport just wouldn’t be fun, or worth pursuing, if someone didn’t surprise us. Sometimes, my favorite dresses make the “Worst Dressed List.” (Case in point from the 2021 Emmys: Gillian Anderson in custom Chloe from new creative director Gabriela Hearst, which is gorgeous and has been generally panned.) 

Actresses certainly don’t want to make that list, but it’s often where a lot of the best fashion lives, just as “Best Dressed” is often synonymous with “boring and least creative.”
 
So, while a custom grill might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I live for this unexpected dose of cool, as seen on Issa Rae of “Insecure” fame, and so do plenty of other red carpet watchers. 

Rae collaborated with Grillz by Scotty on her special piece, and it’s not her first from the grill master.
 
On his personal Instagram, the jeweler tells a story of flying to Nice, France to deliver a grill for the actress’ wedding, getting there by the skin of his diamond teeth (get it?) because of an expired passport debacle. 
 
For the Emmys, Rae partook in the naked dress trend so ubiquitous at the Met Gala, accessorized with her 22-karat white gold and diamond grill and 18-karat white gold and diamond Fernando Jorge “Disco” earrings from the “Brilliant” collection, which have graced the red carpet too many times to count because they are indeed the perfect big event earring. 

The "Disco" earrings are so popular, I'm honestly considering creating a an Instagram account dedicated to them. Chances are (and fingers crossed) we see them back on the red carpet come January 2022.

The Latest

Graff Fontainebleau Las Vegas
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Graff Unveils New Las Vegas Flagship

The 3,300-square foot location is the jeweler's largest store in North America.

Kim Kardashian
CrimeMay 28, 2025
8 Convicted in Kim Kardashian Jewelry Heist Trial

Aging and with myriad health issues, none will serve time for their roles in robbing the billionaire celebrity at gunpoint in 2016.

New York Liberty 2024 WNBA Championship Ring
CollectionsMay 28, 2025
NY Liberty’s 2024 Championship Rings Honor Historic Win

The WNBA team received rings imbued with meaning, from leaf motifs and its Liberty torch to the number of diamonds used.

Article Image 1.png
Brought to you by
Clienteling Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s an Essential Business Model.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

Jewelers Board of Trade logo
MajorsMay 28, 2025
Andrew Rickard Named JBT President

A longtime executive at RDI Diamonds, Rickard has served on the JBT board for the past five years.

Weekly QuizMay 22, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Logos for Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America and Jewelers of America
MajorsMay 27, 2025
MJSA to Become Part of Jewelers of America

The two organizations have signed an affiliation agreement that’s expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

Al Capone Pocket Watch
AuctionsMay 27, 2025
Al Capone’s Patek Philippe Pocket Watch Back Up for Auction

The platinum and diamond watch is part of Sotheby’s upcoming Important Watches sale.

antique_Vegas_2024_by_headshot_stories_9454.jpg
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the Globe

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

Kat Florence Lumina
AuctionsMay 27, 2025
182-Carat Paraíba-Type Tourmaline Sells for $487K

Recovered in Mozambique, “The Kat Florence Lumina” was part of Bonhams’ Hong Kong jewelry auction held last week.

Mark Henry Gumdrop Bypass Ring
TrendsMay 27, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Candy-Colored Gemstones

Get a taste of the delicious candy-like gemstones in this Amanda’s Style File.

Stock image of police cars with their lights on
CrimeMay 23, 2025
JSA Shares Holiday Weekend Security Tips Amid Spike in Burglaries

JSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.

Bliss Lau Bright Ring
CollectionsMay 23, 2025
Piece of the Week: Bliss Lau’s ‘Bright’ Ring

From Lau’s “Love of a Kind” series, the engagement ring was inspired by the moon and holds a different meaning depending on how it is worn.

GIA pearl report
GradingMay 23, 2025
GIA Updates Pearl Classification System

The lab has adjusted the scale it uses for nacre grading.

GCALbySarine Diamond Journey Certificate_1872x1052.jpg
Supplier BulletinMay 22, 2025
How to Put Natural Diamonds Back in the Spotlight

Sponsored by GCAL by Sarine

The late West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger
CrimeMay 22, 2025
NY Jeweler Sentenced in Shoving Death of Colleague at IJO Show

David Walton will serve three years’ probation after an incident in a hotel bar led to the death of West Virginia jeweler David Ettinger.

Watches of Switzerland store in Mall of America
FinancialsMay 22, 2025
Watches of Switzerland’s Full-Year U.S. Sales Climb 14%

The retailer also provided an update on how the tariffs situation in the U.S. is affecting its business.

Jorge Adeler, Wendy Adeler, Valentina Adeler
IndependentsMay 22, 2025
Adeler Jewelers Celebrates 50 Years

The family-owned jeweler in Great Falls, Virginia, will be celebrating its golden jubilee with a year’s worth of events.

Jose Hess Design Awards 2025 Trophy
Events & AwardsMay 22, 2025
Jose Hess Design Awards Announce Judges

The nonprofit elected five judges who will decide the winners of its design competition.

MJSA 2025-2026 Buyer’s Guide
MajorsMay 22, 2025
MJSA Releases 2025-2026 Buyer’s Guide

This year’s edition includes articles on the favorite tools of notable designers, evaluating when to outsource production, and more.

Bulgari Invisible Violet Necklace and Rainbow Flow Necklace
CollectionsMay 21, 2025
Bulgari Highlights Its Colorful Past in Phenomenal ‘Polychroma’ Collection

The jeweler’s high jewelry collection features extraordinary gemstones, like a 241.06-carat emerald and the world’s fourth-largest spinel.

Industry analyst Edahn Golan
ColumnistsMay 21, 2025
Edahn’s Take: Analyzing the 2025 ‘$100 Million Supersellers’ List

In a special column for the State of the Majors, Edahn Golan breaks down what the top-performing fine jewelry sellers are doing right.

Beyoncé bolo tie necklace
MajorsMay 21, 2025
Beyoncé Dons Brilliant Earth Necklace During Cowboy Carter Tour

The bolo tie necklace is inspired by “Queen Bey” and set with a nearly 15-carat black diamond.

Gem Legacy logo
SourcingMay 21, 2025
Gem Legacy Expands Advisory Council

The nonprofit focused on mining communities in East Africa has added three new members to its advisory council.

Annie Doresca
MajorsMay 20, 2025
Annie Doresca to Lead DCA as New CEO, President

Current Diamond Council of America President and CEO Terry Chandler is set to retire in January 2026.

QVC Group logo
FinancialsMay 20, 2025
QVC Group to Voluntarily Delist from Nasdaq

The company's Series A shares will continue to trade following a reverse stock split while its Series B shares will be delisted.

National Jeweler columnist Peter Smith
ColumnistsMay 20, 2025
Peter Smith: Leading Through Change

Communicating clearly with your staff is key to navigating turbulent times, writes columnist Peter Smith.

Luis Morais Miami Beach Flagship Interior
IndependentsMay 20, 2025
Luis Morais Opens Flagship, Launches Collection Celebrating 25 Years

The “Inner Journey” collection debuted as the brand celebrated its 25th anniversary, with designs inspired by Morais’ journey.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy