EditorsMay 02, 2023
At the Met Gala, Dua Lipa’s 200+ Carats of Diamonds Stole the Show TrendsMay 03, 2023
See 9 of the Met Gala 2023’s Most Memorable Jewelry Moments
Lots of layers, pearls, and even lab-grown diamonds made an appearance at the annual fundraising bash.
Stars turned out in elaborate jewelry for the 2023 Met Gala. From left to right: Emily Ratajkowski in Ana Khouri, Rihanna in Bulgari and other jewels, and Lily Collins in Cartier.
New York—The stars wore pearls, diamonds, and more pearls to celebrate Karl Lagerfeld at the 2023 Met Gala.
The annual fundraising bash and coveted see-and-be-seen event is a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. The night’s theme matches the Institute’s annual spring exhibition, and this year it is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.”
One of fashion’s most significant voices, throughout his career Lagerfeld designed for houses like Chloe and Fendi, and eventually his eponymous line. His most influential role, however, was that of Chanel creative director, a position he held from 1983 to his death in 2019.
Accordingly, pearls were the gala’s jewel of choice, being synonymous with the French fashion house.
In addition to loads of white pearls, there were also some exquisite diamond pieces (click here for our senior editor’s favorite look of the night, Dua Lipa in Tiffany & Co.).
In no particular order, here are nine jewelry moments from the Met Gala not to be missed.
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Cardi B’s Bhansali Cross
An oversized cross necklace comprised of diamond slices, each surrounded by diamond pavé borders, was an unexpected addition to rapper Cardi B’s pearl layers that served as the evening’s de facto dress code.
Strung on a simple black cord, the Bhansali design seemed to effortlessly coordinate with her pink and black tweed Chanel dress, the third of four looks she wore throughout the night.
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Rihanna’s Mix and Match
Reportedly, Rihanna and boyfriend A$AP Rocky were the very last guests to arrive to the Met Museum, not that anyone would mind a late entrance from the fashion darlings.
Complementing the pregnant signer’s trailing white gown with floral appliques was a Bulgari high jewelry necklace in platinum with alternating rows of Akoya pearls and white diamonds.
Being the jewelry maximalist she is, Rihanna piled on another diamond and pearl double-strand necklace atop the Bulgari and wore a mix of floral and pearl earrings.
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Michelle Yeoh’s Glamorous Cartier
Alongside a watch from her go-to Richard Mille, Michelle Yeoh donned a mix of jewels from Cartier that were befitting the newly minted Best Actress Oscar winner.
Most impressive was the high jewelry transformable necklace Yeoh wore with matching earrings, both in platinum and diamonds.
She also wore a Cartier high jewelry ring in 18-karat white gold with diamonds and onyx.
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Amanda Seyfried’s Flapper-Meets-Disco Look
It was impossible to tell where Amanda Seyfried’s jewelry ended and her dress began.
The actress’ beaded Oscar de la Renta dress looked made to resemble her Cartier “Agrafe” jewelry suite.
At center stage was the multi-layer necklace, which she paired with earrings and a single ring. All were in 18-karat rose gold with diamonds.
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Anne Hathaway’s Bulgari Choker
Anne Hathaway’s tweed Versace cut-out gown held together with gold and pearl safety pins was a sexy take on the Karl Lagerfeld-for-Chanel aesthetic.
Continuing the Italian interpretation, Hathaway opted to forgo classic strands of pearls or diamonds in favor of an unexpected Bulgari high jewelry “Monete” choker with a silver coin circa 400-350 B.C. and 34.85 total carats of pavé-set diamonds in yellow gold.
Hathaway wore the matching “Monete” bracelet with silver coin from the Macedonia Kingdom, circa 336-323 B.C. and depicting Alexander III, set in yellow gold with 44 fancy step-cut diamonds weighing a total 3.79 carats and pavé-set diamonds weighing a total 3.77 carats.
Finishing the look was a pair of 18-karat rose gold and diamond “Divas’ Dream” earrings; high jewelry ring in platinum 3.15-carat yellow diamond and white diamonds; a high jewelry “Serpenti” ring, “Monete” ring,” and two “Serpenti Viper” rings.
The Oscar-winning actress joined Bulgari as a brand ambassador last May.
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Ana Khouri’s Time to Shine, Part 1
It’s not easy to rival the likes of Bulgari, Tiffany, and Cartier as an independent designer.
Ana Khouri is one of the few to consistently play among the heavyweights on the world’s most-watched red carpets.
Model Irina Shayk represented the design talent in a custom necklace comprised of two chains set with custom-cut baguette diamonds, followed by a diamond riviere-style necklace, and culminating in five pear-shaped diamond drops.
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Ana Khouri’s Time to Shine, Part 2
Several celebs wore Khouri’s designs to the Met Gala. Sporting a rendition of the Brazilian designer’s iconic asymmetric earrings was Emily Ratajkowski.
She wore a “Philippa” diamond ear piece, “Philippa” diamond ear cuff, and a custom diamond drop earring.
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Gigi Hadid’s Lab-Grown Diamonds
A romantic sheer Givenchy gown called for equally romantic jewels for Gigi Hadid.
The model sported the look of the night—pearl and diamond layers. The pearls were from Lagos and the diamonds were from lab-grown diamond company Smiling Rocks.
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Lily Collins’ Old-School Glamour
Lily Collins seemed of another era with her Midcentury-inspired hair and makeup, but the real transporting factor was a suite of white diamond and platinum jewelry from Cartier.
The actress wore the “Claustra Voyage Claustra Voyage Recommencé” high jewelry necklace and earrings in platinum with onyx and diamonds.
She also wore a “Reflection de Cartier” ring in 18-karat white gold with diamonds and a “Cartier Les Oiseaux Libérés” ring in 18-karat white gold with sapphire, emerald, onyx, black ceramic, and diamonds.
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