AuctionsMay 06, 2025
Harwell Godfrey Reimagines 10-Carat Blue Diamond for Met Gala-Ready BroochEditorsMay 08, 2025
5 ‘Superfine’ Met Gala Jewelry Moments
Associate Editor Lauren McLemore shares her favorite looks from a night of style inspired by Black dandyism.
Opulent necklaces graced the necklines of celebrities on the 2025 Met Gala blue carpet, from event Co-Chair A$AP Rocky’s Bulgari 12-carat ruby and diamond necklace (left), to Kendall Jenner’s opulent Chopard diamond collar (center), and Coco Jones’ statement tanzanite and diamond necklace by India-based Manish Malhotra Jewellery (right).
Each year, the start of May signals the coming of several events I spend all year looking forward to—my birthday, the Kentucky Derby, peony season, and the Met Gala.
The annual event takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a fundraiser for its Costume Institute, and the theme of the evening is based on the institute’s upcoming exhibition.
This year’s spring exhibition, set to open Saturday, is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
Inspired by curator Monica Miller’s 2009 book, “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” it’s the first Costume Institute exhibition dedicated to men’s style since 2003, when the museum opened “Bravehearts: Men in Skirts.”
The 2025 Met Gala dress code was Tailored for You, inviting guests to interpret menswear.
So, naturally, brooches were everywhere, from a pin featuring a lab-grown diamond made from tequila to unique vintage curations.
Celebrities brought their most dapper looks to the blue carpet, opting for all types of suits and accessorizing with canes and top hats, as well as elaborate statement necklaces, elegant diamond pieces and sizeable colored gemstones.
Here are a few jewelry moments from the 2025 gala that I still haven’t gotten over.
Massive Gemstone Necklaces
Speaking of all the great things about May, the month’s birthstone had quite the moment at the Met Gala when Priyanka Chopra Jonas stepped out in a showstopping emerald necklace from Bulgari.
The “Magnus” necklace features an emerald weighing more than 240 carats, the largest faceted stone ever set by the brand.
It’s part of Bulgari’s new “Polychroma” high jewelry collection, set to be officially unveiled later this month.
The annual event takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a fundraiser for its Costume Institute, and the theme of the evening is based on the institute’s upcoming exhibition.
This year’s spring exhibition, set to open Saturday, is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
Inspired by curator Monica Miller’s 2009 book, “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” it’s the first Costume Institute exhibition dedicated to men’s style since 2003, when the museum opened “Bravehearts: Men in Skirts.”
The 2025 Met Gala dress code was Tailored for You, inviting guests to interpret menswear.
So, naturally, brooches were everywhere, from a pin featuring a lab-grown diamond made from tequila to unique vintage curations.
Celebrities brought their most dapper looks to the blue carpet, opting for all types of suits and accessorizing with canes and top hats, as well as elaborate statement necklaces, elegant diamond pieces and sizeable colored gemstones.
Here are a few jewelry moments from the 2025 gala that I still haven’t gotten over.
Massive Gemstone Necklaces
Speaking of all the great things about May, the month’s birthstone had quite the moment at the Met Gala when Priyanka Chopra Jonas stepped out in a showstopping emerald necklace from Bulgari.
The “Magnus” necklace features an emerald weighing more than 240 carats, the largest faceted stone ever set by the brand.
It’s part of Bulgari’s new “Polychroma” high jewelry collection, set to be officially unveiled later this month.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the “Magnus” emerald necklace in platinum with an octagonal emerald weighing more than 240 carats, carré diamonds, buff-top emeralds, round diamonds, and pavé-set diamonds
Anne Hathaway in Bulgari’s “Cosmic Vault” necklace in white gold featuring a 123-carat royal blue sugarloaf sapphire, 331 buff-top sapphires, and more than 85 total carats of diamonds
It’s not Chopra Jonas’ first time wearing a significant gemstone to the Met Gala.
The actress and producer debuted the “Bulgari Laguna Blu” diamond at the 2023 Met Gala just weeks before it sold at Sotheby’s, becoming the most valuable gem set into a piece of Bulgari jewelry ever sold at auction.
Other Bulgari brand ambassadors and “friends of the house” also wore pieces from the Polychroma collection at the Met Gala, including Anne Hathaway, who wore the “Cosmic Vault” necklace featuring a blue sugarloaf sapphire weighing more than 120 carats.
A Jewelry House Debut
Another jewelry debut took place on the Met Gala carpet on Monday, this time launching an entirely new venture.
“F1” actor Damson Idris premiered his new fine jewelry company Didris, showing up to the event in pieces he designed.
He paired his red Tommy Hilfiger suit with a brooch that featured, according to Vanity Fair, an 11-carat emerald with accenting tourmalines and tsavorites, as well as a pendant necklace in yellow and rose gold with green tourmaline.
Thoughtful Portraiture
If there was one celebrity I knew would nail the theme, it was Jeremy O. Harris, and it’s safe to say he delivered.
The Tony-nominated playwright and screenwriter, who recently wrote an article for Vogue about what it means to be a modern dandy and penned an essay for the “Presence” section of the exhibition’s catalog, got serious about the details of his Met Gala look.
The writer worked with jeweler Benjamin Hawkins on a custom one-of-a-kind ring featuring a 2.20-carat peach brown pear-shape diamond set in gold with a guilloche enamel base and a portrait of Harris in a diamond frame.
A shot of Jeremy O. Harris on the red carpet posted to Balmain’s Instagram story
Jeremy O. Harris’ ring features a portrait depicting him in in 19th-century attire
The ring references the stand used to hold the Order of St. George egg, jeweler Benjamin Hawkins said.
“The portrait of Jeremy features him in 19th-century attire wearing a silver collar and a pearl earring and is enameled using the same techniques used in the portraits of the tsars in Carl Faberge’s 19th- century eggs,” explained Hawkins.
“The crown on top of Jeremy is also in keeping with crowns used to top the enameled portraits of royals depicted on the original eggs.”
The engraving under the enamel references Frederick Douglass’ cane, Hawkins added, using a mix of fonts in keeping with the style of engraving at the time.
I also loved actress Adrienne Warren’s personal take on her jewels, opting for custom lockets by Maggie Simpkins featuring photos of her loved ones.
Pearly Whites
White was a trend at the Met Gala this year, with celebrities including Zendaya, Madonna, and Anna Sawai sporting all-white suits to the event.
Speaking of sporting, remember when Olympic track and field champion Noah Lyles wore the coolest diamond chain-link necklace while competing at the 2024 Summer Games?
“The crown on top of Jeremy is also in keeping with crowns used to top the enameled portraits of royals depicted on the original eggs.”
The engraving under the enamel references Frederick Douglass’ cane, Hawkins added, using a mix of fonts in keeping with the style of engraving at the time.
I also loved actress Adrienne Warren’s personal take on her jewels, opting for custom lockets by Maggie Simpkins featuring photos of her loved ones.
Pearly Whites
White was a trend at the Met Gala this year, with celebrities including Zendaya, Madonna, and Anna Sawai sporting all-white suits to the event.
Speaking of sporting, remember when Olympic track and field champion Noah Lyles wore the coolest diamond chain-link necklace while competing at the 2024 Summer Games?
It turns out, the star athlete’s style extends beyond the track. He hit the Met Gala blue carpet in a South Sea pearl necklace by Ana Khouri that, I have to say, is very dandy indeed.
Yvonne Orji in Yoko London’s white gold South Sea pearl earrings
Another pearl look worth a mention—“Insecure” star Yvonne Orji’s pearl earrings by Yoko London, a perfect addition to her sewing supplies-studded blazer.
Diamonds Down The Back
Diamonds certainly took center stage at the gala this year and there was no holding back on big, flashy pieces.
However, my personal favorite was one of the more understated pieces of the night.
Kerry Washington wearing this Chopard necklace from the brand's Haute Joaillerie collection featuring 120.16-carats of diamonds, styled to drape down her back, was such a moment.
When done well, this style will never not be a classy look. Chef’s kiss.
A close second favorite was Kendall Jenner, also in Chopard. Her elaborate necklace, seen in the header image, featuring more than 85 total carats of diamonds set in 18-karat white gold, made me pause the livestream twice for a closer view.
There’s always an experimental element to the looks at Met Gala, and watching attendees push the boundaries of the theme is what makes it so exciting.
As was evident on the carpet, this year’s theme proved particularly powerful.
Ahead of the gala, Vogue published an explainer on Black dandyism that reads, in part, “The sharp suit, the polished shoes, the bow tie—these were not just fashion choices; they were ways of asserting one’s right to exist on their own terms.
“In a racially segregated America, the Black dandy’s outfit became a form of resistance, an elegant middle finger to a society that sought to define them by race, not character.”
As in most creative industries, we see rule-breaking in jewelry often, but the empowered self-expression on the Met Gala carpet this year was inspiring.
I loved this blurb from Nastya Ivlieva’s (@lostinjewels) take on three on-theme looks: “That dandy spirit of ‘I created myself.’ Every ruler, every tequila shard, every brushstroke in that tiny portrait all saying the same thing: You don’t get to define me.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
There’s always an experimental element to the looks at Met Gala, and watching attendees push the boundaries of the theme is what makes it so exciting.
As was evident on the carpet, this year’s theme proved particularly powerful.
Ahead of the gala, Vogue published an explainer on Black dandyism that reads, in part, “The sharp suit, the polished shoes, the bow tie—these were not just fashion choices; they were ways of asserting one’s right to exist on their own terms.
“In a racially segregated America, the Black dandy’s outfit became a form of resistance, an elegant middle finger to a society that sought to define them by race, not character.”
As in most creative industries, we see rule-breaking in jewelry often, but the empowered self-expression on the Met Gala carpet this year was inspiring.
I loved this blurb from Nastya Ivlieva’s (@lostinjewels) take on three on-theme looks: “That dandy spirit of ‘I created myself.’ Every ruler, every tequila shard, every brushstroke in that tiny portrait all saying the same thing: You don’t get to define me.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Editors
The Latest
FinancialsAug 15, 2025
In Q2 Results, Pandora Talks Tariffs, Q4 Plans The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
WatchesAug 15, 2025
Audemars Piguet Acquires Majority Stake in ManufacturerIts investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.
MajorsAug 15, 2025
Rio Grande Names New Marketing DirectorNicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
CollectionsAug 14, 2025
In Midst of ‘Sardine Girl Summer,’ Pippa Small Looks to ‘Flounder Fall’Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.
Weekly QuizAug 15, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsAug 14, 2025
Casio America Names New CEOLongtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.
SourcingAug 14, 2025
West Coast Orgs to Host Trading Event, Mixer in LAThe full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.
Brought to you by
Investing in the Next Generation of Bench JewelersThe Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Proposes With Gigantic Oval-Cut DiamondModel Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.
SourcingAug 13, 2025
ICA Names 2025 Board of DirectorsThe board elected 9 new directors at its recent ICA Congress in Brazil.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Colorado Jeweler, Whiskey Maker Collab on Ring GiveawayThree winners will receive a custom ring from Honest Hands Ring Co. inlaid with a piece of history from Denver-based distillery Stranahan’s.
SurveysAug 13, 2025
These Are The 25 Hottest Retailers, Says NRFJD Sports and Wawa were among the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S. last year.
SourcingAug 13, 2025
Columbia Gem House Launches Winza Sapphires, RubiesThe new inventory, all untreated, features vibrant hues and unique bicolor combinations.
SourcingAug 12, 2025
Gemfields Sells Fabergé for $50MAcquired by a tech investor, the historic brand will continue to focus on jewelry, accessories, and timepieces.
Policies & IssuesAug 12, 2025
Higher Tariff on Chinese Imports Paused for 90 Days, Trump SaysPresident Donald Trump issued an executive order extending the pause on higher tariffs to November as negotiations with China continue.
CollectionsAug 12, 2025
Jacquie Aiche’s New Collection Harnesses the Energy of the ThunderbirdThe “Thunderbird Slab” collection features a thunderbird motif as a symbol of power, protection, and boundless possibility.
ColumnistsAug 12, 2025
Creative Connecting: How to Take a Better HeadshotColumnists Jen Cullen Williams and Duvall O’Steen share tips on how to elevate your professional image.
CrimeAug 11, 2025
Man Convicted of First-Degree Murder in Death of Colorado JewelerPeter Damian Arguello, a jeweler in the Denver suburb of Wheat Ridge, was found dead inside his store in November 2023.
IndependentsAug 11, 2025
Lisa Bridge to Depart Ben Bridge JewelerThe retailer, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, is becoming part of the Berkshire Hathaway Jewelry Group with Helzberg.
Events & AwardsAug 11, 2025
Bethenny Frankel to Give Keynote at CBG’s Experience ShowThe Continental Buying Group’s 2025 Tampa Experience Show is slated for Sept. 8-10.
FinancialsAug 08, 2025
Brilliant Earth’s Q2 Sales Up 3% as Engagement Ring Sales RiseThe company raised its full-year sales guidance while noting it has not yet assessed the potential impact of the latest tariff news.
Events & AwardsAug 08, 2025
GJEPC’s Jewellers for Hope Celebrates 10 Years of FundraisingThe organization has raised more than $1.3 million for charity since its inception.
TrendsAug 08, 2025
Piece of the Week: Rahaminov Diamonds’ Bezel BangleThe brand’s latest iteration of a bezel-set diamond bangle features clean lines and a timeless design for a new modern silhouette.
WatchesAug 07, 2025
Bulova’s New Collection Honors Tony BennettThe first watch in the series commemorates his participation in the Civil Rights movement, marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.
Lab-GrownAug 07, 2025
Chatham Releases Catalog for Loose Lab-Grown GemstonesThe catalog contains a complete listing of all the loose gemstones in stock, as well as information about the properties of each stone.
TechnologyAug 07, 2025
Rembrandt Charms Debuts New Website, Bird CharmsThe company added a retailer dashboard to its site and three new birds to its charm collection, the cardinal, blue jay, and hummingbird.
Policies & IssuesAug 06, 2025
Tariff on India to Rise to 50%, Trump Says An additional 25 percent tariff has been added to the previously announced 25 percent.
