AuctionsOct 24, 2025
Bonhams Under New Ownership, Top Executives ReplacedLondon-based investment firm Pemberton Asset Management acquired the auction house for an undisclosed amount.
EditorsFeb 25, 2019
The Most Glamorous Oscar Jewels
Lady Gaga and Tiffany & Co. rounded out a stellar awards season with their most dramatic jewelry look yet.
Lady Gaga and Tiffany & Co. rounded out a stellar awards season with their most dramatic jewelry look yet.
Statement necklaces and colorful gowns at the 91st Academy Awards held Sunday night topped off a sartorially dramatic 2019 awards season.
Last year, Hollywood restrained itself on the red carpet in a show of solidarity for the Time’s Up movement. This year, the mood was different, as if bedecking oneself in joyful fashion expressions was an assertion of each actress’ personal power.
And what a treat that was for viewers, as resplendent as each woman (and several dapper men) was in risk-taking gowns and bold jewelry not for wallflowers.
The boldest of them all was, naturally, Lady Gaga, who saved her best Tiffany & Co. look for last.
Embed from Getty Images
The actress and singer donned the Tiffany Diamond, last worn by Audrey Hepburn in promotional images for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
The 128.54-carat cushion-cut stone is said to be one of the largest yellow diamonds on record. It was discovered in 1877 in South Africa as a 287.42-carat rough, and acquired by Tiffany & Co. in 1878.
The stone was set into the style Gaga sported, a platinum necklace with more than 95 carats of cushion-cut and round brilliant white diamonds, in 2012 to mark Tiffany’s 175th anniversary.
The pop star paired the stunner with yellow and white diamond drop earrings from the 2019 “Extraordinary Tiffany” collection, and a black Alexander McQueen dress and gloves that felt like an ode to Hepburn’s iconic Holly Golightly character.
Embed from Getty Images
Rachel Weisz wore my personal favorite look of the night, a platinum and diamond headband that wasn’t a headband at all.
It was actually a pair of artfully placed Cartier brooches from 1903, their leaf design an elegant representation of the Art Nouveau period and its utter timelessness. The dress might have garnered mixed opinions but the jewelry is an example of collaboration between fashion stylist and hair stylist gone right.
Embed from Getty Images
Also in Cartier was the ever-chic Amy Adams, who wore a generous helping of the jeweler.
The most dazzling was the high jewelry tennis necklace, strung with an exquisite clip brooch circa 1935. Both were made of platinum and diamonds, as were the star’s earrings, circa 1934, and bracelet, circa 1937. The Cartier ring Adams wore was made of 18-karat white gold and diamonds, from 2005.
Gone are the days of wearing one statement piece, and I can’t get enough of it.
Embed from Getty Images
While platinum and white gold were the favored metals at this year’s Oscars (something about the grandness of the occasion seems to make stylists revert to these metals, which feel very classic, Old Hollywood), Glenn Close’s yellow gold Cartier look provided a much-needed shot of warmth.
The best part was the yellow gold and diamond cascading earrings, which perfectly accented her gold gown. The actress wore them with two Cartier diamond rings, one set in 18-karat yellow gold, platinum and diamonds, and the other in 18-karat yellow gold and diamonds.
Embed from Getty Images
Oscar winner Regina King was angelic in all white courtesy of white diamond Chopard jewels and a white Oscar de la Renta gown.
All from the high jewelry collection, King wore romantic, curving earrings featuring pear-shaped and round brilliant diamonds in 18-karat white gold, plus a whopping 10.51-carat round brilliant diamond ring.
Her cuff featured the most bling yet, with 53.43 carats of white diamonds in white gold.
Embed from Getty Images
Laura Harrier gave a master class in combining colors, courtesy of Bulgari jewels and a Louis Vuitton gown.
The Bulgari baubles—a necklace and a bracelet—are from the brand’s 2019 high jewelry collection, set to debut this summer at haute joaillerie week.
Each combines emeralds, rubellite, and diamonds. The necklace is composed of 10 “antique-cut” emeralds totaling 33 carats, eight cushion-cut rubellites totaling more than 18 carats, plus hundreds of diamonds. The bracelet features 13.45 carats of five step-cut emeralds, five cushion-cut rubellites totaling 7.32 carats and 90 step-cut and round brilliant white diamonds.
The colorful suite was worn with baby blue Louis Vuitton gown adorned with Swarovski crystals.
Embed from Getty Images
If Charlize Theron is any indication, brunettes might just have more jewelry fun. The newly dark-haired actress and Oscar award presenter wore one of the best jewelry looks I’ve seen on a red carpet, or anywhere else for that matter.
She wore over 300 carats of diamonds and nearly 30 carats of sapphires, all set in exquisite Bulgari jewels.
A white gold double wrap Serpenti high jewelry necklace was amplified with a diamond necklace and perfectly contrasted with diamond, emerald and sapphire earrings that featured 25 carats of octagonal, step-cut sapphires.
Not stopping there, the actress also wore a matching Serpenti high jewelry diamond bracelet, an articulated mixed fancy-cut diamond bracelet plus three diamond rings, two of which featured spectacular sapphires center stones.
It was all worn against the backdrop of a lovely light blue Dior haute couture gown, if one could even notice it behind all that bling.
Embed from Getty Images
Harry Winston provided three fantastic necklace moments, marking the jewelry trend of the night.
The first was on the neck (and ears) of Helen Mirren, who led the way in what I’ll call “happy dresses” with a tulle coral and hot pink number.
White diamonds were the right choice to adorn a dress so bright and Mirren didn’t skimp on the jewels. She wore a mega-watt diamond collar from the jewelry house as well as large diamond earrings.
Embed from Getty Images
Actress Sarah Paulson opted for a just-as-joyful pink Brandon Maxwell gown with a floral diamond Harry Winston collar peeking out from the neckline. She paired it with diamond stud earrings.
Embed from Getty Images
Laura Dern, meanwhile, wore a deep mauve gown with a sweetheart neckline that was expertly complemented with cascading Harry Winston diamond bib necklace, plus a bracelet and stud earrings.
Embed from Getty Images
Allison Janney is a red carpet jewelry favorite. She opted for a black, tuxedo-inspired gown that was the perfect opportunity to add a little jewelry color.
She did so with Chopard ruby and diamond collar, plus round brilliant diamond stud earrings.
Embed from Getty Images
Though necklaces have clearly usurped earrings as the jewelry focal point of current red carpet fashion, Best Actress winner Olivia Colman didn’t get the memo.
Instead, she made a case for just how much fun avant-garde earrings can be with a smattering of Chopard diamond drop styles worn as a pair, plus with a third version adorning an upper ear piercing.
The multiple-ear piercing trend has now truly spread everywhere, even to the biggest stage in Hollywood.
Embed from Getty Images
I’ll assume that, for once, actress Michelle Yeoh took the opportunity to wear some jewels that aren’t from her personal collection.
Yeoh sported a lovely pair of Chopard diamond drop earrings, plus an elaborate diamond wrap bracelet.
Embed from Getty Images
Her “Crazy Rich Asians” co-star, Constance Wu, also opted for a diamond drop style. Hers were from Atelier Swarovski’s fine jewelry collection.
Embed from Getty Images
A vision in lavender, actress Emilia Clarke wore a white diamond suite from Niwaka, and, unlike the rest of the crowd, her elaborate diamond bracelet was the jewelry highlight of her look.
Embed from Getty Images
Maya Rudolph was a member of the pink dress brigade in an ethereal, floral number that she paired with equally, if not more, whimsical mobile-like earrings from Irene Neuwirth.
The 18-karat white and yellow gold one-of-a-kind pair feature South Sea pearls, green opals carved into the shape of frogs, pink opal carved flowers and spheres, blue chalcedony, pink tourmaline, green tourmaline, turquoise, sapphires, Akoya pearls and diamonds.
They were joined by a very sweet carved pink opal ring with pearl and diamond pave set in 18-karat rose gold.
Embed from Getty Images
Fernando Jorge, Jacquie Aiche and Mattia Cielo were all stars of Lisa Bonet’s red carpet look.
Bonet was, as always, a bohemian vision in a mix of jewels from the designers, including Jorge’s oft-photographed diamond and yellow gold “Clarity” earrings.
More on Editors
The Latest
GradingOct 24, 2025
DMIA to Hold Diamond Testing Instrument DemoThe workshop will give attendees the chance to try out and ask questions about three different diamond verification instruments.
CrimeOct 24, 2025
Video Emerges of Louvre Jewelry Robbers Fleeing the Scene The footage shows two of the jewelry heist suspects descending from the second floor of the museum and then escaping via scooter.
Brought to you by
Are Earrings an Overlooked Category? What Retailers Need to Know NowAs the holiday season quickly approaches, consider stocking one category that sometimes gets overlooked: earrings.
CollectionsOct 24, 2025
Piece of the Week: Wyld Box Jewelry’s ‘Ray of Light’ EarringsFounder and designer Rosanna Fiedler looked to a vintage Cartier clutch when designing the sunlight-inspired drop earrings.
Weekly QuizOct 16, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
FinancialsOct 23, 2025
Jewelry Sales Resilient Despite Struggles at LVMH, KeringThe luxury conglomerates faced a challenging Q3 amid geopolitical and economic tensions.
SourcingOct 23, 2025
Petra Diamonds Turns to Shareholders to Raise Capital The struggling diamond mining company, which owns the historic Cullinan mine, has launched a rights issue to raise about $25 million.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
WatchesOct 23, 2025
‘Million Dollar Hip Hop Watches’ Recounts Watch HistoryThe book details the journey of watches as symbols of hard-earned success in hip-hop for artists like 2Pac, Jay-Z, and more.
AuctionsOct 23, 2025
Freeman’s | Hindman Names New VP, Senior Specialist for Jewelry & WatchesAlexis Vourvoulis, who most recently worked at Tiffany & Co., brings more than two decades of jewelry experience to her new role.
TrendsOct 22, 2025
The Taylor Swift Effect: Antique Diamonds EditionThe superstar’s August engagement put the stamp of approval on an already hot engagement ring trend.
TrendsOct 22, 2025
Don’t Forget These Diamond Jewelry Trends When Stocking for the HolidaysRetailers should offer classic styles with a twist that are a perfect fit for layered looks, experts say.
AuctionsOct 22, 2025
Pink Diamond, Vanderbilt Jewels to Headline Phillips’ Geneva AuctionThe nearly 7-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond could sell for around $9 million.
SourcingOct 22, 2025
In ‘Storied Diamond,’ Jared Jewelers Is Emphasizing the Journey The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.
CollectionsOct 22, 2025
Tiffany & Co.’s ‘Bird on a Rock’ Finds New PerchChief Artistic Officer Nathalie Verdeille has reimagined the iconic design in both figurative and abstract creations.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2025
JFC Kicks Off Halloween Costume ChallengeFive dollars buys one vote toward an industry professional you want to see dressed up as a hero, or a villain, this Halloween.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2025
Hillsborough Antique Show Gets New OwnerRecently acquired by KIL Promotions, the November edition of the public show in San Mateo, California, will be held Nov. 7-9.
GradingOct 21, 2025
GIA Examines Rare Bicolor Pink DiamondThe stone’s two zones, one pink and one colorless, may have formed at two different times, the lab said.
MajorsOct 21, 2025
Pomellato Brings ‘Global Attitude’ to Rodeo Drive FlagshipHollywood glamour meets Milanese sophistication in the design of Pomellato’s new store in Beverly Hills, California.
Lab-GrownOct 21, 2025
Grown Brilliance Opens First FlagshipThe New York City store showcases a chandelier with 1,500 carats of lab-grown diamonds designed by an FIT student.
Events & AwardsOct 21, 2025
‘Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture’ Opens at MADThe Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.
AuctionsOct 20, 2025
Sotheby's To Auction 10-Carat Vivid Pink DiamondMaking its auction debut, "The Glowing Rose" is expected to fetch $20 million at the November jewelry sale in Geneva.
SourcingOct 20, 2025
2 Mozambique Police Officers Killed at Gemfields’ Ruby MineThey were attacked on Oct. 15, as approximately 40 miners without licenses marched on the mine’s gate.
CrimeOct 20, 2025
See the ‘Priceless’ Jewels Stolen During Daytime Heist at the Louvre It took the masked thieves less than 10 minutes to steal eight irreplaceable jewels from two display cases in the museum’s Apollo Gallery.
SourcingOct 20, 2025
Pristine Gems Names New Director of European SalesGemologist Lauren Gayda has previously worked at The Clear Cut, Taylor & Hart, and Effy Jewelry.
IndependentsOct 17, 2025
From the Jazz Age to the Information Age: London Jewelers Turns 100In 2026, the jewelry retailer will celebrate a milestone only a small percentage of family-owned businesses survive to see.
Events & AwardsOct 17, 2025
An Edit of Italian Jewels Is Coming to NYCThe new showcase dedicated to Italian jewelry design is set for Oct. 29-30.
