Admittedly in advance of the Oscars I was a bit concerned how the jewelry was going to pan out. Except for a few names scheduled to attend, there were not a lot of stars known for their jewelry wearing ways. I wasn’t sure the event would live up to its jewelry Super Bowl status.
I am overjoyed to report I was wrong. Stars went for it and those—I am looking at you Rooney Mara—who never wear jewelry, wore amazing jewelry. Even Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai shone brightly in diamonds with a story. Overall the looks were, like the Best Picture that won so many prizes, everything, everywhere all at once.
Both of the aforementioned ladies chose vintage from Fred Leighton. Lots embodied classic Hollywood glamour with a twist in giant jewels. Others sported a punk princess mode in iconoclastic styles. The always sensational Bulgari Serpentis slithered around on several stars. And Tiffany diamond chokers were also a popular choice.
See the best of the brightest below.
Jessica Chastain is the face of the Gucci High Jewelry collection and she has proven to be an excellent ambassador. She has worn the collection throughout Awards Season beautifully and saved a stunner for the big show.
Th diamond and tourmaline design really popped with the color of her hair and her silver metallic dress.
Tár star Cate Blanchett, who made sustainability a subtheme of her Awards Season, sported a vintage creation from the Louis Vuitton archives.
I am not sure how her Louis Vuitton front to back diamond earrings fit into the narrative, but I suspect they do.
Singer Sofia Carson really showed off her giant Chopard necklace by pairing it with a white dress.
The impressive design featured seven octagonal shaped emeralds totaling 122.49-carats along with 92.57-carats of pear-shaped, marquise cut, baguette cut and round shaped diamonds from the Haute Joaillerie Collection by Chopard.
Before her breathtaking striped down performance of Top Gun: Maverick’s “Hold My Hand,” Lady Gaga walked the red carpet in full glam: a Versace gown that debuted in a fashion show in Los Angeles a few days ago and Tiffany diamonds.
Her necklace was a Tiffany archive piece made during the mid-20th century.
Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing paired an impressive Tony Ward Couture gown with Lorraine Schwartz earrings.
The jewels feature 85-carats of Colombian emeralds and diamonds.
Halle Baily who introduced a clip from her eagerly awaited rendition of The Little Mermaid sparkled plenty in De Beers diamond jewels.
The Alchemist of Light ‘Midnight Aura’ Necklace she wore is set in 74.63 carats of diamonds.
The delightful Indian actress Deepika Padukone, who introduced the smash hit number from RRR, wore several Cartier jewels with a Louis Vuitton gown.
Her necklace centers on a large pear-shape yellow sapphire surrounded by yellow diamonds.
Florence Pugh who described herself as a “punk princess” during the arrival carpet interview, wore short shorts under her voluminous open Valentino gown with Tiffany jewelry and signature septum ring.
Her curvaceous platinum and diamond necklace came from the jeweler’s most recent Blue Book collection. Pink tourmalines lit up her diamond earrings.
Danai Gurira looked extraordinary in her high updo, which was a tribute to African women’s style, and a black Jason Wu gown. Messika diamonds lit up the ensemble.
The Wakanda Forever actress wore elaborate ear pieces and remarkable rings from the French jeweler.
Michelle Williams was one of several actresses who opted to wear an all-white gown with diamonds. Her dress was by Chanel and the jewels came from Tiffany.
The necklace was from the jeweler’s classic Victoria collection.
Janelle Monae looked absolutely of the moment in a custom-made Vera Wang cutout gown and diamonds from Reza.
The coolest styling trick was the diamond and platinum brooch attached to her wide fabric choker.
Margot Robbie didn’t walk the red carpet which is why there aren’t perfect pictures of her in the sensational Lorraine Schwartz earrings she sported.
The jewels feature 72-carats of emerald cut diamonds set in black jade.
The enduring appeal of Bulgari’s Serpenti necklace is remarkable. Not one, but three women wore the style at the Oscars. Phoebe Waller Bridge and the model-actress Cara Delevingne had them on. And so did Oscar nominee Angela Bassett.
The Wakanda Forever actress paired the snake with a purple gown and showed why it has been so incredibly popular. The piece just works.
In a way only Rihanna can, the star was absolutely the last person to walk on the arrivals carpet. In fact, the show had started by the time she turned up.
She literally and metaphorically shut it down in a custom Alaïa and jewels by Moussaieff.
Mindy Kaling arrived in a white Vera Wang gown with a cut-out ribbed section. The architectural detail was echoed in her Boucheron jewels.
The Cristaux pendant earrings from the French label’s Carte Blanche High Jewelry collection are set with smoked quartz, baguette and round diamonds in white and pink gold.
Everything Everywhere All At Once star, Michelle Yeoh, looked strong yet ethereal in a white gown and accessories from her go-to labels: Moussaieff and Richard Mille.
It wasn’t easy to see in all the pictures but the actress did have diamonds in her hair.
Emily Blunt walked the champagne colored carpet and presented with the Rock and seemed to be having the time of her life.
The actress wore a white Valentino dress with Chopard earrings that really stood out against the blank canvas color.
Sandra Oh was among a handful of stars in attendance who chose to wear vintage jewels which made it feel very much like old times. And when I say old times, I mean the 1990s and early aughts.
All her jewels came from the Briony Raymond Estate collection. The statement necklace, a vintage Harry Winston piece, centers on a citrine accented by over 77-carats of sapphires and 10-carats of diamonds.
Rooney Mara is somewhat notorious among the jewelry watching red carpet crowd for never wearing a jewel—at least not one you can see.
It was one of the biggest jewelry surprises of the evening to see the Women Talking actress in not one but two vintage diamond necklaces from Fred Leighton.
Marlee Matlin who starred in last year’s Best Picture CODA wore a vintage necklace from the Briony Raymond Estate Collection.
The platinum Cartier necklace is set with 56 carats of diamonds including old-mine cut center stones.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who was an executive producer of the nominated short documentary film Stranger at the Gate, paired her metallic gown with an emerald and diamond Santi ring and several vintage jewels from Fred Leighton.
Her 1920s diamond briolette earrings, which were admittedly hard to see, came from the collection of Queen Soraya Tarzi of Afghanistan, the driving force behind the education and emancipation of women in Afghanistan in the early 20th century.
Jamie Lee Curtis almost always wears Cathy Waterman jewels on the red carpet. It’s not because she is an ambassador for the designer. She is her next-door neighbor and long-time friend.
For her big Best Supporting Actress win in Everything Everywhere All At Once, Jamie wore divine designs with a leaf motif.
