The first red carpet event of the year has kicked off the awards season with plenty of high-carat dazzle in which the big names dominate the jewellery placement game. Less is more is the name of the game as actresses opt for one stand-out piece of jewellery as the move away from matching sets is most definitely now out of fashion. Chandelier and drop earrings are making way for ear climbers and more lobe hugging designs.
Necklaces were the big winners this year with the choker proving to be the favourite way to adorn décolletages. The line up of choker-wearing stars included Jennifer Lopez (above) in 145 carats of Harry Winston Colombian emeralds and diamonds along with Helen Mirren draped in 73.55 carats of diamonds in the Cascading Diamond Drop necklace by the same American jeweller. Scarlett Johansson chose a 120 carat diamond choker by Bulgari and Rachel Wiesz opted for a 75.64 carat Crossover Diamond short necklace by Harry Winston. One of the most opulent choker looks of the evening was thanks to singer Cynthia Erivo who wore a Bulgari 40-carat cabochon center sapphire, surrounded by 56.65 carats of diamonds and sapphires, valued at over $3 million. What all these women had in common was very simple necklines in bold-coloured dresses that allowed both the dress and the jewels to shine.
Cate Blancett,(top) with the help of celebrity stylist Elizabeth Stewart, had one of the most original outfits of the evening. Her yellow Mary Katrantzou pleated dress was perfectly complemented with blue topaz and diamond Nudo earrings by Pomellato.
This was not the case with Gwyneth Paltrow (above). It seems that one necklace wasn’t enough so Paltrow stacked up two Bulgari Fiorever high jewellery necklaces that she wore under her sheer, nude tone dress. I can’t see under-jewellery becoming a trend and let’s hope this is nothing more than a passing Gwyneth whimsy. Dakota Fanning also went for a frilly, frothy lacy effect and went Dior head to toe complemented by a Rose Dior Bagatelle choker necklace and ring in white gold and diamonds and a Rose Dior Bagatelle ring in white and pink gold, diamonds, tsavorite garnets and pink sapphires.
Zoey Deutch went the opposite way from the short choker and opted for a long 58.69 carat sapphire cabochon pendant necklace with 22.93 carats of diamonds that popped out against her egg-yolk yellow Fendi custom-made jump suit.
And then there was the no-necklace trend. Olivia Colman and Joey King all let their couture do the talking as the high, sculptural necklines of their dresses made earrings the only option. Colman wore Chopard’s Precious Lace Collection with 4.53 carats of diamonds and diamond rings from the Happy Precious and the L’Heure du Diamant Collections while Joey King wore an elegant pair of Harry Winston Sparkling Cluster drop earrings with a modest 4.34 carats of diamonds.
Patricia Arquette let her ample neckline do the talking and wore the relatively low-key earrings and ring from Chopard’s Palme Verte Collection in Fairmined gold. Salma Hayek , also put her best assets forward in a revealing Gucci halter top. Hayek made up for the no-necklace look with a stunning pair of Haute Joaillerie Collection earrings by Chopard with 86.74 carats of apatite beads, 24.27 carats of Paraiba tourmalines and 11.68 carats of diamonds.
And confirming the vogue for jewels for men, Nick Jonas delighted jewellery lovers by wearing a Chopard brooch to the The Vanity Fair x Amazon Studios
