24 of the Blingiest and Boldest Oscar Jewelry Moments of All Time
Diamonds—and rubies, emeralds, or pearls—are an Academy Awards attendee’s best friend. Nothing completes a look like the right jewelry, and on Oscar night, celebrities have always found unique ways to shine. Ninety years of history have meant countless impressive gems, each with stories of their own—here, a look back at the most daring, expensive, innovative, and influential stones to ever grace the ceremony that display all the magic of exceptional jewelry.
Photo: Getty Images1/241940, Vivien Leigh in Van Cleef Arpels
When Vivien Leigh collected her Best Actress statuette in 1940, she did it in true old Hollywood fashion. Dressed in a custom dress by Irene Lentz Gibbons, MGM’s costume supervisor whose private salon at legendary Wilshire Boulevard department store, Bullocks, was a favorite of the era’s stars, Leigh accessorized with a good luck charm from then-husband Laurence Olivier. Her Van Cleef Arpel’s aquamarine pendant had been a gift from Olivier after she’d wrapped production on Gone with the Wind. Though it could also be worn as a brooch, Leigh kept the oversized statement piece on a long gold chain during the ceremony.
Photo: Getty Images2/241951, Gloria Swanson in Cartier
It’s hard to imagine a time when the Oscar ceremony wasn’t televised. But back in 1951, before the event made its way to the small screen, Gloria Swanson sat by the radio waiting to hear if she’d won Best Actress. Nominated for her role as silent film star, Norma Desmond, in Billy Wilder’s Hollywood noir, Sunset Boulevard, Swanson dressed to the nines in stacks of art-deco bracelets by Cartier. The pieces, which come from her personal collection, also make an appearance in the film. As Norma lounges around her mansion plotting her comeback, she accessorizes with the very same diamond and rock crystal bangles.
Photo: Getty Images3/241970, Elizabeth Taylor in the Taylor-Burton Diamond
No discussion of iconic Hollywood jewelry would be complete without a nod to Elizabeth Taylor. The cinema icon’s collection of baubles was expansive, but her most impressive piece was the Taylor-Burton diamond, a 68-carat stone purchased by Taylor and then husband Richard Burton in 1969. Formerly a ring, the oversized diamond was refashioned into a dazzling necklace that the actress wore to the 42nd Academy Awards.
Photo: Getty Images4/241982, Liberace in the Barron Hilton Piano Ring
Most celebrities borrow the jewels they wear to the Oscars, but Liberace wasn’t most celebrities. As he was preparing to appear at 1982’s telecast, the pianist needed only to look through his expansive collection of faux and fine jewelry and pull out a few baubles. The best among them was the outsized grand piano ring given to him by hotel heir Barron Hilton. The grandfather of Paris and Nicky, Hilton ran his family’s hotel chain during Liberace’s residency at the Las Vegas Hilton in the 1970s. To honor the star and the success of their partnership, Hilton gifted Liberace with an 18K gold miniature piano detailed with 260 diamonds. Accurate down to its moveable piano lid, it was a fitting tribute to the entertainer and his aesthetic.
Photo: Getty Images5/241986, Audrey Hepburn
On hand to present the awards for achievement in costume design, Audrey Hepburn dazzled into a custom pink gown by Hubert de Givenchy. The bold color was complemented by a pair of chandelier earrings featuring a mix of precious stones set in gold.