Diamonds! Sapphires! Golden Bras! Why 2019 Was the Year of Bling
.jpg)
It isn’t a red carpet without a little bling, and in 2019, stars seemed intent on raising the bar for statement jewelry. Throughout the year, trends filtered in and out, but the demand for conversation pieces in diamond, platinum, and gold never wavered. Bigger was often better—who could fault Lady Gaga for wearing more than 100 carats to collect her Oscar statuette?—but subtle moments like Harry Styles’s single freshwater pearl at the Met gala mattered too. A look back at the most impactful gems (real, faux, and everything in between) shows exactly a single well-placed piece can cause a sensation.
Photo: Getty Images1/14Lady Gaga’s 128-Carat Tiffany Co. Diamond at the Academy Awards
The 91st Academy Awards marked one of the biggest nights of Lady Gaga’s career. Nominated for “Shallow,” her duet with A Star is Born co-star Bradley Cooper, she was in the running for her first Oscar, and needed a look that could capture the significance of that moment. And while her sleek Alexander McQueen gown was beautiful, it was the Tiffany diamond that took things to the next level.
The 141-year-old stone was first discovered in 1877 in South Africa’s Kimberly Mines and subsequently purchased by the brand’s founder, Charles Lewis Tiffany, a year later. The largest yellow diamond in the world at that time, the raw stone was transformed by gemologist George Frederick Kunz into a brilliant-cut 128.54-carat masterpiece with 82 facets. Once worn by Audrey Hepburn in her promo stills for Breakfast at Tiffany s, the gem was reimagined for Gaga’s Oscar look. Set in a platinum necklace featuring 16 cushion-cut white diamonds and 46 more brilliant-cut, it provided an opulent final touch to her big night.
Photo: Getty Images2/14Angelina Jolie in a Robert Procop Scorpion Brooch at the Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Premiere
If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself—or at least find a worthy collaborator. For her red carpet return at the world premiere of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Angelina Jolie channeled the spirit of her villainous Disney character through haute jewelry she co-designed with Robert Procop. The bewitching scorpion brooch featured 50 carats of white diamonds set in platinum, and made for an unexpected addition to her Atelier Versace gown.
Jolie and Procop have been working together for nearly a decade on custom pieces and the actress’s “Style of Jolie” collection, a range benefiting the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, a charity she co-founded that builds schools in areas impacted by warfare. In keeping with Jolie’s commitment to philanthropy, the one-of-a-kind piece they created for the Maleficent premiere may eventually be placed on auction to benefit EPCC.
Photo: Getty Images3/14Kate Middleton in Princess Diana’s Earrings at the BAFTAs
One of the perks of being a royal is access to a limitless array of jewels, but Kate Middleton has always been mindful of her choices. At 2019 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards, the Duchess made a quiet statement in earrings that once belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. The pearl and diamond pair were first worn by the Princess of Wales in December of 1995 at the United Cerebral Palsy dinner, where she received an award for her humanitarian work.
Photo: Getty Images4/14Rachel Weisz’s Cartier Hair Ornaments at the Academy Awards
As Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough in The Favourite, Rachel Weisz is cunning, resourceful, and seductive. Nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2019 Academy Awards, Weisz paid homage to her memorable character with a temporary crown. Two vintage Cartier Collection brooches from 1903 were combined to create a stunning diamond and platinum headband. Carefully woven into her hair by hairstylist Mark Townsend to appear seamless, they added an ethereal element to the actress’s look that contrasted with her futuristic Givenchy couture.
\
Photo: Getty Images5/14Brie Larson and Scarlett Johansson Bring the Infinity Stones to Life
The Avengers movies may masquerade as action-adventure flicks, but really, they’re all about jewelry. As the franchise’s MacGuffin, the Infinity Stones kickstart the plot—and given their prominence onscreen, it makes sense that the leading ladies of Avengers: Endgame would seek to recreate the jewels and their matching gauntlet for the film’s debut. Both Brie Larson and Scarlett Johansson wore versions of the concept to the world premiere in April, bringing the fictional bling into the real world with help from designers Irene Neuwirth and Sonia Boyajian respectively.