Lupita Nyong’o celebrates her Best Supporting Actress win wearing Fred Leighton.
The designers with the biggest influence on Oscar jewelry this year were Fred Leighton, Chopard, Lorraine Schwartz and Neil Lane. They certainly weren’t alone but their direction in this year's looks cannot be denied. Statement necklaces were big this year along with a few large drop earrings.Classic white was most prominent. Gold is always a big part of the jewelry being worn by the stars on the red carpet. However, this year the precious metal seemed to be more prevalent. Two things can account for this. First, the work of LoveGold, the fashion jewelry initiative of the World Gold Council in making sure that those on the red carpet are aware of the gold jewelry available. Second, the dramatic drop in the price of the precious metal in 2013. So gold is not only back on the red carpet it is again working its way into retail stores in the US and other countries. Diamonds always sparkle on the red carpet but maybe this year that sparkle was a little brighter. That’s because Forevermark, the diamond jewelry brand from De Beers, helped dress several celebrities with its high jewelry pieces made primarily of white diamonds on white gold and platinum. Speaking of platinum the white precious metal certainly had its moments at the 86th Annual Academy Awards. Below is run down of what the stars wore on the red carpet.
Lupita Nyong’o, was dressed from head to fingers in Fred Leighton, including an 18k yellow gold and diamond headband, a 19th Century yellow gold and diamond coiled snake bracelet, an 18k yellow gold and rose-cut diamond spiked crescent earrings, an 18k yellow gold Frog ring, a 19th Century yellow gold, pearl and diamond ring, a 19th Century yellow gold and opal ring, and finally a 1960s 18k gold, turquoise, and diamond ring.
Jennifer Lawrence wore a $2 million Neil Lane crystal, diamond (100 carats) and platinum necklace that draped down her back. She matched it with Neil Lane platinum and 10-carat diamond stud earrings and a $1 million platinum and diamond ring set with 3 fancy colored diamonds.
The statement necklace of the evening had to be the $15 million Harry Winston Cluster Pendant worn by Charlize Theron. The feature stone is a 31-carat square-emerald-cut flawless diamond set in a cluster of diamonds. It has 155 total diamonds.
Best Actress winner Cate Blanchett wore drop earrings featuring 62 white opals (33 carats) set in white diamond pave and 18k white gold. It is the first preview of Chopard’s 2014 Red Carpet Collection. She also selected a brown diamond bracelet (49 carats) set in 18k white gold, and a toi y moi (you are me) pear-shape diamond ring (4 carats) set in 18k white gold from the luxury brand.
Angelina Jolie wore 42-carat round diamond drop earrings set in yellow gold by Robert Procop—the gem expert, private luxury jeweler and jewelry design partner of Jolie.
Idina Menzel wore a Chimento 77.12-carat diamond collar worth more than $300,000, a Chimento 34.6-carat diamond bracelet worth over $100,000 on the red carpet along with Demarco diamond earrings, and a Suzanne Kalan diamond ring.
Amy Adams wore a reported $1.4 million worth of jewelry from the Tiffany & Co. Blue Book Collection. It included 18k yellow gold rhodochrosite, lapis and turquoise earrings with diamonds; 18k yellow gold square modified brilliant yellow diamond bracelet; 18k yellow gold ring with fire opal, pink sapphire, yellow diamond and spessertite garnet beads; and gold Tiffany Metro diamond band rings.
Best Actress nominee Sandra Bullock chose to wear a Lorraine Schwartz $1.8 million platinum and diamond cluster earrings along with a Lorraine Schwartz platinum and diamond bracelet.
Anne Hathaway wore a $1 million platinum and 100-carat diamond bracelet by Neil Lane who also supplied a $250,000 platinum and square-cut emerald and diamond ring, and platinum and diamond stud earrings.
Margot Robbie chose Forevermark Exceptional Diamond Jewelry by Rahaminov that included a 55.26-carat necklace set in platinum, along with Forevermark by Premier Gem Martini Set Diamond Studs set in 18k white gold, and a Forevermark Swirl Ring set in 18k White Gold.
Jennifer Garner wore Forevermark Exceptional Diamond Jewelry by Rahaminov that included a 28.02ctw line bracelet set in platinum, Forevermark by Maria Canale Madison ring with three fancy yellow cushion diamonds set in 18k white gold, Forevermark Radiant Diamond Solitaire ring, Forevermark Diamond Line Earrings set in 18k white gold and Forevermark diamond bracelets set in 18k white gold.
Naomi Watts wore a web-like statement necklace and bracelet by Bulgari.
Kate Hudson was decked out in Neil Lane platinum jewelry that included 10 carat diamond drop earrings, a faceted crystal ring and a bracelet with sapphire and diamonds.
Kelly Osbourne stood out in the jewelry department by choosing pieces from designer Solange Azagury-Partridge. She wore an 18k yellow gold and diamond Crinoline earrings, 18k yellow gold and diamond Spaghetti Bombe ring, 18k yellow gold Skeleton square ring, and 18k yellow gold and diamond Offering ring.
Olivia Wilde wore several pieces by Lorraine Schwartz including platinum earrings with white diamonds and jade, platinum bangles with white and black jade, and a platinum ring with black and white diamonds.
Penelope Cruz wore Chopard, including platinum and diamond chandelier earrings, featuring a floral cluster of pear shaped diamonds (12 carats) and brilliant cut diamonds drops (4 carats); and a platinum bracelet with fancy shape diamonds (35 carats).
Kristen Bell in Piaget necklace and earrings.
Kristin Chenoweth wears Neil Lane yellow gold and diamond pin wheel earrings, yellow gold chain bracelet, and yellow gold and diamond ring.
Jessica Biel in platinum jewelry by Tiffany & Co.
Sally Hawkins In Fred Leighton antique diamond double drop earrings in gold and an old mine diamond ring set in gold.
Lady Gaga in Lorraine Schwartz rose gold and 20 carat diamond studs, rose gold and diamond bracelet, and a rose gold and fancy grey diamond ring surrounded by pink diamonds.
Camila Alves in Lorraine Schwartz rose gold and pink diamond earrings with rose gold and diamond ring.
Gwyneth Paltrow Wears Anna Hu Haute Joaillerie on the red carpet, including the Hearts of Winter cuff bracelet made of 2,368 rose-cut, round brilliant diamonds weighing 163 carats and valued at $1 million; and the double hoop Duchess Hibiscus Ring made of rose cut and round diamonds with purple sapphires set in 18-karat white gold and valued at $160,000.
With a silent film taking the night’s biggest prizes and two Octogenarians nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscars (one winning), it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that it was night of nostalgia when it came to red carpet fashion for the 84th Academy Awards. The jewelry worn by the movie industry’s biggest stars kept with that trend with classic designs and plenty of old-time sparkle.
Best Actress nominee, Michelle Williams, arrives at the 84th Annual Academy Awards in a 30-carat Fred Leighton diamond forevermark necklace. Photo credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Green, the most popular color last year, was still very much in the limelight but shared the stage with red and blue. Necklaces were more difficult to spot than in previous years and the ones that were worn took to more traditional designs, such as riviera style necklaces, rather than the big, bold necklaces that some jewelry designers and luxury brands had ready for the stars to wear. Earrings were mostly kept to modest lengths. When size did matter it was used for rings and bracelets, such as large cuffs. Emerald and diamonds seemed to the most popular gemstones for the evening.
Natalie Portman wears a V-shaped diamond necklace and diamond earrings on the red carpet. Photo credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Harry Winston and Fred Leighton were among the favorites of the actresses as were the Swiss brands, Chopard and Piaget. Hollywood’s popular jewelry designers, Lorraine Schwartz and Neil Lane, also had outstanding nights. Largely missing in action were the Italian jewelry houses, Bulgari and Damiani; and the French fashion houses such as Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. Tiffany also had a quiet night, with the exception of placing $1 million worth of jewelry on Cameron Diaz.
Penelope Cruz wears a Chopard riviera style necklace and diamond ear clips. Photo credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Overall, risk taking took a backseat to old Hollywood glamour. For the most part it was a good thing.
Cameron Diaz arrives on the red carpet wearing $1 million worth of Tiffany jewels, including the diamond necklace. Photo credit: Michael Buckner/Getty Images
Octavia Spencer, Best Supporting Actress, winner for The Help finished her look with Neil Lane jewelry and a Judith Leiber clutch. Photo credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Jessica Chastain on the red carpet wearing Harry Winston jewels.
Milla Jovovich wears Jacob & Co.
The Iron Lady Meryl Streep wears Fred Leighton.
Emma Stone in Fred Leighton on the red carpet.
George Clooney's SO, Stacy Kiebler, wears Lorraine Schwartz.
I’ve never thought of my jewelry as trophies. I’m here to take care of them and to love them – Elizabeth Taylor
After viewing one of the most complete and magnificent private collections of jewelry, art, memorabilia, accessories and other articles ever amassed by a single person during The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor exhibition at Christie’s New York, I wrote the following:
This collection represents a life well spent. Christie’s presentation of the exhibit makes it seem as if her life’s work was complete.
It’s almost a shame that these items will soon be separated.
However, after attending the two days of the fine jewelry sales (part of the four-day Elizabeth Taylor auction at Christie’s New York along with an “online only” component), my mind has changed.
I met friends of Taylor and those who never knew her. I met people who purchased the product because of their ties to Taylor, because of their fascination with a particular piece, or to use what they purchased in their business. It was auction that attracted some of the world’s wealthiest people, celebrities, top professionals in the jewelry and gems industries, and those of modest means.
Bidders prepare for the opening night auction to begin.Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco
The jewelry and other items amassed will be used in all sorts of ways. The important part is that it appears that the jewelry will be used and that’s the way Taylor, it seems, would have wanted it. After all, this is a woman who wore a 33-carat diamond ring almost every day and who was filmed wearing a priceless ruby jewelry collection by the pool. Taylor didn’t put her baubles away for special occasion, she wore them. And her collection showed an appreciation of priceless pieces along with far less expensive items because she either admired the work or they had personal meaning.
Photo credit: Christie's
Jewelry designer to the stars Lorraine Schwartz bought back the fringe diamond bracelet that Taylor bought from her for her 70th birthday.
“I was wearing it for her party at the Bel-Air Hotel, and she kept calling me over to look at it and to try it on,” Schwartz wrote on her facebook page. “Finally, the next morning she called me and said “‘I know who’s buying that bracelet for my birthday … I’m buying it for my birthday!’”
Photo credit: Christie's
Schwartz also bought a pair of earrings that Taylor’s third husband, Michael Todd, created just for her.
“I could feel Elizabeth nudging me telling me to buy them,” Schwartz said on the auction floor during the second day. “That’s what she used to do. She used to say, ‘go ahead buy it.’ She’d be kicking me under the table (saying), ‘Go ahead. You know you want it.’”
Photo credit: Christie's
Schwartz was very busy for the two days. In addition to what she purchased she lost a bid for one of her pieces and purchased a lot of three of her own bangles for Kim Kardashian, who paid $64,900, well above the high $8,000 estimate. “If you have a piece of jade, the energy goes into the piece and you absorb the energy,” Kardashian said by phone. “So I can feel Elizabeth in the piece.”
Photo credit: Christie's
Companies of course got into the act for the larger pieces. The 33.19-carat Elizabeth Taylor Diamond (also known as the Taylor-Burton diamond and formerly called as the Krupp diamond), a gift from Richard Burton, was reportedly bought by South Korean businessman Daniel Pang for $8.8 million. He was bidding on behalf of E-land World, a South Korean concern. The company plans to exhibit the diamond ring at “E World,” an amusement park in Daegu, according to reports.
Photo credit: Christie's
Bulgari, the Italian luxury jewelry house, bought back $20 million worth of jewels, including a 52.72-carat sapphire-and-diamond sautoir for $5.9 million and an emerald-and-diamond necklace for $6.1 million, according to the New York Post.
Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco
Then there’s the paper jewelry. The gag gift from Malcolm Forbes to Taylor has garnered a great deal of media attention—much of it from me. The suite of paper jewelry had a high estimate of $300. It sold on the second day for $6,875. It was purchased by Jenny and John Caro, owners of Jewelry By Design, an independent jewelry store in Woodbridge, Va.
The couple came to the auction with a $50,000 line of credit and in a few minutes it was obvious they were being priced out of buying any real jewelry. So when the paper jewelry came up on the second day, they went all out to win the lot. The couple is using the paper jewelry along with two jewelry pieces they purchased on the online only auction to create an Elizabeth Taylor display for their customers. The jewelry was chosen because they had pictures of Taylor wearing the pieces in books that will be used in the display.
“We’re a good example of a business doing things, being different and taking risks to help our business grow,” Jenny said in a phone interview.
“You couldn’t go by the intrinsic value of jewels, because the truth is everything was selling so high that what you bought you couldn’t turn around,” she added. “The South Korean who bought the Burton diamond bought it for a business reason. What is $8.8 million when it comes to advertising worldwide? What’s $6,800 when it comes to local advertising?”
Using the Forbes gift as inspiration, Christie’s created its own full-color paper jewelry book with recreations of 15 of Taylor’s most iconic jewels. It ran as a limited edition of 5,000 and was available for purchase in person at Christie’s headquarters during the New York exhibition, which was held December 3 -12. It was sold for $25 each, $5 of which went to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
Los Angeles jewelry designer Sandra Müller had her own unique story. She first met Taylor as a child while living in Europe and credited the actress with inspiring her to build a life in the jewelry field. Taylor was a friend of her parents. As an adult working and living in Los Angeles, she said she would visit Taylor’s house often as a friend and to show her work. In 2001, Taylor bought three of her pieces.
The high estimate for the jewels was $300. Müller e-mailed me to let me know that her pieces sold for $15,000. With commission the total was actually $18,750.
“The 18k gold value alone would be about 10,000.00 if melted,” she added. “I think it was one of the few good deals in auction.”
I asked her how it felt to sit in the auction room and watch her pieces being sold at the historic event. Her reply was brief.
NEW YORK - Kim Kardashian purchased three jade bracelets created by Los Angeles jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz during the second day of the Elizabeth Taylor auction at Chrstie’s New York. Schwartz, a friend of both the reality TV star and the famous actress and humanitarian, was at the auction and purchased the jewelry for Kardashian. They were sold in one lot for $64,900, well above the high $8,000 estimate.
Schwartz said Taylor wore the white, black and lavender bangles nearly every day, particularly in the latter part of her life.
She also said that Kardashian was going to buy those same bangles directly from her but really wanted the pair that Taylor actually wore.
“She loved those bangles for a long time,” Schwartz said. “She bought them because they’re Elizabeth’s.”
Schwartz is known for creating jewelry for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Taylor and Kardashian.
Kardashian, who was the last person to interview Taylor, said by phone that she admired the movie star and jewelry lover. She also spoke about the power of Jade.
“If you have a piece of jade, the energy goes into the piece and you absorb the energy,” Kardashian said. “So I can feel Elizabeth in the piece.”
She added, “Elizabeth Taylor is iconic. She is my idol and my icon.”
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