Oscars 2022: Diamonds Shine Bright at the Academy Awards

It was a remarkable night in more ways than one, with historic wins and some scandalous moments at this year’s Academy Awards. Fortunately for anyone with a passion for jewels, it is easy to overlook the drama with the plethora of gems on display, especially diamonds. Here are some of the best jewellery highlights from the 2022 Oscars, which certainly had a rebellious streak!

This year’s Oscars red carpet jewels are a little elusive… of course, they are there, but one needs to look a bit closer to see the truest treasures. There was a notable lack of showstopping large stones in favour of sleek rows of diamonds, elegant chokers, cuff bracelets and a modest amount of fine rings. Earrings were mostly face-framing and feminine, falling in petal-like shapes and surrounded by soft waves and perfectly un-done hairstyles. This was an Academy Awards with two distinctive ends of the spectrum, though. For every blush pink, romantic ensemble, there was a rebellious look to off-set it. Look to a bare-chested Timothée Chalamet and a hot pants wearing Kristen Stewart as the finest examples! Below, you will find a selection of some of our best-dressed in jewellery from this year’s awards. While the night’s dramas are dominating the headlines, we remain committed to bringing you gossip in the form of diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and so much more…

The Diamonds

The theme of the night was colourless diamonds and plenty of them, especially when paired with ice cream sundae shades of pastel pink, blue, white and lilac. Nicole Kidman, for example, wore an Armani Privé gown with a diamond necklace, bracelet, ring and earrings all by Harry Winston, coupled with an Omega watch. My eyes were also drawn to actress Caitríona Balfe who combined an elegant white dress with a ribbon-inspired necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels, alongside a diamond-set bracelet and cocktail ring.

Best Supporting Actress winner, Ariana DeBose, wore a selection of diamond jewels by De Beers, including layered diamond line necklaces, a three-row diamond bracelet and De Beers’ Ellesmere Treasure High Jewellery ring. Actress Lupita Nyong’o also opted for De Beers, notably the De Beers Motlatse Marvel earrings from the Reflections of Nature collection and a Light Rays crown ring from De Beers’ latest high jewellery collection, The Alchemist of Light.  

Jessica Chastain, who walked away with the Best Actress Oscar, paired her Gucci sequined lavender dress with a selection of Gucci High Jewellery pieces, including a bracelet, ring and a fantastic pair of drop earrings. This particular style of feminine drop earring was a popular choice on the night – Olivia Colman presented the same look in Chopard, Kirsten Dunst picked Fred Leighton, while Mila Kunis chose Messika. One of the stars of the night has to be Zendaya, who once again turned to Bulgari for a dazzling display of diamond jewels, including two matching Serpenti Viper cuff bracelets, several diamond rings and a Serpenti necklace that sat just above the collar bones (the preferred placement of the evening). 

Also of note was Zoë Kravitz, who chose a diamond necklace and earrings by Kwiat, Penelope Cruz in Chanel, Uma Thurman in Cartier, Lady Gaga in Tiffany & Co., and Jennifer Garner in Nikos Koulis.

The Rebels

On the flip side of the coin, there was a great selection of celebrities who clearly didn’t get the ‘demure diamonds’ memo! Most notable is Kristen Stewart who wore an ensemble by Chanel and accessorised with a fabulous Chanel necklace, set with onyx, spinel and diamonds in white gold. Actress Marlee Matlin also wowed in a great colour clash – a deep red gown and lapis lazuli jewellery – specifically a Harry Winston necklace and earring set, coupled with a 1950s sapphire and diamond Van Cleef & Arpels ring.

Colour continues to be the jewellery rebels’ weapon of choice, such as Vanessa Hudgens in a beautiful emerald and diamond suite by Bulgari, and singer H.E.R in a similarly hued choker (again sitting neatly just above the collar bones). Tiffany Haddish also chose green, this time a Pomellato 54.27 carat tourmaline necklace from the La Gioia High Jewellery collection.

However, we also saw some bravery in the form of shape, volume and styling. Firstly, there’s West Side Story actress Rachel Zegler who made a statement Tiffany & Co. gold choker look effortless on the red carpet. Kudos must also go to tennis star Venus Williams who wore a Wonder Woman-inspired duo of Tiffany & Co. Bone bracelets, designed by the late Elsa Peretti, and Jada Pinkett-Smith in G by Glenn Spiro diamond and titanium earrings.

The Parties

One of the greatest aspects of the Oscars is that many celebrities change looks completely to attend the many after-parties, therefore providing us with even more looks to peruse! Rita Ora, Billy Porter, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cynthis Erivo, Julianne Hough… all these famous faces chose Boucheron for their after-party ensembles. We also saw continuations on the red-carpet themes, such as long diamond earrings worn by Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson and Sophie Turner, and striking cuff bracelets demonstrated by Hailey Bieber. Here is where some great brands get to dress the celebs who wish to have fun with jewels, including Dree Hemingway in Ana Khouri, Rihanna in Wilfredo Rosado Tribu earrings and Olivia Colman in Smiling Rocks earrings. If I may mention some stand-outs… Jessica Chastain in a Gucci High Jewellery necklace with black opal, tanzanites and diamonds, and Willow Smith’s bejewelled sleeve top that blurs the line between fashion and jewellery.

The Men

It was a good year for men’s style with a range of watches and jewels on display. Andrew Garfield, Simu Liu and Jamie Dornan wielded Omega timepieces. Jacob Elordi chose a TAG Heuer timepiece, Rami Malek upgraded his lapel with a Cartier brooch, and Will Smith added a splash of diamonds to his tie, also courtesy of Cartier. Speaking of Cartier, the brand clearly cemented its status as the go-to for stylish gents in 2022. Timothée Chalamet turned heads by walking the red carpet in just a sequined Louis Vuitton suit jacket and a Cartier Panther necklace in place of a shirt! Actor Kodi Smit-Mcphee also wore a Cartier necklace and rings, while Jake Gyllenhaal chose a Cartier wristwatch.

It is gratifying to see how jewellery has become such a tool for self-expression, even in a high-pressure red-carpet environment such as the Oscars! Would Timothée Chalamet have gone bare-chested if he couldn’t have emblazoned his skin with a Cartier panther? I choose to believe we are entering a more free-spirited time when jewellery is less about evoking ‘Old Hollywood’ and more about revealing something about the wearer… long may it continue!