The 98th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday evening at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood saw a dazzling display of high-jewelry, with stars emphatically rejecting recent minimalist trends in favor of maximalist sparkle. Despite early whispers of a return to understated elegance, influenced by shows like FX’s Love Story and its ’90s aesthetic, the red carpet quickly transformed into a glittering showcase of diamonds, rare gems, and innovative designs, making jewelry a central talking point of the night.
Initial predictions suggested a subdued approach to accessories, with some early arrivals like Renate Reinsve in unadorned Louis Vuitton and Emma Stone in a simple empire-cut gown with delicate Repossi diamond earrings seemingly validating the minimalist forecast. However, these instances proved to be outliers as A-listers rapidly unveiled an array of breathtaking pieces that underscored a resurgence of opulent glamour. This year’s Oscars firmly established the statement necklace as the preeminent trend for women, while men expanded their jewelry repertoire far beyond the conventional lapel brooch, embracing bolder and more personalized selections.
The Academy Awards red carpet has long served as a crucial global stage for luxury jewelry houses, offering unparalleled visibility and setting trends that resonate throughout the fashion world. In an era where celebrity endorsement holds immense sway, the choice of a particular piece by an A-lister can significantly impact brand perception and sales. This year, the emphasis on high-carat diamonds, vibrant colored gemstones, and unique archival creations underscored the enduring power of aspirational luxury in popular culture.
The shift towards more elaborate jewelry also reflects a broader movement in fashion, where individuality and bold self-expression are increasingly celebrated. While ’90s minimalism offered a sleek counterpoint, the grandeur of the Oscars often calls for a more theatrical approach, allowing designers to showcase their most ambitious and exquisite works. This year’s selection highlighted both timeless elegance and cutting-edge artistry, proving that fine jewelry remains a vital component of red carpet storytelling.
A Deeper Dive into Dazzling Details
Among the night’s most captivating displays, several stars stood out for their exceptional jewelry choices, each piece telling a story of craftsmanship, heritage, and personal style. These selections not only adorned their wearers but also offered a glimpse into the evolving landscape of high-jewelry design and celebrity influence.
Adrien Brody in Elsa Jin
Adrien Brody, last year’s Best Actor winner for The Brutalist, continued his patronage of jewelry artist Elsa Jin, a designer known for her modernistic and sculptural creations. Jin, who recently moved her studio from Florence to New York, crafts pieces that challenge traditional tuxedo accessories. Brody wore a new brooch named "Ulysses" with his Gucci tuxedo, featuring a striking 20.05-carat sapphire and 1,279 diamonds totaling 125.84 carats, all meticulously set in titanium. This collaboration, first seen at the 2025 Oscars, highlights Brody’s commitment to unique, art-forward jewelry that transcends conventional red carpet norms.
Elle Fanning in Cartier
Elle Fanning presented a deeply personal connection to her jewelry choice, opting for a Cartier necklace from 1903 that echoed her childhood memories. The vintage piece, crafted to resemble wisteria leaves from her Conyers, Georgia, home, perfectly complemented her custom Givenchy by Sarah Burton gown, which featured wisteria embroidery. This transformable design, made of old round-cut diamonds set in platinum, underscored the timeless appeal of archival pieces and the sentimental value they can carry, blending historical elegance with contemporary storytelling.
Shaboozey in Mikimoto
For his first Oscars appearance, Shaboozey embraced a bold and unconventional approach to pearls. While accessorizing his Campillo look with a vintage Briony Raymond diamond brooch and a Chopard L’Heure du Diamant watch, it was the Mikimoto tassel necklace, fashioned as a waist sash or watch chain, that garnered significant attention. The Akoya and Golden South Sea Cultured Pearl Skipping Rope Necklace, valued at $35,000, combined pearls, diamonds, and 18-karat white gold, demonstrating an innovative and playful use of classic materials, signaling a fresh perspective on men’s formalwear.
Rose Byrne in Taffin
Rose Byrne showcased the avant-garde designs of Taffin, the New York-based brand founded by James de Givenchy. Her sculptural torque necklace featured a rare 22.58-carat fancy yellow-brown pear-shaped diamond from Botswana, known as a Desert diamond. This stone is part of a De Beers London initiative launched in October 2025 to highlight the unique beauty of natural diamonds in desert-like hues. The necklace, set in dark brown ceramic, allowed the diamond’s warmth to truly emerge, as explained by de Givenchy, who favors antique cuts for their intimate light reflection. Byrne completed her look with a 16.54-carat Ashoka-cut diamond ring set in blue ceramic and 18-karat rose gold, underscoring Taffin’s reputation for outside-the-box color combinations and rare stones.
Teyana Taylor in Tiffany & Co.
Best Supporting Actress nominee Teyana Taylor continued her impressive awards season style streak with a feather-embellished Chanel gown paired with exquisite Tiffany & Co. diamonds. Her "Shooting Star" necklace, from the "Tiffany Céleste" 2024 Blue Book collection, was a Jean Schlumberger design. This iconic piece, a testament to Schlumberger’s nature-inspired aesthetic for Tiffany since 1956, featured nearly 1,000 diamonds totaling almost 60 carats, including an 18-carat center stone that can be transformed into a ring. Taylor’s choice highlighted both the grandeur of high-jewelry and the versatility of such transformative designs.
Chase Infiniti in De Beers London
Chase Infiniti elegantly paired her lavender Louis Vuitton gown with the "Summer" diamond choker from De Beers London’s Metamorphosis high-jewelry collection. The sleek modernity of the choker, comprising 57.15 carats of white and yellow diamonds set in 18-karat yellow and white gold, offered a striking contrast to the gown’s tiered ruffles. This selection emphasized De Beers London’s expertise in showcasing the natural beauty of diamonds through contemporary and sophisticated designs.
Damson Idris in Didris
Damson Idris, star of F1, presented a deeply personal jewelry statement with a bespoke brooch from his own collection, Didris, which he launched at the 2025 Met Gala. Designed and crafted in London, reflecting his mother’s background in the jewelry business, the brooch featured a 7.41-carat heat-treated natural marquise blue diamond, surrounded by an array of natural white diamonds, all set in 18-karat gold. Idris completed his look with a trio of Didris rings, marking a significant moment for celebrity designers and personalized luxury on the red carpet.
Zoe Saldaña in Cartier
Zoe Saldaña’s Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello gown, with its modified sweetheart neckline, provided the perfect frame for her architecturally inspired high-jewelry necklace by Cartier. From the house’s "En Équilibre Chapter III" collection, which debuted in Paris in February, the necklace featured an intricate design highlighting rubies and diamonds set in platinum. This choice underscored Cartier’s continued innovation in high-jewelry, blending classic precious stones with modern, sculptural forms.
Michael B. Jordan in David Yurman
Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan followed Shaboozey’s lead in creatively incorporating a necklace into his custom Louis Vuitton suit. He transformed David Yurman’s 41-inch "DY Mercer Double Row Toggle Chain Necklace," crafted in 18-karat yellow gold and accented with diamonds, into a stylish watch chain. Valued at $29,000, this innovative styling choice demonstrated a growing trend in men’s accessories. Jordan also wore a David Yurman brooch in an unexpected location: on the back center of his jacket collar, a subtle yet impactful detail for those seated closely.
Zendaya in Cindy Chao
Zendaya, though not walking the red carpet, made a significant jewelry statement with her custom Louis Vuitton asymmetric draped gown. She wore a diamond-embellished Rolex Lady-Datejust, a direct nod to her recent appointment as the watch brand’s newest Testimonee, or ambassador. This 28mm high-jewelry timepiece, retailing for $177,400, highlighted the increasing synergy between luxury watch brands and Hollywood’s elite. Her jewelry, by Taiwan-based Cindy Chao The Art Jewel, included the designer’s "Diamond Branch" earrings from her White Label Collection, featuring 84 diamonds totaling 30.22 carats set in titanium, 18-karat white and yellow gold, and lacquer, showcasing Chao’s distinctive artistry and innovative material use.
Kate Hawley in Tiffany & Co.
Costume designer Kate Hawley’s Oscar win for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein created a serendipitous moment for Tiffany & Co. Having collaborated with Tiffany to provide jewels for Mia Goth in the film, Hawley’s choice of her own accessories for the evening became clear. She selected a trio of Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. brooches from the house’s archives, dating between 1952 and 1970. These vintage pieces, worn as potential good-luck charms, perfectly symbolized the enduring legacy of iconic designs and the deep connections between film, fashion, and jewelry.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Bulgari
Global ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas debuted Bulgari’s "Serpenti Illusio" high-jewelry necklace from the upcoming Eclettica collection, set to officially launch in Milan on March 23. Paired with her Dior gown, the necklace featured a magnificent 14.01-carat antique cushion-cut sapphire at its center, surrounded by pavé-set diamonds, buff-top emeralds, and onyx. This intricate piece required over 1,300 hours of handcraft, showcasing Bulgari’s unparalleled artistry. Fellow Bulgari ambassador Anne Hathaway also debuted Eclettica jewels, underscoring the brand’s strategic use of celebrity influence to unveil its latest masterpieces.
The 2026 Oscars red carpet cemented its status as a pivotal platform for luxury and design, with the night’s blingiest jewelry serving as a powerful testament to craftsmanship, personal expression, and the enduring allure of Hollywood glamour. The emphasis on statement pieces, from elaborate necklaces to creatively styled men’s accessories, signaled a clear departure from minimalist trends, influencing both high fashion and the broader consumer market for aspirational luxury. The confluence of historical archives, innovative new collections, and celebrity collaborations ensured that the jewelry was not merely an accessory but a central narrative element of the evening.
