Can Someone Be Too Young to Wear Big Diamonds?

 

Everyone knows that it’s a downright enviable achievement when designers get celebrities to wear their jewelry in public. Having Angelina Jolie wear your jewelry to the Academy Awards is, without a doubt, a coup for your company since it sends the message that Jolie likes your aesthetic, and that other adult women may also find it appealing.

Angelina Jolie in oversize emerald earrings at the 2009 Academy Awards.
Angelina Jolie in big emerald earrings at the 2009 Academy Awards. She’s a mom in her thirties, the earrings are great on her!

 

But I’m not sure what message is sent when a very young girl wears a significant diamond necklace in the spotlight. I recently received a press release about 12-year-old actress, Isabelle Fuhrman, star of Orphan, wearing a $36,000 Le Vian chocolate diamond ball necklace and a $2,500 Le Vian blue sapphire bracelet to the film’s Los Angeles premiere. While I don’t doubt that the girl is a rising star, or that the practice of getting jewelry on celebs can be good publicity, there’s just something amiss about a pre-teen wearing jewelry of that value, and I can’t exactly put my finger on why.

Isabelle Fuhrman, 12, in Le Vian jewelry on the Red Carpet.

Isabelle Fuhrman, 12, at the Los Angeles premiere of Orphan last week. Fuhrman is wearing a $36,000 Le Vian chocolate diamond ball necklace and a $2,500 Le Vian blue sapphire bracelet; is this too much jewelry too soon for a child?

 

Many people do view diamonds as a product collected with age and as we mark life milestones. For example, a woman wearing a diamond ring indicates that she is engaged and/or married, and a woman with a diamond journey pendant around her neck suggests that she has celebrated a wedding anniversary. A woman with a pair of diamond studs on her ears could mean that she gave birth to her first child, and a woman wearing a $36,000 brown diamond necklace could suggest that she has celebrated the big 4-0 birthday, rewarded herself for a promotion at work, or, is a member of a group of women who time-share jewelry. :)

The Necklace book is a true story about 13 adult women who share a pricy diamond necklace.
The Necklace is a true story about 13 women (no teens in this group) who share a pricy diamond necklace.

 


Le Vian
is a well-respected name in industry and its sophisticated designs are coveted by many, including many adult women. And the young Fuhrman is poised to grow up with a taste for diamonds, thanks at least in part to Le Vian for outfitting her for this premiere. But does anyone else share my opinion that perhaps a simpler and less pricy style might have been more age-appropriate for the girl? I’d love to know what others think.

 

Actress Dakota Fanning, 15, on the Red Carpet. 

Dakota Fanning, 15, at the 40th NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles in February 2009. I see a white ring on Fanning’s hand, but nothing around her neck. I think this is an appropriate use of accessories; she’s growing up to be a lovely young woman and doesn’t need a lot of jewelry to accessorize the dress.

 

Actress Abigail Breslin, 13, on the Red Carpet. 

Actress Abigail Breslin, 13, at the premiere of My Sister’s Keeper in New York in June. She has a lot of makeup on for a beautiful little girl, but at least the simple, thin gold chain is sweet and appropriate for her outfit.

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