We’re still trying to recover from the fever dream that was the 2021 Academy Awards on April 25. Was there…an actual red carpet? (Yes! Complete with the usual awkward interviews.) Did 70-something, eight-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close do “Da Butt”? (Yes…yes she did. We stan.) And the less said about the ceremony’s anticlimactic ending—an absent Anthony Hopkins (The Father) upsetting the late Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) in a twist that not even the producers saw coming, otherwise they certainly wouldn’t have capped off the show that way—the better. Still, the setting—Los Angeles’ Union Station—was intimate and gorgeously decorated, thanks to David Rockwell; the speeches were sincere (Nomadland director Chloé Zhao asked us to “hold on to the goodness in each other”); and there was fashion. Herewith, five of our favorite jewelry looks.
Regina King
King—who, let’s be honest, should have been nominated for best director for One Night in Miami…—kicked off the telecast by strolling triumphantly into Union Station like the queen that she is, casually clutching an Oscar that she’d soon pass off to best screenplay winner Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman). Her sculptural custom Louis Vuitton gown looked like it had wings! She wore a Forevermark by Rahaminov diamond cluster bracelet and piled Forevermark diamond rings—including multiple pieces from the new Avaanti collection—on her fingers and thumb. But for us, it was all about the earrings: the eye-popping studs (a 1.39 ct. Forevermark Avaanti stud and a 4.03 ct. Forevermark by Premier Gem cushion-cut stud) and the gorgeous kaleidoscopic Asscher-cut drop earrings. Who else wants to go out and get another ear piercing?
Reese Witherspoon
To belt or not to belt…that is the question. The reaction to the menswear-style belt on Witherspoon’s ombré-red halter-neck Dior gown was massively polarizing. There was no debate, however, over her Bulgari jewels—drop-dead dazzling art deco–style designs with plenty of diamonds and rubies, plus onyx and pearl accents. Here’s a closer look at Reese’s pieces. (Oh, come on—we couldn’t resist.)
Andra Day
The “Rise Up” singer—a best actress nominee for her turn as the eponymous blues singer in The United States vs. Billie Holiday (her feature film debut!)—wore one of the night’s most popular colors: gold. (Believe it or not—Day’s custom Vera Wang Haute creation was made of actual metal; Wang worked with a welder to craft the design.) But Day’s jewelry—more than $2 million worth of Tiffany & Co. diamonds, including multiple Tiffany T gold and diamond rings and a number of Schlumberger pieces (the $135,000 platinum, 18k yellow gold, and diamond Cooper bracelet is the true standout)—is what really made the look sing.
Zendaya
If you did a double take when you saw presenter Zendaya in her neon-yellow custom Valentino strapless cutout chiffon gown, you’re not alone: It was indeed a nod to one worn by Cher about 50 years ago. (Side note: What’s with all the midriff-baring couture? Did celebrities gain no weight during quarantine? Sheesh.) As she’s a Bulgari brand ambassador, Zendaya didn’t surprise anyone by choosing jewels from the brand; she did, however, stun us with her selections—more than $6 million in diamonds, which included a transformable double-diamond-collar necklace from the 2021 Magnifica High Jewelry collection, which debuts this summer. Magnifica, indeed!
Daniel Kaluuya
Can we all agree that the men brought it this year? From Ma Rainey star Colman Domingo in a crystal-studded hot-pink Atelier Versace three-piece suit to Judas and the Black Messiah nominee LaKeith Stanfield in a sexy ’70s-style Saint Laurent jumpsuit to double nominee Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami…) wearing Brioni woven with actual 24k gold thread—the men were on fire this year. And they weren’t afraid to accessorize. Which brings us to best supporting actor winner and Black Messiah star Daniel Kaluuya and his classic all-black Bottega Veneta ensemble, accented by a classic Cartier tennis necklace in platinum and diamonds, white gold Cartier Love and Coup d’Éclat de Cartier rings, and a large stainless steel Santos de Cartier Skeleton watch. Perhaps if he picks up a little something from Cartier for his mom she’ll forget about that embarrassing “my mom and dad—they had sex!” moment in his speech.
Top: Regina King behind the scenes (photo: @iamjamesanthony)
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