Remember the 2021 Emmy Awards jewelry? An endless parade of drop earring after drop earring, plus a couple showstopping statement necklaces for good measure. Ah, those were the days.
As for the jewels at the 74th Annual Emmy Awards on Sept. 12, 2022, we wish we had more to say. Because, frankly, there just weren’t that many.
What’s behind this sudden trend toward red-carpet minimalism? Yes, we’re all concerned about inflation and a potential recession, and no one in the spotlight wants to appear insensitive to those struggling economically; but everyone and their mother knows that those big honking jewels are borrowed. And showing off a gorgeous diamond necklace or spectacular cocktail ring is inarguably good for a jewelry designer’s career—especially if a celebrity chooses to wear a piece from a lesser-known brand. (Unless, of course, said celebrity forgets who made said piece. Pro tip: Don’t tell E! red carpet host Laverne Cox that you’re wearing a $2 million dollar ring if you can’t remember who designed the aforementioned ring. But we won’t name names.)
Okay, we’ll step off our bedazzled soapbox now.
Thankfully there were a few Emmy attendees who didn’t completely eschew accessories. Here are a few of our favorites.
Reese Witherspoon
Usually Witherspoon goes a little more low-key with her fashion, so we were pleasantly surprised to see her sporting so much sparkle. The Morning Show star and best actress nominee loves a sleek strapless column gown—which Armani Privé does brilliantly—and this embellished beauty fit her wonderfully. Most actors and their stylists would have gone the diamond route with a midnight-blue dress, which is why we applaud the Tiffany & Co. aquamarine and blue zircon jewelry choice.
Sarah Snook
Two big colored-stone necklaces on the same night? What did we do to deserve this blessing? (And why doesn’t this happen more often at awards shows?) When the entire Succession cast came up onstage to celebrate the show’s best drama series win, we couldn’t stop staring at Snook’s necklace. Just look at that gorgeous thing: With more than 250 carats of gemstones, the piece, you won’t be surprised to learn, is from Irene Neuwirth’s Gemmy Gem collection. More red carpet jewelry like this, please.
Nicholas Braun
Forget men in black—let’s talk about men in white. That seems to be the male shade of the moment, with actors ignoring the Labor Day fashion rule and suiting up in chic white to fight the blazing Hollywood heat. Under the Banner of Heaven nominee Andrew Garfield wore white Zegna; Pam & Tommy nominee Seth Rogen wore white Brunello Cucinelli; and the internet’s favorite Succession obsession, Nicholas Braun, wore white Dior. We love a guy in a pinky ring, and the hammered finish gives his De Beers diamond band just the right amount of edge. And no, that’s not a bow tie. Those are diamond clips, courtesy of Fred Leighton. Guys, next time you’re thinking about a clip-on bow tie, consider going the diamond clip route instead.
Tyler James Williams
Williams’ wardrobe on Abbott Elementary—he plays a teacher who’s crushing on Janine (played by breakout star and Emmy winner Quinta Brunson)—is pretty boring, so it’s no wonder he took it up a few notches as an Emmy nominee. The suit is by Los Angeles–based brand Thrash Bespoke, and the chunky jewelry is Cartier, which has been doing a terrific job bejeweling the men of Hollywood. Peep the stone in the cufflinks: It’s not lapis; rather, it’s sodalite, a less-intense but still striking royal blue with white streaks that seem to recall clouds.
Selena Gomez
Gomez deserves a prize just for keeping a straight face while presenting with Steve Martin and Martin Short, her two comic legend Only Murders in the Building costars. But she deserves another for going green: Those emerald earrings and that chunky emerald cocktail ring, both by Boucheron, added the perfect pop of color to her white sequin Celine halter dress. (Meanwhile, who else is obsessed with OMITB? I still need to finish season 2…so no spoilers, please!)
Lily James
The bronze chain-mail Atelier Versace gown, which fits James like the proverbial glove, is basically wearable bling, so we won’t fault the actress—a nominee for her turn as Pamela Anderson in the miniseries Pam & Tommy—for keeping her jewelry understated. And by “understated,” we mean a bunch of rings, a couple bracelets on each wrist, and a pair of chunky gold and diamond hoops. All of her De Beers jewelry was relatively delicate, so it just added a little bit more glimmer to an already glimmering look. Points for mixing rose and yellow gold!
Zendaya
Thank goodness for Zendaya. We can always count on the actress, who won her second best-actress Emmy for the trippy teen drama Euphoria, to raise the glamour quotient at any awards show—first with her flawless fashion choices (the Audrey Hepburn–esque ballgown is Maison Valentino) and then with her jewelry (she is a Bulgari ambassador, after all). Flawless, from head to toe.
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