If ever there was a moment for men’s jewelry to take the spotlight, it was the Met Gala on May 5, where male celebrities brought vintage brooches, classic cufflinks, and golden rings to the event known as fashion’s biggest night.
The annual gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York took its theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” from a soon-to-open exhibit by the museum’s Costume Institute (the Met Gala is a fundraiser for the Costume Institute). Its dress code, “tailored for you,” was a nod to the “Superfine” emphasis on menswear and suiting.
The “Superfine” exhibition, which will present a cultural and historical examination of Black style over 300 years through the concept of dandyism, was inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.
This year’s Met Gala co-chairs, alongside Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, were Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo, Formula 1 racer Lewis Hamilton, music producer and jewelry designer Pharrell Williams, and rapper A$AP Rocky. Basketball star LeBron James served as honorary chair.
The clothing, accessories, and jewelry seen on the red carpet made this year’s Met Gala one of the most powerful to date. Here are some highlights.
A$AP Rocky
The gala cohost (pictured at top) debuted a Bulgari masterpiece as part of his ensemble, wearing a diamond and ruby necklace from the Polychroma high jewelry collection, which Bulgari says will be available by the end of May. Polychroma is described as an ode to the values of color, plurality, polymorphism, and multidimensionality.
A$AP Rocky’s platinum necklace held a 12.29 carat pear-shape ruby, 22 round diamonds, and pavé diamonds. He also wore a brooch in pink gold with a 15.43 ct. peridot, four round diamonds, four buff-top rubellites, 20 step-cut diamonds, and pavé diamonds.
Oh, and did we mention his partner, Rihanna, is pregnant again—and still amazingly stunning in everything she wears? No wonder A$AP Rocky had such a great night.
Jonathan Owens
NFL player Owens had a star turn on the red carpet, sporting a Margot McKinney Atlantic pendant as a brooch. It featured a rare 119+ ct. aquamarine, surrounded by 9.07 cts. of diamonds, and a South Sea pearl drop.
Owens also wore an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak perpetual calendar 41 mm watch in stainless steel with a tone-on-tone blue dial. His Olympic gold-medalist wife, gymnast Simone Biles, wore the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini, featuring an 18k white gold case and bracelet decorated with frosted gold and set off by a tone-on-tone petite tapisserie dial.
Leon Bridges (and other brooch wearers)
A noticeable ensemble came from singer-songwriter Bridges, who put Saidian vintage brooches and cufflinks on his tailored pinstriped suit with flared-bottom pants.
Another Saidian scene-stealer was Colin Kaepernick. The former NFL player stepped out in a bespoke three-piece burgundy suit with a cape. His jewelry included a Saidian brooch and multiple Saidian rings as well as an art deco Briony Raymond brooch.
Other brooches that grabbed the eye at the Met Gala included the one on fashion editor and British Vogue alum Edward Enninful. He wore Almasika founder Catherine Sarr’s Invictus flower brooch with matching cufflinks. The word invictus is Latin for invincible, and the set is a tribute to resilience, according to Enninful’s stylist Susan Bender.
“Choosing Almasika was a natural extension of this narrative. Catherine Sarr’s designs—rooted in cultural memory and organic form—resonate with the same quiet strength. Her use of gold with a black rhodium finish and natural diamonds from Botswana conveys not only timeless elegance but also a mindful heritage—making each piece deeply meaningful,” Bender said in a statement.
Paul Tazewell
Of all the Fred Leighton looks, award-winning costume designer Tazewell arguably was among the brightest. Let’s start with the art deco diamond brooch that seemed to float over his black bow tie. Chef’s kiss.
Tazewell, who collaborated with singers Janelle Monáe and Chappell Roan on their impressive Met Gala outfits, wore additional art deco pieces: a Fred Leighton jabot pin with onyx, coral, and diamond; a brooch in onyx, black enamel, and diamond; and onyx, diamond, and platinum cufflinks.
Dandy details
Music star Usher illustrated the dandyism theme with Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Duetto jewelry in 18k pink gold with more than 300 diamonds, to complement his elegant tuxedo with a white scarf and a pocket watch and chain.
Usher also wore a Kwiat Ashoka diamond and platinum stud earring and several Fred Leighton pieces, including a black jade and diamond hexagonal stud, art deco diamond clip brooch, 1930s diamond and platinum bombe ring, and a retro diamond and platinum dome ring.
Other celebs showed how they thought about every dandy detail, whether it was a diamond-covered ear cuff, a perfectly pavé grille, or a curated cane. TikTok influencer Khaby Lame dressed in a gray pinstriped suit covered with pocket watches, while A$AP Rocky carried a Briony Raymond customized umbrella with 90 carats of diamonds.
One more remarkable cane was held by Indian actor and producer Shah Rukh Khan. He wore a custom Sabyasachi ensemble and jewelry, but the star was his Sabyasachi Bengal Tiger cane crafted of 18k gold with tourmaline, sapphires, and old mine- and brilliant-cut diamonds.
Sarah Snook
Snook brought the quiet luxury of her Succession character, Shiv Roy, to the Met Gala with her structured black satin coat, silk shirt, cape, and black bow tie. This dramatic yet regal look gave the actress’ jewelry more room to shine, as she showed off a variety of brooches from Rahaminov Diamonds and Saidian Vintage Jewels and a Mindi Mond ring.
Savannah James
Not to be outdone by men, entrepreneur Savannah James—appearing at the Met Gala on behalf of her husband, LeBron, who could not attend because of a knee injury—wore cufflinks extremely well and quite creatively.
James gets all the snaps for sporting JJR earrings as cufflinks. Set in 18k yellow and white gold, the pieces had 2.09 cts. of natural black diamonds and 12.08 cts. of round Burma rubies.
Women’s wear
Many women at the Met Gala had their necklines properly highlighted with stunning diamond and colored gemstone jewelry. Take model Vittoria Ceretti as the epitome—she wore a neck mess like no other, with a Briony Raymond Belle Epoque diamond choker, midcentury diamond necklace, and Victorian diamond bib necklace.
Ears got their moment as well. Broadway star Audra McDonald—who just received her 11th career Tony nomination, for the current revival of Gypsy—wore Harwell Godfrey’s Chubby Sunflower earrings with 2.21 cts. of diamonds set in 18k yellow gold.
Tennis legend Serena Williams wore a classic gown along with Mateo New York accessories, including an Asscher-cut green amethyst ring in 14k gold and a pair of green amethyst pear drop earrings. They made her Moncler x EE72 by Edward Enninful silky sea foam gown and long quilted puffer cape seem to glow.
Williams also sported four Fred Leighton pieces: a 5 ct. diamond pinky ring from the 1940s, a ’50s diamond and platinum swirl brooch in her hair, 1960s earrings with 6 cts. t.w. pear-shape diamond drops, and a French-cut diamond and platinum bracelet.
Another showstopper was actress and singer Janelle Monáe, who some media outlets dubbed the “queen of dandyism” for her bold Thom Browne red, white, and black suit with monocle and bowler hat. A classic Marie Lichtenberg ring sparkled on Monáe’s hand, and according to one report, she wore a diamond made of tequila.
Recent Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña probably had the best pair of shoes in the place—the black-and-white platforms looked like a tuxedo for her feet—but she also got her share of snaps for her Buccellati 18k white gold cocktail earrings with 220 round brilliant-cut diamonds, paired with a 18k white gold cocktail ring.
Singer and actress Suki Waterhouse wore Jacob & Co., including a boutique watch, tennis bracelet, diamond ring, earrings, and Riviera necklace—all from the high jewelry collection, with a total value of $5.5 million. The watch, priced at $224,000, featured 25.69 cts. t.w. Ashoka-cut diamonds set in 18k white gold.
Several women opted for tailored suits in a wide array of styles, shapes, and pant lengths. One standout was Zendaya, who wore a white, form-fitting, three-piece custom Louis Vuitton suit, designed by Pharrell Williams, along with a matching tie, wide-brimmed hat, and sparkling Bulgari brooch pinned below her back collar—plus her famous engagement ring.
And you can’t talk about the Met Gala without mentioning the queen herself, Anna Wintour. She wore a Briony Raymond antique Victorian rivière necklace with 45 cts. of diamonds.
One final favorite was WNBA star Angel Reese, who was radiant in more than 107 cts. of white and yellow diamonds in Graff high jewelry, including a spectacular 25.55 ct. cushion-cut fancy intense yellow diamond ring.
(A$AP Rocky photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP; jewelry photos courtesy of the brands)
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