VMAs Jewelry Report: Supersized Hoops, Statement Rings, and Red-Hot White Metal

The red carpet at last night’s MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in Los Angeles was full of the kind of edgy glam (and sometimes inadvisable) looks the annual awards show’s become famous for.

There was Pink, walking the carpet with her daughter and hubby, clad in a baggy men’s-style pinstripe suit—a glittering Le Vian diamond brooch serving as a tie pin. Jared Leto was affecting a 1980s PBS magician in a ruffle-sleeved shirt and full-on sequined cape. Nicki Minaj, meanwhile, was dressed in a beyond-tight pink plastic-y getup, draped in dozens of diamond necklaces and bracelets that all seemed to highlight her barely covered…assets.

Katy Perry in Hueb diamond earrings, and a detail of the earrings (courtesy of Hueb)

Katy Perry in a custom Mariel Washere dress and flat circle earrings (Image: @katyperry)

Style shenanigans like these aside, the evening’s jewelry presence was strong, with celebs flaunting a handful of artistic masterpieces and bound-to-be-trendsetting styles.

Most notable was the ubiquity of white gold and platinum on the red carpet. While white metal looks have withstood competition from trendy yellow gold in recent years at film’s biggest events—including the Oscars and the Golden Globes—yellow gold has all but dominated the jewelry scene at the VMAs, until this year.

Bretman Rock in the most perplexing (okay, ONLY) necklace-cum-dickie of the night (Image: @bretmanrock)

Jasmine Sanders in Harry Kotlar canary diamond earrings; earrings detail (courtesy of Harry Kotlar)

Huge hoop earrings—a summertime trend that seems destined to roll into the holidays—were also everywhere at the VMAs, worn by Hailey Baldwin, Noah Cyrus, Katy Perry (who hosted the show), Pink, and others.

Coiling, snake-inspired looks also made their mark: Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot worn a coiling diamond ring from Mattia Cielo, while Today Show host Erin Lim rocked a pretty pair of dangling earrings with a serpentine motif.

Gal Gadot in a Mattia Cielo coiled white gold diamond ring; the ring in detail (photo of Gadot courtesy of @gal_gadot)

Nicki Minaj in L’Dezen earrings and Djula diamond hoops (courtesy of L’Dezen)

Chunky, funky white gold necklaces were another trend—one worn by the guys as often as the ladies. VMA winner Kendrick Lamar wore a super-thick white gold chain, layered with thin pendant necklaces, while Noah Cyrus donned a chunky, simply designed white-gold-and-diamond choker from Djula.

Overall, last night’s jewelry was more consistently chic and cool than the clothes it was paired with (more than one fashion critic scolded pop stars for dressing like prom queens).

But then it wouldn’t be the VMAs without a dash of cringe-inducing fashion.