VANITY FAIR 2023 — SILVIA TODHE

Couture gowns and designer suits may grab headlines on Oscar night, but it’s the jewelry that makes or breaks these looks.

Fashions change but diamonds are forever – especially when it comes to red-carpet dressing. At the Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills, Vanity Fair’s editor in chief Radhika Jones rolled out the signature sapphire blue carpet-- to celebrate the night’s historic wins and nominees alike.

Twenty-nine years into its existence and the Vanity Fair Oscar party is still the biggest social event in town with everyone (aside from Oscars’ nominees and presenters, but also moguls, models, directors, designers, music producers, tv personalities, executives, investors, and luxury brand consultants) wanting an invite.

Set in an indoor-outdoor space dressed in crushed velvet walls, this year’s after-party had an Old Hollywood feel with a smoking room that turned into swanky soirée under the moonlight. In cue with the magazine’s most recent cover — starring film’s most watched stars like Selena Gomez, Florence Pugh, Julia Garner, Emma Corin, and Oscar-nominees like Austin Butler and Ana de Armas — this year’s Vanity Fair Oscars Party theme, ‘Old Hollywood glamour with a modern twist’ – had Hollywood’s finest arrive in some of the most exquisite pieces of jewelry.

Nothing adds polish, finesse, or glamor to an outfit like precious stones and for one night only, the world’s most valuable (protected and insured) gems and stones came out of their jewelry houses’ vaults in celebration of the Academy Awards. While diamonds are always a stars’ best friend – this year, so were sapphires, emeralds, and pearls.

From Lady Gaga in simple yet stunning Tiffany & Co diamonds, Sandra Oh in an incredible Harry Winston statement necklace, and Michael B Jordan wearing Tiffany by Jean Schlumberger brooches dangling gems from his lapel —here are the night’s most spectacular jewelry moments.

MICHAEL B. JORDAN

Michael B. Jordan sported two striking Tiffany & Co. brooches by the jewelry house’s most prolific and celebrated jewelry designer, Jean Schlumberger. This brooch that can be seen on the satin lapel of the actor’s custom black double-breasted tuxedo by Louis Vuitton was Schlumberger’s most iconic design in 1956: Bird on a Rock brooch.

The brooch’s design was crafted to especially highlight the sizeable and rare gemstone, with a diamond-embellished bird perched on top. The brooch on the left is a morganite that totals to over 32-carats, set in 18-karat yellow gold and platinum. The one on the right is a green tourmaline totaling more than 58 carats, set in 18-karat yellow gold.

ANGELA BASSETT

Angela Bassett looked spectacular in her regal purple Moschino silk-organza gown with Bulgari diamonds. This high-jewelry showstopper is a Serpenti necklace crafted of articulated 18-karat white gold and embellished with more than 70 carats of white diamonds.

JESSICA CHASTAIN

Rocking Gucci jewelry. This necklace is from the label’s Hortus Deliciarum (Latin for “Garden of Delights”) high-jewelry collection. Chastain’s Lionhead necklace is crafted of roughly 80 carats of favorites and diamonds set in 18-karat white gold.

RIHANNA

With her black leather banded dress and jersey bodysuit, Rihanna wore colored diamonds and emeralds by London-based Moussaieff. The pair of orange-brown diamond drops totaled to 35.82 and 35.66 carats each. They are topped by pear-cut natural fancy yellow diamonds totaling 6.23 and 6.01 carats each, with square-cut Colombian emeralds nestled in between, all set in platinum and 18-karat yellow.

FLORENCE PUGH

From Tiffany & Co.’s Botanica Blue Book high-jewelry collection, Pugh’s Orchid Curve necklace is crafted in platinum to mimic the curves of an orchid petal. The necklace is set with over 38 carats of diamonds, including on both sides of the curve. Pugh wore platinum earrings with pink colored tourmalines and diamonds to match.

SANDRA OH

The large cushion-cut citrine at the center of the necklace’s medallion beautifully matched her marigold silk-chiffon gown by Giambattista Valli Haute Couture. The circa-1980s design is by Harry Winston is made of 18-karat yellow gold. Both the necklace and medallion set with 77.70 carats of sapphires and 10.62 carats of diamonds.

JOHN CHO

To adorn his Zegna tuxedo, John Cho tastefully selected a star brooch that dates to the late 19th century. The brooch is made of silver on gold and set with diamonds. The vintage piece of jewelry was provided by the New York-based Fred Leighton.

JENNY SLATE

In a Thom Browne three-piece evening look, nominee Jenny Slate wore a one-of-a-kind necklace by Massimo Gismondi for Genoa, Italy-based Gismondi 1754. Dubbed Abbraccio (“The Embrace”), Slate’s necklace features a pear-shaped Zambian emerald totaling more than 22 carats. The emerald is surrounded by over 52 carats of round and pear-shaped white diamonds, all set in 18-karat white gold. The necklace’s design feature of a nearly invisible setting took well over 300 hours to craft in the Gismondi Atelier— BRAVO!

SOFIA CARSON

Sofia Carson accessorized her white silk-chiffon two-piece gown, custom designed by Giambattista Valli Haute Couture, with a 122-carat emerald statement necklace from Chopard’s Haute Joaillerie collection.

The seven octagonal-shaped emeralds totaling 122.49 carats are surrounded by 92.57 carats of white diamonds in pear-, marquise-, baguette- and round-cut diamonds, all set in 18-karat white gold (Fairmined-certified*, a nod to Chopard’s commitment to ethical resourcing and responsible practices).

LADY GAGA

Lady Gaga stunned the red carpet in an all-black Versace ballgown featuring a full skirt and sheer corseted top. Gaga complimented her ensemble with — of course — Tiffany & Co. jewelry — a vintage platinum and diamond choker necklace (1955-1965) with a matching bracelet and minimalist diamond earrings.