10 of the most expensive celebrity red carpet jewels ever, ranked – from Madonna’s Harry Winston diamonds and Lady Gaga’s US$30 million Tiffany & Co necklace, to Beyoncé’s Lorraine Schwartz jewellery
The 2023 Oscars are just around the corner, and while all eyes are on the prestigious awards, the spotlight will also be on the fashion queens of the night. Over the years, the Academy Awards’ red carpet has also served as the “catwalk” for the high style and dazzling masterpieces donned by A-list stars.
Here’s our list of 10 of the most eye-catching and expensive items to have featured on red carpets – and guess who appears thrice?
10. Gigi Hadid’s Jacob & Co necklace (US$12 million) – Met Gala 2021
American model and fashion icon Gigi Hadid stole the spotlight at the 2021 Met Gala with her white Prada dress and Jacob & Co jewels.
The highlight was a necklace made of multiple round diamonds in collet-style platinum setting centred with a 54-carat diamond drop, worth US$12 million, according to the jeweller. She also paired it with stud earrings totalling 10 carats.
9. Beyoncé’s Lorraine Schwartz necklace (US$12 million) – Grammys 2017
The Halo singer definitely shone at the 2017 Grammys, thanks to her glittering Peter Dundas red sequinned gown. But the eye-catching piece on her neck was even more dazzling. The Lorraine Schwartz necklace features 400 carats of round diamonds, worth US$12 million, per Elle. She also wore matching Lorraine Schwartz rings.
Red carpet recycles: 7 Hollywood stars who re-wore their designer outfits
8. Beyoncé’s Lorraine Schwartz jewels (US$13.1 million) – MTV Music Awards 2016
A year earlier, Beyoncé rocked the 2016 MTV Music Awards with another Lorraine Schwartz set, also according to Elle. She flashed a 12-carat pink diamond ring worth US$9 million on her right hand, and three other rings valued at US$2.3 million on her left hand.
She also wore Colombian emerald, pink diamond and paraiba earrings with a price tag of US$1.8 million. In total, her jewellery was worth about US$13.1 million.
7. Charlize Theron’s Harry Winston necklace and earrings (US$15.8 million) – Oscars 2014
The 2014 Oscars presented a big stage for showcasing jewellery. One of the most sparkling pieces adorned Charlize Theron. The Mad Max star opted for a US$90,000 classy black Christian Dior haute couture gown and Harry Winston jewels: a 31-carat necklace with an emerald-cut centre stone and diamond stud earrings worth US$15.8 million, per Vanity Fair.
At the 2013 Oscars, Theron went for Dior and Harry Winston as well. They also had a lavish price tag – US$100,000 for the white gown and US$4.5 million for the emerald-cut diamond ear studs and bracelet, per Daily Telegraph.
6. Cate Blanchett’s Chopard earrings, bracelet and ring (US$18 million) – Oscars 2014
Luxury idols: who is Blackpink’s most powerful member? Brand values, ranked
5. Madonna’s Harry Winston jewels (US$20 million) – Oscars 1991
4. Gloria Stuart’s Harry Winston Heart of the Ocean (US$20 million) – Oscars 1998
Nominated for best supporting actress for her role as the older Rose in Titanic, Gloria Stuart wore a Harry Winston necklace inspired by the fictional Heart of the Ocean blue diamond in the movie to the 1998 Oscars. The necklace featured a brilliant 15-carat blue diamond as the heart-shaped centre of the pedant, surrounded by white diamonds. Its estimated price was about US$20 million, per Elle.
10 most expensive royal jewellery pieces, ranked
3. Beyoncé’s Tiffany & Co. Historic 1939 World’s Fair necklace (US$30 million) – Oscars after-party 2022
Hosting the Oscars after-party last year with husband Jay-Z, Beyoncé flaunted the new version of the historic 1939 World’s Fair necklace, People reported. The original piece by Tiffany & Co. featured 429 diamonds while the reimagined version has 578 diamonds set around the 80-carat Empire Diamond which, interestingly, can also be worn as a diamond-encrusted ring. The necklace costs up to US$30 million, according to experts.
2. Lady Gaga’s Tiffany & Co. Tiffany necklace (US$30 million) – Oscars 2019
Another Tiffany & Co. masterpiece was worn by Lady Gaga at the 2019 Academy Awards, when she made history as the first person to have won an Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA and Golden Globe within a single year for her hit film A Star is Born. She wore a necklace of 16 cushion-cut diamonds and 46 round brilliant diamonds, including the 128.5 carat yellow stone at the centre, per Allure.
She teamed the necklace, estimated to be worth US$30 million, with an elegant black gown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, just like legendary actress Audrey Hepburn, the last person to wear the stunning gem, in 1961 during a promotion for her iconic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
The Beckhams’ 5 most expensive watches, ranked
1. Carrie Underwood’s Jonathan Arndt necklace (US$31 million) – Grammys 2013
The Johnathon Arndt necklace draped around country superstar Carrie Underwood’s neck ranks as the most expensive jewellery item that we’ve spotted on the red carpet. Underwood wore a black strapless gown by Roberto Cavalli and joked about the necklace, saying “It’s worth more than me”, according to Yahoo! News.
With its 381-carat array of oval, pear, marquise and round brilliant white diamonds, the necklace is worth US$31 million.
- Lady Gaga made history by winning an Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA and Golden Globe in a single year for A Star is Born, dazzling in Tiffany diamonds, while Gigi Hadid stunned at the Met Gala in Jacob & Co
- Madonna arrived at the 1991 Oscars with Michael Jackson as her date, but it was her Marilyn Monroe look that caught the eye … as did Cate Blanchett’s Chopard ensemble when she accepted her award