The 2019 Met Gala’s 10 Most Memorable Jewelry Looks
The theme of this year’s Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute exhibit, “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” is all about theatricality—and poking fun at our cultural norms, institutions, and sacred cows (including the allegedly self-serious scene at the annual event). So, for once, there was no wrong way to dress for the Met Gala.
And given license by Vogue editor (and Met Gala matriarch) Anna Wintour to embrace the playful, this year’s celebrity guests—and their fashion and glam squads—went all out.
Fantastically silly, colorful, over-the-top ensembles sallied down the red carpet, lampooning everything from hero worship (Jared Leto carried a wax rendition of his own head), retro TV (Bella Hadid’s Dynasty style), royalty (see Billy Porter as an Egyptian pharaoh/phoenix and Zendaya as a modern Cinderella), and the very concept of a fancy ball gown—Cardi B’s maroon gown was truly immense, and event host Lady Gaga’s first of three outfits was a fuchsia gown with a train that covered most of the Met’s famous red staircase.
Jewelry worked double time, both accenting ensembles and helping to define entire looks (I mean, what’s an ancient Egyptian royal without mountains of gold jewelry??). And pieces were either costume (plastic/rhinestone) or dazzlingly diamond-ed—with not much in the middle.
Here are 10 jewelry looks from the 2019 Met Gala we won’t soon forget:
Elle Fanning went ’60s groovy in a Miu Miu ensemble with Tiffany & Co. gemstone rings and a custom-made necklace dripping with placards that read “The Met” and “Camp”—her manicure is anchoring little plastic figurines (image via: @lesassymag).
Above and below: Lupita Nyongo in Miu Miu gown and Bulgari jewelry (image via: @actuarencine)Image via: @kiaannaisshea
Bella Hadid in emerald earrings and a bedazzled Moschino look that gives the illusion that she’s wearing dozens of diamond bracelets (image via: @moschino)
Pose star Billy Porter went Egyptian and was carried onto the red carpet pharaoh-style. His ensemble included rings from Oscar Heyman, jewelry from Andreoli and John Hardy, and a headpiece from Mordekai (images via: @theebillyporter).Billy Porter’s Oscar Heyman rings (photo courtesy of Oscar Heyman)
Lily Collins in Cartier: Magnitude High Jewelry platinum necklace with emeralds, rock crystal, onyx, black lacquer, and diamonds and Magnitude High Jewelry platinum earrings with emeralds, rock crystal, onyx, and diamonds (photo: Getty, courtesy of Platinum Guild International)
Lady Gaga in a Tiffany & Co. Blue Book collection butterfly necklace—one of three total looks she changed into (image via: @tiffanyandco)
Katy Perry dressed in a Jeremy Scott/Moschino-designed chandelier “dress” co-created by Michael Schmidt. Her ring may have been the only fine jewelry piece she wore, but her total look was dazzling and so awesomely campy (image via: @katyperryspace).
Gigi Hadid in Lorraine Schwartz jewelry: Triple hoop platinum earrings with diamonds (over 90 cts. t.w.), platinum ring with three-stone diamonds (38 cts. t.w.), platinum ring with a double marquise diamond (photo: Getty, courtesy of Platinum Guild)
Gwen Stefani with Moschino designer Jeremy Scott in fine and costume pieces (images via: @gwenstefani)
Jennifer Lopez in Harry Winston: platinum Purple Dragon necklace set with a 65.32 ct. purple sapphire and a cluster of round brilliant-, pear-, and marquise-cut diamonds (129.48 cts. t.w.); circa-1972 platinum chandelier earrings with 29.59 cts. t.w. diamonds; platinum Secret Cluster bracelet with 67.22 cts. t.w. diamonds; Secret Cluster platinum bracelet with 66.82 cts. t.w. diamonds; platinum ring with a 15.99 ct. cushion-cut diamond; platinum Sunflower ring with 2.4 cts. t.w. diamonds (photo: Getty, courtesy of Platinum Guild)
Top: Lily Collins in Cartier jewels (photo: Getty, courtesy of Platinum Guild International)
