Los Angeles–With television today commanding the kind of attention that was once reserved for film, it stands to reason that the red carpet looks at TV awards shows will also flourish.
In terms of jewelry, the 69th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, which took place Sunday night in Los Angeles, wasn’t on par with the level of glamour seen at the Oscars or Golden Globes, but it was arguably more interesting.
Emeralds and independent designers had their moments in the spotlight, and like last year, earrings were the overwhelming focus of the night, with a few daring exceptions.
Jewel-embellished gowns were a theme, paying homage to fine jewelry in costume form. The downside was that, because of the busyness of these designs, the actual fine jewelry pieces worn were easily overshadowed.
Nicole Kidman in Harry Winston diamond and platinum drop earrings and a Calvin Klein by Appointment dress, pictured above, and “The Crown” star Claire Foy, also in diamond and platinum Harry Winston earrings and an Oscar de la Renta look, below, were the most elegant examples of the dress-imitating-jewelry trend.
Some of the industry’s top independent designers made a splash on the ears of actresses, like Fernando Jorge on “Black Mirror: San Junipero” star Gugu Mbatha-Raw (this editor’s favorite look of the night), whose serpentine earrings, in 18-karat yellow gold and set with diamonds, nearly matched her Hugo Boss dress.
“Fargo” actress Carrie Coon embraced color at the Emmys. Her pink Delpozo gown played second fiddle to her Anabela Chan rose tourmaline cabochon earrings (pictured) and rings that featured a lab-grown yellow diamond and a lab-grown orange topaz.
Those hoping for a delicious Irene Neuwirth moment weren’t disappointed; “Black-ish” star Tracee Ellis Ross sported diamond and pearl chandelier earrings from the designer with her Chanel gown, for an utterly maximalist look.
Jennifer Meyer, who will soon open her first store in Los Angeles, designed a custom pair of pink sapphire and diamond earrings and diamond necklace for Mandy Moore, which the actress used to top off her Carolina Herrera dress.
Nikos Koulis was another master independent designer represented in earrings worn by Keri Russell (below) as well as Oprah Winfrey, who skipped the red carpet but presented the night’s final award, Outstanding Drama Series, to “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Both styles featured Koulis’ favorite gemstone, emeralds, plus diamonds and black enamel.
Emeralds were the centerpiece of some particularly bold looks, the most high-wattage of which was Jane Fonda’s Gismondi necklace, worn backwards to cascade down her the open back of her dress. The $1.75 million piece boasted more than 152 carats of emeralds and diamonds.
The necklace’s counterpart was a dazzling pair of chandelier earrings, pictured below, which were set with more than 40 carats of emeralds and diamonds, plus an emerald ring.
Emmy Rossum was also in the mood for an emerald set. Hers was by queen of the red carpet, Lorraine Schwartz. The emerald earrings and ring shined all the brighter for their elegant, simple backdrop, in the form of a black Zac Posen gown.
Lea Michelle was another of Schwartz’s red carpet emissaries, decked out in a pair of emerald, diamond and amethyst earrings, which simultaneously contrasted and complimented her deep purple Elie Saab gown.
Debra Messing will take home a Gem Award for Jewelry Style in 2018, so one could be forgiven for expecting a lot from her jewelry choices to live up to the honor. At the Emmys, she solidified her jewelry credibility with her choice of bold David Webb jewels.
A few other stars took Webb to the awards, but none to quite the effect that Messing achieved. In addition to Winfrey’s Nikos Koulis earrings, she wore a David Webb ring while Reese Witherspoon sported bold Webb earrings, which were unfortunately covered by her hair.
The most striking of Webb’s pieces donned by Messing was the below cuff featuring a daring Madeira citrine.
Zoë Kravitz broke the mold in one of the evening’s top looks. To compliment her splendid Dior gown, her stylist opted to embellish the star’s neckline with a classic, two-layer Tiffany & Co. diamond necklace and kept the earrings to a slightly more delicate scale.
Actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead was one of the night’s attendees who had more than just earrings to covet at the show. In addition to the pair she wore by designer Dena Kemp, she also rocked a Roberto Demeglio cuff; her gown was Armani Privé.
Madeline Brewer, of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” sported an on-trend asymmetrically styled ear look, with a dangling diamond Yeprem ear cuff on one ear (pictured) and a Djulia diamond earring on the other, supplying some drama to her ethereal Berta gown.
Ellie Kemper’s Jenny Packham dress was busy and bejeweled, but her Lorraine Schwartz earrings succeeded in not getting lost in the overall visual narrative. Kemper’s updo aided in highlighting the colorful pair Schwartz created.
Uzo Aduba, an “Orange Is the New Black,” star, was pictured in a chic and sparkly 1970s-esque Sally Lapointe dress, which she accepted with a flash of diamonds via her Lorraine Schwartz earrings.
Yet another actress in Schwartz was the always elegant Sarah Paulson. Her Deco-inspired platinum and diamond jewels topped off a Carolina Herrera gown.
Jessica Biel wore the top half of her hair swept back, all the better to highlight her long drop Forevermark diamond and 18-karat white gold earrings, which complimented her shimmering Ralph & Russo dress.
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