Personalized jewelry is a big business in Hollywood today. You can’t watch any celebrity based TV show or see any award show without seeing stars covered in personalized jewelry. May they be subtle rings or necklaces, or in your face “bling” encrusted with more diamonds then you might find in Buckingham Palace, celebrities love jewelry that match their personality.
One of the best examples of where to find personalized jewelry is while watching an Oscar telecast. The Oscars is the biggest night in Hollywood, and hence becomes the biggest night to show off not only what you are wearing, but also how important you are by wearing it.
The first thing you’ll notice at the Oscars is that for the women everything is encrusted with diamonds. Usually, this is done in a very tasteful way, but regardless diamonds are the most important accessory at the Oscars (besides George Clooney on your arm that is). Since most of the pieces that the popular actresses wear can cost up to (and some past) $1 million, most of the jewelry that you see at the Oscars are on loan. With that said, almost all of the pieces you see in magazine photo spreads are also loaned. The reason for this is because just like with fashion, jewelry makers fall over each other to get the hottest actress to wear their jewelry. If a piece is well received on the red carpet then the press will ask the actress what she is wearing and, bam, the best free advertisement a jewelry maker could ever get. Of course, the actress has to get it back at the end of the night (the makers aren’t crazy).
Some actresses do choose to wear their own personal selection of jewelry on the red carpet, but those pieces don’t seem to have the “wow” factor that most loaned jewelry does. For as many giant, blinged out pieces of jewelry you see on the red carpet, there are other subtle pieces from their own collection that actresses love to show off. For some actresses it’s all about the diamonds- big diamond ear rings with jewels as big of your thumbnail (yes, these are considered subtle on the red carpet). Other actresses like colored stones such as rubies and colored diamonds to adorn their hand, neck or ears.
Whether its borrowed 1 million dollar pieces or something from a personal selection, red carpet jewelry does not work on its own but instead has to be used in collaboration with their designer dress. Stylists know the secrets which is why on Oscar night they might be your best accessory of all.
