The Most Breathtaking Jewelry at the Golden Globes and Other Things I Pretended to Understand

Did you ever find yourself squinting at a celebrity’s necklace and pretending you understand exactly why it belongs in a museum, a bank vault, or both?

The Most Breathtaking Jewelry at the 2026 Golden Globes and Other Things I Pretended to Understand

You were not alone if the jewels at the 2026 Golden Globes made you feel alternately dazzled and like someone who had stumbled into an advanced gemology lecture without the pre-read. The evening offered chandeliers, custom brooches, vintage earrings, and toe-curlingly expensive diamonds—a constellation of accessories that seemed to whisper, “You could never.” You’ll find here a friendly, lightly insolent tour through the night’s most memorable jewelry, what it meant, and what you can plausibly say about it without sounding like you watched a six-hour documentary on prongs.

The Setting: Swarovski Chandeliers, a Redesigned Red Carpet, and an Air of Intent

You might have noticed the new red carpet design at the Beverly Hills Hotel; you might have missed the four Swarovski crystal chandeliers that hung over the procession, casting a particular kind of flattering light that makes even a questionable dress look cinematic. The chandeliers were both literal light sources and metaphorical spotlights for the jewels below—everything seemed designed to glitter at maximum intensity.

You should picture the scene: celebrities moving slowly as if gravity were slightly thicker, stylists elbowing each other for the perfect angle, and photographers producing a flash pattern that resembles Morse code for “more diamonds.”

Major Jewelry Moments You Probably Noticed (Or Didn’t)

If you’re keeping a mental scrapbook of moments to reference next time someone asks which piece you would pawn first, here’s a concise list of the standouts. These are the jewels that stopped the carpet, offered metaphors for charm, and made you reconsider your insurance policy.

• Teyana Taylor: ’40s Tiffany & Co. earrings paired with a body-baring Schiaparelli gown. Vintage and theatrical.
• Zoë Kravitz: a romantic hair pin by Jessica McCormack. Small, telling, modern.
• Charli XCX: custom Saint Laurent with strings of De Beers diamonds. Old Hollywood glamour, remixed.
• Colman Domingo: Boucheron diamond brooches like ivy over custom Valentino. Masculine elegance with botanical mischief.
• Jon M. Chu: beaded figurative brooches of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo by Nerd Bead. Homemade spectacle meets red-carpet whimsy.
• Paul Mescal: Cartier tie pin. Minimal, supremely male, and aggressively tasteful.
• Connor Storrie: Tiffany & Co.’s Bird on a Rock brooch iteration. A tiny narrative in metal and gemstone.
• Gallery pieces: Ayo Edebiri and Emily Blunt in Tiffany; Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Bulgari; Hailee Steinfeld in Repossi; Claire Danes in Pomellato. Each moment a lesson in brand identity.

Top Jewelry Moments at the 2026 Golden Globes

Below is a compact table you can consult when someone demands specifics. Use it to sound like you pay attention to more than glints and general awe.

Why These Pieces Mattered More Than You Thought

You probably assumed that a “statement” necklace literally says “statement” in metallic letters. But jewelry at an event like the Golden Globes does three main jobs at once: it flatters, it signals, and it tells a story. You can be enchanted purely by optics, but there’s also strategy here—brands loan, stylists place, and the celebrity becomes a mouthpiece for a design house. The pieces that land are the ones that strike the right balance between personality and brand narrative.

You’ll also notice a cultural choreography: men’s jewelry is no longer a wink; it’s a full outtake. Women continue to alternate between maximalist and restrained, vintage and new, while a growing number of men treat brooches and pins like subtle medals. Your instinct that “this is performative” is correct, but performative in a way that is carefully edited and often quite clever.

The Return of the Hair Pin: Small Object, Big Statement

You might have scoffed at “hair pins” if your memory of them includes limp bobby pins and the desperate product of a seventh-grade bun. Zoë Kravitz proved that a hair pin can carry as much personality as a tiara. The hair pin’s resurgence is not purely nostalgic; it’s a recalibration of accessory scale. Smaller accessories now shoulder the work of rounding out an entire look.

If you want to try the hair-pin route without committing to ten thousand dollars of gemstones, think of structure over sparkle: a single artistic pin placed at a precise angle can read as intentional and editorial. You can get the effect with brass, semi-precious stones, or a tasteful mother-of-pearl option.

Brooches for the 2020s Gentleman

The most delightful trend of the evening was the brazen adoption of brooches by men. Colman Domingo’s ivy-like suite of Boucheron diamonds wrapping across a tuxedo was not dainty; it suggested a creature of the natural world made more glamorous. Jon M. Chu’s beaded figurative brooches—tiniest portraits of his co-stars—suggested affection, fandom, and a laughable sincerity.

You might think a brooch on menswear reads as costume, but placed with intent on a lapel, a tie, or even fastening a scarf, it adds a narrative element. The brooch says, “I have tastes, and they are specific,” without shoving them into your face.

Diamonds and De Beers’ Strings: Old Hollywood vs. Modern Minimalism

Did anyone teach diamonds to be both demure and demonstrative? Charli XCX’s strings of De Beers diamonds leaned fully into Old Hollywood glamour: long lines, refracted light, a silhouette that made cameras sigh. But there was also the counter-language of minimalism—Paul Mescal’s tiny Cartier tie pin, an object so small it demands close observation.

Modern celebrity styling likes to mix these languages. Pair a whisper of diamond with a chunkier, gender-neutral cuff. Or wear a vintage necklace with a pared-back gown. The conversation between excess and restraint is what keeps the red carpet interesting.

Vintage Revivals: A ’40s Tiffany Moment and the Weight of History

Vintage pieces carry a kind of sentimental gravity. Teyana Taylor’s ’40s Tiffany & Co. earrings read like an artifact: they have a provenance, an aura, a story. You feel the same thrill seeing a classic piece resurrected as you do watching an old movie and recognizing the same chair in a new scene.

When celebrities wear vintage, they’re not only wearing jewelry; they’re performing continuity. They’re saying they respect craft and history while making a contemporary statement. And sometimes—admit it—you enjoy this display of temporal collage: old jewelry, modern dress, tomorrow’s headlines.

Technical Terms You Pretended to Understand (But Maybe Didn’t)

If you nodded during a stylist’s interview and pretended that “pavé” was your middle name, here’s a cheat sheet of terms that will make you sound credibly literate at dinner parties.

How to Read a Red Carpet Necklace Without Appearing Oblivious

You will be asked opinions about celebrity style. Here’s a quick field guide to reading a red carpet necklace so you can comment like a reasonable human.

• Look at scale first: is the necklace overwhelming the dress, or is it complementary? If it’s overwhelming, the point might be theatricality.
• Check the neckline: a choker vs. a long pendant each imply different intentions. Chokers are confrontational; long pendants are narrative.
• Consider vintage cues: if the piece looks old, assume story. Ask about provenance.
• Note brand consistency: if the jewelry matches a known house associated with the celebrity, there’s likely a loan agreement or a brand partnership.
• Say something kind and specific: “I like how the necklace balances the neckline” beats “That’s pretty” every time.

What Jewelry Choices Say About a Star

A star’s accessory choices are shorthand for personality, mood, and public-facing communication. You can read them like tea leaves—cautiously, because sometimes the most ostentatious piece is a stylist’s decision, not a personal preference.

• Vintage: You appreciate history, or you like drama.
• Minimal: You want to be taken seriously, understated.
• Statement: You’re performing, you enjoy spectacle.
• Men’s brooches or queer-coded choices: You’re comfortable with gender play, or you’re leaning into contemporary design languages.
• One-off art pieces: You favor narrative and uniqueness, perhaps supporting independent designers.

The Business Behind the Baubles

It’s not just glamour. Those stones often come attached to contracts, insurance policies, and full-time PR strategies. Major houses lend jewelry in exchange for the publicity and brand alignment. Stylists act as matchmakers, and jewelry is essentially a marketing campaign with better lighting. You may picture a glamorous loan arranged by a flirtatious salesperson; in truth, it’s usually a negotiated set of conditions—security detail, exact wear times, photographer obligations, and the expectation of show-stopping photographs.

You might also be surprised to learn that independent designers like Nerd Bead can crash the party via Instagram, as Jon M. Chu did, elevating homegrown craftsmanship into red carpet currency. That’s the modern fairy tale: internet discovery leading to a global stage.

If You Want to Try These Looks (But You’re Not a Billionaire)

You can mimic red-carpet effects without collateral damage to your bank account.

• Rent: Many platforms rent high-end jewelry for a fraction of purchase price. This is ideal for one-time events.
• Vintage shops and estate sales: You can find interesting pieces with a story at reasonable prices if you’re willing to hunt.
• Independent designers: Emerging jewelry makers can offer distinctive designs without the house markup.
• Costume jewelry done well: Choose pieces with solid construction and good plating—these read better in photographs than a flimsy bargain bin necklace.
• Scale and placement: Emulate celebrity looks by thinking about how the piece sits on you. Small changes—like moving a brooch from the lapel to a hair clip—can transform a piece.

Jewelry Care 101: How to Keep What You Own Looking Less Like a Regret

If you’re going to accumulate a few meaningful pieces, treat them with basic respect. You’re not running a museum, but a little upkeep goes a long way.

• Diamonds and gold: Clean with mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners if the piece includes delicate gemstones or glues.
• Pearls: Never soak. Wipe with a damp cloth after wearing; they’re organic and absorb oils.
• Costume jewelry: Avoid water. Store separated to prevent scratching and tarnishing.
• Storage: Keep pieces in individual pouches; humidity control matters. A small packet of silica gel in your jewelry box is a surprisingly good investment.
• Insurance: If it’s worth more than your laptop, insure it—or at least get a valuation.

A Few Ridiculous Things You Told Yourself to Sound Smart

This is where you confess. You told someone on the phone that a piece was “clearly Old European cut” when you had no idea what that meant, aside from picturing a Victorian-era gem wearing a top hat. You claimed that “pavé is different from micro-pavé” and then googled it in the bathroom stall. You suggested that de Beers was an abstract art collective for diamonds, which it absolutely is not.

These little fabrications are part of the glamour. You’ll do better if you occasionally admit ignorance and ask a question. People love to be experts.

The Most Surprising Takeaway: Jewelry as Conversation

If the 2026 Golden Globes taught you anything beyond the obvious, it’s that jewelry has reasserted itself as a mode of storytelling. A brooch can be a political wink. A vintage earring can be an invocation of the past. A tie pin can be an expression of restrained taste. You can read an outfit like a paragraph, and if you’re paying attention, the accessories are the punctuation.

You’ll leave a red carpet—or an awards night, or an intimate cocktail party—having seen jewelry that is both transactional and tender. The business model that supports these pieces is complicated, but the immediate human impact is simple: they make us stop and feel. That feeling is, in its own way, democratic. It asks for your reaction, your gasp, your small, private envy. It encourages you to consider adornment not as vanity but as language.

Final Thoughts: Wearing What Makes You Laugh (or Cry)

You can study gemology if you like, learning your carats from your cuts and your pavés from your bezels. Or you can do what most sensible people do: pick what delights you. The Golden Globes presented jewelry that was earnest, theatrical, historical, and sometimes absurd. That’s a good reminder: a piece of jewelry can be a talisman, a prop, a fashion choice, or all three at once.

Next time you find yourself tempted to drop a phrase like “Old European cut” into casual conversation, consider instead saying something honest: “I like how it makes the whole look sing.” You’ll sound kinder, and—more importantly—you’ll sound like someone who notices the right things.

If you remember nothing else from this article, at least keep this line in your pocket: jewelry works when it tells a story. Whether it’s the story of an era, a brand, or the person wearing it, that’s the moment when gemstones stop being mere objects and become characters. You’ll find that more interesting than any lecture about clarity grades anyway.