Oscar’s Diamond Moments

On February 29, 2004, billions of people across the world sat down, popcorn in hand glued to the TV. sets for their annual Oscar fix. In honor of this yearly celebration of glam, glitz, superstars and super-rocks, the Diamond Information Center took a look at some of the red carpet diamond dazzlers, the stars who wore them and the trends they have inspired over the 76-year history of this ultimate display of Hollywood excess. 

Since the first Oscar award ceremony in 1928, the jewels of the red carpets have out dazzled the stars they bedeck. “Forsake simplicity! Abandon Moderation! Embrace the spectacular!” declared InStyle magazine’s Hal Rubenstein during the kick off to the 2004 Award season. Rubenstein was speaking during a pre-Oscar showcase of jewelry fashion, sponsored by the DIC and InStyle Magazine. Models paraded some $22 million worth of diamond jewelry that diamond jewelers were hoping will sparkle on the silver screen’s leading ladies as they make their way into the Kodak Theater for the 76th Oscar ceremony.

So... What are the styles we can expect to see this year?

Fashion stylists are erring on the safe side predicting everything from diamond studded leather chokers to classic, simple drop earrings. Louis Vuitton’s leather or fabric choker necklace studded with diamonds and Cartier’s silk cord necklace featuring diamond and rubies has already got the celebrities lining up in anticipation.

The Right Hand Ring has become the ultimate feminist fashion statement (that and the fact that design of the RHR calls for smaller sized stones bringing down price points, especially if compared to a solitaire diamond ring of the same size).

As jewelry styles become more and more daring, fashionistas are taking note with their own twist on ‘grandma’s brooch’. No longer are pins and brooches relegated to the lapel, they’re everywhere from the hair to the hip. The vogue for adaptable brooches owes much to the rediscovery of 19th century vintage and estate jewelry that feature multipurpose pieces - brooch/pendant/barrette. This renaissance revival is also filtering through into current day designs. Neil Lane’s inspiration behind his colored diamond pendants comes from the romantic, soft look, so popular during the Victorian era.

On the ear, whilst chandelier earrings are still pulling in the votes, classic drop earrings are also seeing a resurgence in popularity. Stylists preparing to dress the stars have been heading for those featuring colored diamonds and not just pink - green, blue, citrus and canary will be blinding the paparazzi this year. Prior to the event itself the Natural Color Diamond Association (NCDA), a new international diamond trade organization hosted its inaugural Oscar Week celebration of colored diamonds. Stylists and publicists flocked to the Le Meridian Hotel in Beverly Hills to enjoy jewelry designs adorned with chocolate, champagne and apricot colored diamonds.

‘Diamonds by the yard’ is how celebrity stylist Deborah Wakin describes what she predicts will the hottest look of the summer. “There’s a big sexy push this season and a tremendous amount of d?colletage in designer gowns. You need something to fill the gap and diamond chains are ideal.” Neil Lane expanded on this pointing out the popularity of diamond initials hanging from diamond-encrusted chains. “People don’t want to be blinged out,” he exclaimed.