Diamonds, Tiaras and Gilded Opulence: The Met Gala’s 12 Best Jewelry Looks
In gilded we trust. At the 2022 Met Gala, attendees were given the assignment of dressing for a Gilded Age theme, with interpretations ranging from head-to-toe gold sequins (i.e. Cardi B in custom Atelier Versace) to painterly, bustled historic revival looks (like Billie Eilish in custom Gucci).
Jewelry, however, is elemental to the Gilded Age’s history — a time in the late 19th century when new industrial wealth and pre-existing old money and monarchy coexisted to create a perfect storm of opulence. It was in this climate — which, like today, also saw record economic disparity — that famed jewelry houses like Van Cleef & Arpels and Bulgari were established. It was also when Tiffany & Co. hit its stride as a New York City-based high jeweler.
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At Monday evening’s Met Gala, attendees accentuated their looks with jewelry that recalled the excess enjoyed by the Gilded Age’s elite ruling class. No wonder, that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who at the last Met Gala wore a dress inscribed with “Tax the Rich,” was not in attendance.
Kendall Jenner wore a 25-carat pear-shaped diamond on one ear — that one furnished by Lorraine Schwartz. Blake Lively, like other attendees, wore a tiara — also by Schwartz — recalling the debutante balls of a bygone age. Hers was custom-made for the evening in an ode to the Statue of Liberty.
Kate Moss, with a history book’s worth of lived fashion experience, went to the source. The supermodel paid a visit to the storied New York antique fine jewelry dealer A La Vieille Russie, and pulled a tableau of archival precious gems — many of them hailing from the original Gilded Age.
Click through to see WWD’s picks for the 12 best jewelry looks from the 2022 Met Gala.
Launch Gallery: 12 Best 2022 Met Gala Jewelry Moments
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