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Steppin’ Out With My Baubles

Since most Hollywood divas can’t leave home without jewelry, colored stones—most on ears, wrists and finger—stole their fair share of scenes at the 61st Prime Time Emmys.

By Debbie Yonick, Trends Tracker

Top honors for cool went to Tracy Pollan for her jade-green chrysoprase and lapis-blue necklace.

And the award for opulence went to Christina Applegate for this 60-carat sapphire ring valued at $1 million from Lorraine Schwartz.

When the economy turns down, people look up to Hollywood for escapism. And the 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on September 20th presented Americans with a particularly glamorous retreat from reality when a wide range of gems from emeralds and sapphires to coral and quartz captured red carpet attention as frequent walk-ons.

Maybe it was restraint or maybe it was the large number of strapless and one-strap gowns, but necklaces seemed largely out of place on bare shoulders. Instead, celebrities were adorning lobes, wrists, and fingers with color that complimented the evening’s dress-fabric hues. Preferred hues, next to silver and gold metallics, included blues in navy, teal, and turquoise; purples from plum to violet; corals of peach to almost red; and dried herb greens.

Textures were as noticeable as tones. Trendy dresses trailed the carpet in draped, ruche, twisted, and wrapped designs for a classic Hollywood goddess look. Necklines were clean, with strapless and one-shoulder gowns predominant.

If you can turn your attention to actress Blake Lively's wrists and ears, you'll note she's wearing a rock crystal bracelet and turquoise/coral earrings.

Ladies, Lend Us Your Ears—And Wrists
Given the dresses of the evening, Emmy’s favorite accessory of the night was big earrings—gem-set of course, in chandelier, pendant, and drop styles. Sure, some stars went for standard white diamond looks, but the standouts wore gems like turquoise, tourmaline, aquamarine, fire opal, coral, garnet, citrine, topaz, emerald, and ruby.

Attention-nabbing examples adorned “Extra” reporter Lauren Sanchez in turquoise chandeliers by Neil Lane, actress Sigourney Weaver in emerald bead and diamond pendant earrings by Fred Leighton, and “The Closer” star Kyra Sedgwick in 15-carat eco-hip unheated ruby drops by Lorraine Schwartz.

Next to lobes, wrists stole the show with bracelets piled on or a la carte as a singular statement. Sporting these popular looks were actresses like Cat Deeley in garnet and diamond platinum bracelets and Alicia Wit in onyx and diamonds strung on platinum by Neil Lane; Blake Lively in a rock crystal and diamond platinum bracelet by Lorraine Schwartz; and Emmy winner Toni Collette of “United States of Tara” in a multi-strand jade bead and diamond platinum bracelet by Fred Leighton.

Bold, colorful cocktail rings remained in vogue; most notable was the million dollar 60-carat blue sapphire mounted in blackened platinum by Lorraine Schwartz that “Samantha Who?” star Christina Applegate wore as a striking compliment to her rich blue gown. Others chose big-center aquamarine, pink tourmaline, pink spinel, turquoise, coral, ruby, emerald, and black diamond. Having fun with this trend, supermodel Heidi Klum adorned several fingers with big Lorraine Schwartz blackened gold rings—one with purple sapphire and another in black diamond.

Although most divas nixed necklaces, the few who wore them made bold color statements. Two red carpet standouts were “Big Love’s” Ginnifer Goodwin in a rock crystal and rose gold necklace by Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry; and Mariska Hargitay, star of “Law and Order’s Special Victims Unit” in a shimmering silver Carolina Herrera gown with a ruby and diamond swag necklace in silver on gold by Fred Leighton.

Why Care What Stars Wear?
It is one thing to watch a star-studded event, but another to watch it for studded stars. Why should one care what “it” stars like Kristin Chenoweth, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Christina Applegate were wearing on the red carpet? Simple. The trickle-down effect of carpet and catwalk couture will inspire Jane Doe’s style choices.

With the media’s 24/7 coverage of celebrity and the instant gratification of the Internet, trends are turning faster than ever, and female consumers expect to find the latest trends immediately. Jewelry makers must follow these trends and translate them into what the market will bear.

So what are the jewelry fashion lessons to be learned from this year’s Emmys?

• Give consumers reasons to get happy in bold, colorful designs that combine classic elements with a trendy edge.
• Gems in the quartz family—especially rock crystal, amethyst, citrine, and prasiolite—are a popular means to get maximum looks for minimum lucre.
• Interest in white stones other than diamond has increased—adding to the popularity of gems like white topaz, zircon, sapphire and other lower-priced “ices” that can entice shoppers.
• Black and white designs are strong, and will remain so into 2010. Popular gems to pair up include black and white diamonds, onyx, and pearls. Also consider popping in shades of red and green that work well with this classic neutral duo.
• Favored one-shoulder asymmetrical dress styles have fueled greater demand for bold earring styles, with gemstones offering more splash for the cash.

• Neil Lane’s turquoise ring made luscious finger food on Lauren Sanchez’s hand.

  Big wrist-action in bracelets call for either different styles stacked or layered in collage-like fashion or a solitary statement piece in the spotlight.
• Bold gemmy rings, especially with large faceted or cabochon stones, infuse big color and design into any look. Stacking with gem-set rings and bands to create a big look adds a much-needed note of glee.
• Jewelry has become an integral part of clothing. When examining the latest fashions consider how jewelry can become more a part of it—as a collar or belt, peeping through cut out sections, even on shoes.

This was also sent out to our Colored Stone GemMail newsletter subscribers. Want to receive the latest up-to-date information on the gemstone industry? Sign up for our free Colored Stone GemMail newsletter.

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