Diamonds have long been a staple of red carpet looks. They are timeless; therefore they have been seen in the earliest Oscars and are still worn regularly today. They turn any look instantly glamorous and sophisticated which is perfect for the red carpet.
Take a look at the most iconic diamonds of the red carpet and how to incorporate them in your outfit.
Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Technically Audrey Hepburn didn’t wear any of her iconic diamonds on the red carpet, but there’s no denying its lasting impact. In fact, the point of the movie is that this isn’t the kind of person that will ever see a red carpet and longingly stares in the Tiffany & Co’s window with a croissant and a coffee. And yet, she’s on movie posters, she’s in living rooms as artwork, she attends every Halloween party, every time with her iconic diamond earrings.
The earrings feature large pear-shaped diamonds (over 10 carats each) surrounded by smaller round brilliant diamonds, all set in platinum. With her simple black dress and slick up do, the earrings aren’t the only shining item of jewelry to the look but it’s definitely the most notable and the longest lasting look. Red carpets today still feature spins on the simple earrings and updo combo to show off the dress and it’s a common and timeless look to wear your natural diamond jewelry from specialists like Best Brilliance, with your favorite dress for a night out.
Marilyn Monroe, Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend
The song Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend has long been parodied in many different forms, mainly focusing on the iconic pink dress. Madonna did it in Material Girl, Harley Quinn did it in Birds of Prey and countless Instagram influencers have done it for the giggles.
The diamonds Marilyn Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes were designed specifically for the scene by Harry Winston and the main piece was a giant diamond necklace containing 50 carats of diamonds and emeralds. It included a single giant stone hanging down the center, which we’re going to see as an ongoing motif on the red carpet. On her ears she wore diamond chandelier earrings with pear, oval, and marquise shaped stones dangling down. She completed the look with a sparkling diamond bracelet and several large diamond rings over her iconic hot pink gloves.
Lady Gaga at the 2019 Oscars
The drop-down necklace reappeared in 2019 at the Oscars when Lady Gaga appeared to accept her Oscar for Best Original Song. While playing Shallow with Bradley Cooper on the stage, Lady Gaga was wearing a simple but impactful black ball gown, an Audrey Hepburn-esque updo, and a simple but glittering diamond necklace.
Tiffany again reappears as the large yellow diamond falling from the tight diamond necklace. It is considered one of the largest and finest yellow diamonds ever discovered, weighing 128.54 carats. It seems Lady Gaga’s look was an outright homage given that the last time it was worn at the Oscars was by Audrey Hepburn 58 years prior in 1961 and the black dress was also a hand-me-down from Miss Hepburn that was featured in the Breakfast at Tiffany’s iconic photos.
The best part of the Lady Gaga look is that it’s simple. The diamond is the focal point, so with a simple black dress and your hair back, you can steal the show like Lady Gaga did in 2019.
Marilyn Monroe’s Happy Birthday, Mr President Dress
This dress made waves last year when it was worn by Kim Kardashian at the 2023 Met Gala and the iconic dress was put back in the spotlight. Marilyn Monroe’s 45th birthday present to JFK was a song and her presence while wearing the dress. It was a dress that launched a thousand romance rumors, paired with the sultry version of the Happy Birthday song.
The flesh-colored, sheer dress is not actually beaded with diamonds but with rhinestones that give the idea. Over 2,500 rhinestones paired with transparent fabric, nude underwear and a skintight fit gave the illusion that she was dripping in diamonds. If you have the dedication, it’s something you can replicate at home.
Doja Cat’s Schiaparelli fashion show look
Doja Cat might be leaning into the “demonic” lately, but she’s not about to do it without style. In 2023 she showed up to Paris Fashion Week with a full face of 30,000 red Swarovski crystals, making her look like a walking diamond. Maybe ruby is more akin, given that she was also head to toe in red.
Celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath designed the custom ‘Doja’s Inferno’ look, applying the crystals as embellishments around Doja Cat’s eyes, lips, and entire face. The crystals took over 5 hours to apply the day of the show. The hand-placement created a contoured look, following Doja’s bone structure. But she didn’t stop there. She completed the look with matching red Swarovski crystal nails, earrings, and rings. If she’s going to try to look like a demon, she’s going to be the most glamourous looking demon on the red carpet.
Again, it would be a dedication, but you can recreate the look at home if you have some red face paint, a lot of rhinestones and a lot of time on your hands.