Second headline: Chopard and Pomellato-led high jewellery at the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards reaffirmed that large-carat diamonds and coloured stones still translate into premium perceived value — a clear merchandising and margin signal for US retailers heading into 2026.
- Price: Most pieces undisclosed; Chopard 57+ ct suite estimated at high-jewellery valuation
- Carat Weight: Kate Hudson — 57+ ct (Chopard); multiple diamond-heavy looks (Pomellato)
- Origin: Swiss and Italian maisons; emeralds sourced from established origins where disclosed
- Date: January 2026 (Critics’ Choice Awards)
Diamonds as the Anchoring Asset
Diamonds remained the evening’s tactile anchor, presented with a contemporary vocabulary rather than bridal formality. Kaley Cuoco’s Pomellato Catene ensemble and Kate Hudson’s Chopard suite carried the vitreous luster and substantial heft that signal prestige moments — not merely ornamentation. The styling skewed toward asymmetry and layered wear, reinforcing consumer appetite for diamond-led pieces that read as fashion-first investments.
Coloured Stones Provide Emotional Layering
Sarah Snook’s emerald-and-diamond Chopard articulate how saturated colour can add narrative and individuality. The emeralds’ verdant depth contrasted with precision-cut diamonds, creating a silken, tactile interplay. For retailers, coloured stones are no longer ancillary; they are storytelling assets that command intentional mark-ups when paired with artisanal setting work.
Gold’s Repositioning: From Support to Statement
Warm gold tones—seen in Cartier pieces worn by Jessica Biel—read as material with grain and presence rather than a background metal. With bullion prices elevated, consumers are choosing high-impact gold designs where craftsmanship justifies premium pricing. The market response is practical: fewer impulse buys, more considered purchases with emphasis on finish, weight and joinery.
Bespoke Menswear Jewellery and Brooches
Menswear jewellery, notably Noah Schnapp’s Chaumet diamond brooch, showed that pins and lapel pieces have moved from niche to credible. These formats carry small footprint inventory risk but high perceived value; they are ideal entry points for expanding the male customer base without wholesale assortment changes.
Pearls, Vintage Reference and Individuality
Pearls and vintage-referenced designs offered low-volume, high-margin opportunities rooted in emotion and provenance. These quieter statements reinforce that impact can come from proportion, patina and narrative rather than scale — a useful counterbalance in constrained consumer conditions.
Context: How This Echoes 2025 Luxury Trends
Three 2025 currents converge on the red carpet signals: sustainability that privileges provenance and traceability; lab-grown diamonds continuing to calibrate price-per-carat expectations; and sculptural aesthetics that emphasise form and wearability. The 2026 looks translate these currents into visible retail signals: authenticated origin matters, design differentiation sells, and consumers will pay for palpable workmanship.
Impact for US Retailers and Investors
For US retailers the implications are practical and immediate:
- Merchandise strategy: Prioritise design-led diamond pieces and coloured-stone anchors that can be showcased as emotional investments.
- Pricing: Use craftsmanship, provenance and tactile qualities (weight, finish, joinery) to support premium margins amid elevated metal costs.
- Assortment: Introduce small-run menswear jewellery and brooches to capture new demographics with limited inventory exposure.
- Marketing: Shift storytelling from specs alone to sensory detail — luster, heft and finish — to justify higher price points.
The Critics’ Choice carpet did not decree exact consumer tastes, but it validated a framework: jewellery that reads as meaningful, materially confident and design-forward will command attention and premium. Translating those visible moments into accessible, locally resonant products — from custom coloured-stone commissions to compact high-gold statements — is a clear play for 2026.
Image: Enstarz
Image: Harper’s Bazaar
Image Referance: https://jewelleryworld.net.au/awards/red-carpet-signals-the-2026-critics-choice-awards/