Second Headline: At the 2026 Golden Globes, pared-back diamonds and sculptural crystal details — from Ariana Grande’s diamond choker to Schiaparelli’s crystal bow — reframed the red carpet as a value cue for the jewelry market, nudging demand toward compact, high-quality stones and convertible statement pieces.
- Price: Undisclosed — estimated ranges where noted.
- Key piece: Ariana Grande’s diamond choker — price not publicly listed (est. $40,000–$150,000).
- Notable detail: Teyana Taylor’s Schiaparelli crystal bow applique — couture hardware rather than mined gemstones.
- Event: Golden Globes, Los Angeles — January 2026.
Quiet luxury on the carpet
The aesthetic was calibrated: a vitreous luster on the neck rather than an all-over glitter. Selena Gomez settled into a restrained Chanel column that allowed a single diamond choker to read as the evening’s focal point; Ariana Grande’s slim necklace offered substantial visual weight despite modest scale. The effect was tactile — satin gowns, a choker with a satiny polish and a visible, measured heft that read as investment-grade restraint.
Fast specs and what we actually saw
Design houses leaned on small, precisely finished elements. Teyana Taylor’s Schiaparelli gown used a crystal bow as couture hardware; Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Lawrence wore near-nude silhouettes that turned the body into a setting for singular jewels. Where stones appeared, they were set to emphasize clarity and cut rather than carat mass — a signal to collectors that high-quality, low-profile pieces are back in demand.
Context: How this ties to 2025–26 trends
Two threads from 2025 carried into the Globes. First, the market’s ongoing pivot to sustainability and traceability: buyers are favoring documented provenance and, in some segments, lab-grown alternatives where vitreous luster and color parity can be achieved at a lower ecological cost. Second, sculptural aesthetics — whether a crystal bow or a near-naked gown framed by a single necklace — continue to reduce the need for volume and increase the premium on finish, setting and design intelligence.
That dynamic aligns with a rising secondary-market appetite for pieces that show well in intimate photography and private viewings: compact chokers, signet-like brooches, and convertible clips that can be remounted. These pieces travel well in auctions and private sales because their materials are concentrated and their visual language is unmistakable.
Impact: Why US retailers and investors should care
For retailers: curate inventory toward high-quality melee and small, well-cut solitaires with verifiable provenance. Merchandising should emphasize tactile attributes — polish, bezel finish, clasp engineering — in both digital imagery and private-selling rooms. Offer provenance dossiers and condition reports as standard with higher-ticket pieces; consumers are rewarding transparency.
For investors: expect price divergence between mass carat-weight buys and precision, craft-forward pieces. Lab-grown stones will continue to compress price-per-carat at the lower end, but finely finished natural stones with documented origin retain collectible value. Consider allocation to convertible high-jewelry that can be resized or restyled with minimal loss of integrity — these often outperform bulk inventories in resale channels.
Finally, the subtle political statements on the carpet (the “BE GOOD” pins seen on several attendees) underscore a continuing appetite for emblematic lapel jewelry and brooches. These items, while small, carry cultural capital — another axis where jewellers can create limited, narrative-driven editions to capture immediate demand.
Takeaway
The 2026 Golden Globes were a reminder that scarcity of scale can increase a piece’s perceived value. A modest diamond choker, finished to a vitreous sheen and paired with a sculptural gown, can outperform a larger, less-refined stone in both press visibility and market interest. For US retailers and investors, the prescription is precise: fewer carats, finer finish, verified provenance, and convertible design.
Image Referance: https://www.tag24.com/entertainment/celebrities/2026-golden-globes-red-carpet-recap-chic-black-naked-dresses-and-political-protests-3458258