The Met Gala is where fashion and jewellery become wearable art. It’s a moment where Diamonds, rare gemstones and one of a kind creations take centre stage to tell a story of glitz and glamour and leave a lasting impression. In recent years especially, maisons have leaned into high jewellery with intent, layering meaning, heritage, and unapologetic brilliance onto the red carpet.
Whilst in its early years the event looked very different to what we see today, the Met Gala was established in 1948 by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert. It’s an annual, invitation-only fundraising gala for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City, and is considered fashion's biggest night of the year. Held on the first Monday of May each year, it features one of the most exciting and talked about red carpets where celebrities wear high-fashion costumes based around the theme of the year.
Here are just some of the most jaw dropping and iconic jewellery pieces worn in Met Gala history.
Princess Diana, 1996
Image courtesy: British Vogue
Princess Diana made an unforgettable Met Gala appearance in 1996, stepping out in her own collection of regal jewels. Her elegant Dior gown was paired with a striking Sapphire and Diamond cluster necklace, originally a gift from Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1981. Once worn as a brooch, Diana reimagined the piece as a choker, complete with pearl draped strands for the occasion.
Iman, 1997
Image courtesy: Getty Images
For the 1997 Met Gala, supermodel Iman was radiant in a white and embellished Versace dress and ornate diamond earrings she showed off with a high ponytail. She finished the glam look with a sparkling tiara fit for a fashion queen.
Rihanna, 2018
Image courtesy: Vogue
No one does the Met Gala quite like Rihanna, and in 2018, Rihanna graced the ‘Heavenly Bodies’ Met Gala with timeless elegance. Co-chairing the event, she wore a vintage Cartier crucifix dating back to 1934, adorned with a rich array of jewels, including Diamonds, Rubies, Pearls, And Sapphires. A stunning addition was the ‘dove of the Holy Spirit’ motif, featuring gold, Diamonds, and a star sapphire.
Nick Jonas, 2019
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Nick Jonas stunned in a bright white suit, but it was the jewellery, more important the Diamonds, that made this look stand out. The singer wore a Dior suit with a sparkly array of Diamond jewellery, including a Chopard necklace from their ‘Precious Lace Collection’, multiple statement diamond rings, ear cuffs and a watch featuring 38.30 carats of diamonds set in 18ct white gold.
Joan Collins, 2019
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Dame Joan Collins paid homage to her iconic character from the 1980s series Dynasty at the 2019 Met Gala. Wearing a custom ivory silk and feather Haute Couture gown by Valentino, paired with a truly breath-taking array of jewellery featuring a diamond tiara, diamond chandelier earrings, and a diamond cluster necklace, while she stacked diamond bangles and rings over her white opera gloves.
Gabrielle Union-Wade, 2021
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Actress Gabrielle Union-Wade was a vision in white during the 2021 Met Gala. Wearing an intricate Iris van Herpen dress that took 1,400 hours to make and the show-stopping Diamond Spears necklace from Messika’s High Jewellery collection that featured 70.88 carats of pear shaped natural diamonds. Her jewellery also included the Illusionnistes ring and the Wild Moon Ring.
Rihanna, 2021
Image courtesy: Vogue
If anyone knows how to make an iconic moment on the Met Gala red carpet, it's Rihanna and unsurprisingly, the superstar made yet another unforgettable fashion moment at the 2021 event with her Balenciaga by Demna Gvasalia outfit. The styling made her stunning Bulgari High Jewellery necklace, complete with 267 carats of natural diamonds, the focus of this dramatic look.
Blake Lively, 2022
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Blake Lively was a vision of beauty and sophistication at the 2022 Met Gala, wearing a breathtaking copper and aqua ensemble inspired by one of America’s most famous landmark - The Statue of Liberty. The actress wasn't wearing lots of jewellery but the pieces she did wear commanded attention, including a pair of diamond and Colombian emerald chandelier earrings by Lorraine Schwartz, paired with a dazzling copper and diamond diadem reminiscent of Lady Liberty’s crown.
Dua Lipa, 2023
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At the 2023 Met Gala, Dua Lipa became the first star to wear Tiffany & Co.’s new Legendary diamond, which is set on the label’s Lucida Star necklace. The white Legendary diamond is over 100 carats and pays homage to the shape of the iconic yellow Tiffany diamond with its near-identical cushion cut. Lipa chose the piece to complement her archival white and black tweed Chanel ballgown.
Anne Hathaway, 2025
Image courtesy: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
On the 2025 Met Gala red carpet, Bulgari debuted its latest high jewellery creation on their global ambassador Anne Hathaway. Styled in a crisp white Carolina Herrera button-down shirt and studded striped column skirt, she wore the Cosmic Vault necklace from Bvlgari’s new Polychroma collection, Anchored by a 123.35 carat rectangular sapphire and set in white gold, featuring 331 sapphires and 350 diamonds.
