2011 Oscar Jewelry: Afterthoughts and After Parties

Heidi Klum in Lorraine Schwartz jewelry and Julien McDonald gown

Who can't get enough Oscar night jewelry gawking? Need a cure for your haute couture hangover? That's what I thought, you diamond-starved looky-loos!

The day after the Oscar jewelry bling-fest always brings with it the realization that A: I missed a few important jewels in my Oscar Night jewelry roundup and B: the after parties are where the real bauble action is (where goes Joan Collins so goes the carat count).

Elton John in Chopard

So here are a few key jewelry after thoughts from the red carpet proper that I didn't inlcude in my Oscar Top Ten list last night - and a host of great celebrity jewelry looks from the Vanity Fair party and Elton John's Chopard-hosted viewing soiree. 

AFTER THOUGHTS:

Scarlett Johansson Oscar Jewelry

Loved this statement ring on Scarlett Johansson - an haute couture creation by Anna Hu.

Celine Dion Oscar Jewelry

Love it or hate it, this statement piece from Bulgari made jaws drop in horror and/or amazement.

Cate Blanchett Oscar Jewelry

This lavendar and canary yellow Givenchy number had couture queens crowing and others scratching their heads. I (for one) loved it and couldn't believe she could find jewelry to make the look even better (these yellow diamond earrings are from Van Cleef & Arpels). 
 
VANITY FAIR OSCAR PARTY

What almost upstaged the jewelry gawking at the Vanity Fair Party? The coming out ofThe Biebs and Selena Gomez as an official Hollywood couple! Awwww... Aren't they cute?

From Charlize Theron and Anna Paquin to Taylor Swift and Jessica Biel, the A-list came to Graydon Carter's sandbox in stunning, shimmering jewels.

And Rita Wilson? Less is more, sister.

ELTON JOHN OSCAR VIEWING PARTY HOSTED BY CHOPARD:

2011 Oscar Jewelry Roundup: The Trends & Top Ten from Tinseltown

Oscar jewelry fashion at the 2011 Academy Awards was a smattering of surprises paired with the usual classic diamond deluge. Fasten your seatbelts, jewelry hounds. Here's my glittering recap to the red carpet Super Bowl. 

Red-hued frocks with elegant diamond looks were a big trend (Anne Hathaway, Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Hudson), along with emerald jewels (Amy Adams, Reese Witherspoon, Annette Bening), knock-out necklaces (Nicole Kidman, Helen Mirren), and colorful earrings in surprising silhouettes (Marisa Tomei, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Portman).

While there was a very real fear that the 'less is more' trend would dominate the night - (Michelle Williams, Mandy Moore and Jennifer Lawrence all opted for minimal jewels - among many others), Oscar always brings out the best in some of our go-to fashion divas.

Here are my top ten looks of the night, but be sure to visit Jewelry.com on Facebook for my complete album with rants and raves capturing all the Oscar looks. And better yet? Check in with JewelClub Monday morning to get all the hot 2011 Oscar jewels at prices that don't need their own body guard.


1. Anne Hathaway Oscar Jewelry

Some might say Tiffany diamonds and a red dress are safe Oscar bets. I say - that's the kind of red carpet fashion we jewelry hounds are looking for (and dare I say) expect from the A-list. And Annie's jewelry looks just kept on coming throughout the show (I'll be tracking down pics and credits for all - so stay tuned!)

2. Nicole Kidman Oscar Jewelry

How can you make a stunning 150-carat Fred Leighton diamond necklace look even more beautiful? Put it on Nicole Kidman and have it DRAPE DOWN HER BACK! Win!

3. Marisa Tomei Oscar Jewelry

Van Cleef & Arpels is responsible for these sapphire, diamond and emerald statement stunners. And her Charles James dress from 1950 almost made Tim Gunn hyperventilate, bless his heart. She's never looked better.

4. Natalie Portman Oscar Jewelry

The sensational Live Twitter Chat gang (some of the best minds in jewelry and fashion participated - click here for more!) were either in LOVE with these Tiffany ruby tassels or thought them to be, um, pedestrian. I love the pomegranate color - not the silhouette so much. It just wasn't the knock-out moment the belle of the Oscar ball needed to bring (a la Gwyneth in Cathy Waterman and Ralph Lauren when she won back in the day).

5. Gwyneth Paltrow Oscar Jewelry

Speaking of G-Pal - only she could pull off this Calvin Klein silvery sensation of a dress paired with these unique Louis Vuitton gemstone (bird?) earrings from their L’Ame du Voyage collection. A bold choice and a big win!

6. Helen Mirren Oscar Jewelry

Dame Mirren reigned over the red carpet in a pearl, diamond and platinum necklace from 1907 and a diamond bracelet from Cartier’s Archive Museum Collection. This woman always looks lovely - although the length of her necklace is a bit long here for my taste.

7. Reese Witherspoon Oscar Jewelry

This year's Angelina Jolie-emerald-earring copycat award goes to...Reese Witherspoon, who looked lovely in 35-carat emerald drops by Neil Lane (her jewelry totaled $1 million). Annette Bening? You come in second place...

8. Jennifer Hudson Oscar Jewelry

Jaws dropped when this dream girl stepped on the red carpet in a 'tangerine/red' Versace number and Neil Lane diamonds. And I am telling you. You don't have to go anywhere, sister.

9. Mandy Moore Oscar Jewelry

The 'less is more' win of the night for me went to this pretty diamond cluster earring on Mandy Moore. The overall look is the perfect example of how to wear jewelry with a sparkly dress. Just lovely.

10. Amy Adams Oscar Jewelry
 

Such a bold choice to wear navy, no neck line and this Cartier emerald and diamond wrap necklace and a 30.75-carat carved emerald and diamond bracelet-watch worth $1.025 million. Everyone is talking about her jewelry - despite the fact that it belonged with a different ensemble.

Whew! So what do you guys think of my Top Ten Oscar jewels for 2011? Who did I miss? Weigh in - and be sure to double back tomorrow for my 'after party' jewelry gawk-fest. Hoping for an Angelina sighting at the Vanity Fair party. Stay tuned!

(By request, a close-up of Amy Adams' Cartier wrist bling. Wow!)

2011 Oscar Jewelry Predictions

The art of Oscar fashion forecasting hasn't been around long, but I can guarantee I'll either be the smartest person in the world come Monday morning, or I'll just join the chorus of fashionistas who found the red carpet to be full of (gasp!) "sartorial surprises".

One thing I do know for sure? Guiliana Rancic and Ryan Seacrest are going to drive me to drink. So the champagne is already chilling and the aspirin strategically placed on the nightstand.

AND, as usual,  I'll be joined this Sunday by the best and brightest jewelry minds in the Twitter-sphere as we Live Tweet our way through the E! Oscar Red Carpet Coverage starting at 6:00PM EST using #oscarjewelry. You don't want to miss it, jewelry hounds. We all get cheeky about 7:00 after the champagne kicks in.

One more quick shout out to all you fashion forecasters: JewelClub is having a 'Guess What Jewelry Anne Hathaway Will Wear" contest on their Facebook Page (Love it!) and they're giving away free jewelry. You guys are some of the brightest diamonds in the jewelry box, so click here, weigh in and enjoy the spoils of your 'labor'.

2011 Oscar Jewelry Predictions:

1. Dainty, Delicate, Diamonds

Sheer, lacey looks rocked the New York Fashion Week runways earlier this month, and my guess is the trend will trickle down to Oscar jewelry choices. The Golden Globes had a few key light-weight looks back in January (Natalie Portman, Dianna Agron), and I expect the 'less is more' elegance to continue Sunday night.

2. Big Rings

I love big rings. The problem is: we never really get a good look at them on the red carpet. That said, the Grammy's were littered with this statement style this year, and I think Oscar stylists will play that trendy tune as well. Who could forget Zoe Saldana's Oscar amethyst show-stopper last year?

3. Flower Power

According to jewelry guru, Michael O'Connor, this flower cuff was included in the ultra-exclusive StyleLab Oscar jewelry selection that Anne Hathaway (among others) got to peruse this week.

While Nicole Kidman's floral Fred Leighton piece at the SAGs was a 'love it or hate it' choice, I think some key celebs are going to get in touch with their inner flower child and make a statement with this silhouette. Peace out, starchild.

4. Color Blind Couture

While the Golden Globes were all about green and pink, I'm going out on a limb to say that no one color is going to dominate this red carpet. Some folks say red, some say blue - but I think we're in color transition-land right now, and we can expect to see a rainbow of hues. (How's that for hedging my bets?)

Seriously, though, I think stars have the freedom to go in any direction with color in gown choice or jewels - as long as they don't try to copy a winner from past years (a la Michelle Williams in her tangerine Vera Wang winner, Angelina's emeralds, etc).

5. The Statement Necklace: It's BAAAAACCCK

I have a funny feeling that the statement necklace craze that peaked in 2009 and waned to nothingness this past year is going to ramp up again at the 2011 Oscars. You can't keep this baby in the corner long. It's a hunch - but if we don't see at least 3 or 4 big stars in this look, I'll chug an entire glass of champagne. Twist my arm!

So be sure to check back with me Sunday night to see if my predictions come true. I'll post my top looks of the night with some champagne-soaked trend commentary thrown in for good measure. I gawk harder...so you don't have to.

Come Sail Away

So as I've mentioned before, I've really been digging the surge in popularity of nautical threads lately. I was perusing Modcloth like usual and found this little gem:

(Currently out of stock- $26.99 ON SALE BABY WOOOO)

I think it's pretty sweet, with the fake pockets, buttons, and sailor's trim. I actually thought it was navy and white when I ordered it, but it's actually black and white -even better, more versatile! It was my first purchase on Modcloth and the customer service was wonderful, they even threw in a cute headband for free!

(Sweater, Modcloth; skirt, F21; gray tights, HUE; boots, Steve Madden; scarf, hippy shop in Eugene)

Someday I'll learn how to pose correctly. But today is not that day.

Hey guess what everyone... TOMORROW IS FRIDAY. Thank goodness. Love you all!

-B

Oscar Jewelry for Less

My trip down Oscar jewelry memory lane earlier this week kicked my diamond-infused fantasy life into overdrive.

How amazing would it feel to hold that Taylor-Burton 69-carat diamond - let alone pick it out from your own personal jewelry stash and wear it down the Oscar red carpet in a dress to match your eyes?

Or. OK. How great would it be to hold those Angelina Jolie Oscar emeralds in your grubby little hands or walk the red carpet with your own personal set of body guards like Natalie Portman at the Golden Globes earlier this year.

Who doesn't love body guards?

Thankfully, I'm not alone in diamond dreamland. JewelClub is riding the Oscar jewelry fantasy wave like Laird Hamilton on a tsumani - with a whopping collection of (count 'em) 20! Oscar jewelry looks for less on their smashing sample sale site.

They've got real-life alternatives to Liz's Taylor-Burton diamond dream, Angelina's emeralds, Julia's hoops, Natalie's diamond bib neck, Gwenyth's teardrops. They even have glittering ghosts from Oscar's past - like Sharon Stone's diamond drops and Nicole Kidman's "Tom Who?" earrings from 1995!

It's a strong showing of pre-Oscar jewelry fashion to give us a taste of their Oscar sample sale to come - and it's one doozy of a show stopper.

They claim their price points deserve their own gold statue, and I can't disagree. Check out their Oscar Couture Sample Sale here and let me know what Oscar jewel you want for your own collection!

We may not go home with Brad Pitt every night - but, darn it! - we can certainly have earrings that look like they do!