As 2025 draws to a close, the year has proven to be nothing short of extraordinary in the world of jewelry. From history-making engagement rings to shocking heists, viral social media trends to archival treasures gracing the red carpet, the 2025 jewelry moments have captivated audiences across the globe. These weren’t just accessories, they were cultural phenomena that sparked conversations, set trends, and reminded us of jewelry’s enduring power to tell stories.
The year brought us everything from legendary diamonds resurfacing after a century to brazen museum heists that shocked the world, celebrity engagement rings that broke the internet to social media trends that democratized fine jewelry for a new generation. Whether it was a 137-carat historic gem emerging from hiding or a Givenchy pearl top blurring the line between jewelry and fashion, these 2025 jewelry moments reflected both the industry’s rich heritage and its exciting future. Here’s a comprehensive look at the most talked-about jewelry stories that defined the year.
Record-Breaking Engagement Rings
Perhaps no 2025 jewelry moments captured public attention quite like the engagement rings that graced the fingers of two of the world’s most beloved celebrities. On August 26, 2025, Taylor Swift announced her engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce, unveiling a breathtaking Old Mine Brilliant Cut diamond weighing approximately eight carats. The elongated antique cushion-cut stone, set in custom hand-engraved yellow gold, was designed by Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine Jewelry. With an estimated value between $550,000 and $1 million, the ring’s most romantic detail emerged in Swift’s revelation that she had shown Kelce a video of Lubeck’s work a year and a half before the proposal—and he remembered. Kelce proposed under a canopy of over 2,000 roses, with Swift announcing the engagement on Instagram with the caption: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”
Zendaya’s engagement ring debut at the January 2025 Golden Globes sparked equal fascination. The actress revealed a 5.02-carat east-west cushion diamond created by Jessica McCormack, featuring a distinctive east-west setting in a hand-engraved yellow gold cigar band. Both rings are expected to spark a massive vintage-inspired jewelry trend heading into 2026, with their antique cuts and yellow gold settings representing a shift from traditional north-south platinum solitaires.
Red Carpet Royalty
The March 2025 Oscars showcased the enduring appeal of archival jewelry when Elle Fanning wore a 1958 Cartier necklace pulled “straight from the vault,” while at the September Emmys, Jenna Ortega went viral for wearing a Givenchy pearl-and-gemstone top as the outfit itself, blurring the line between jewelry and fashion in a way that captured the zeitgeist of these 2025 jewelry moments.
Meanwhile, the May 2025 Met Gala delivered its own share of unforgettable 2025 jewelry moments. Isha Ambani turned heads in an 80.73-carat cushion-cut diamond vintage-inspired solitaire necklace, while Priyanka Chopra Jonas offered a preview of Bvlgari’s Polychroma high jewelry collection. Her Magnus Emerald Necklace featured a rare 241.06-carat octagonal emerald, the largest faceted stone ever set by Bvlgari, set in platinum with carré diamonds, buff-top emeralds, round diamonds, and pavé-set diamonds.
Cinema Meets Heritage
One of the most fascinating 2025 jewelry moments occurred when Tiffany & Co. opened its archives for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which hit theaters on October, and Netflix on November 7. The film featured 27 Tiffany jewels, most notably the Favrile Glass Scarab Necklace designed by Meta Overbeck in 1914. The piece, featuring iridescent glass beetles set in 18-karat gold and based on sacred Egyptian scarab beetles symbolizing rebirth, was worn by Mia Goth as Elizabeth. This marked the first time this heritage jewel had been worn by a contemporary actress or featured on film. Additional pieces included the Wade Necklace from circa 1900, featuring over 40 carats of European-cut diamonds. Tiffany commemorated the collaboration with special window displays at its Fifth Avenue Landmark location.
At the October Academy Museum Gala, Lucy Liu wore “The Lillian” Transformable Necklace by Australian designer Margot McKinney, featuring a rare 41.93-carat Australian black opal centerpiece surrounded by tanzanite, rubellite, mandarin garnet, yellow beryl, peridot, green tourmaline, citrine, and kunzite stones in floral settings with diamond-set ribbons. The piece, which had previously been exhibited at the European Fine Art Fair and Museum of Brisbane, made its red carpet debut with an estimated value approaching $1 million.
Major Collection Launches
Among the standout 2025 jewelry moments in new releases, Cartier unveiled its Love Unlimited bracelet. After 100+ design trials and prototypes, the house reimagined its iconic 1969 Love bracelet as a flexible design composed of 200 miniature components with gadrooned links punctuated by signature screws. The innovation features an invisible clasp allowing bracelets to connect and can be worn with one hand—no screwdriver needed like the original.
Social Media Trends
The democratization of jewelry through social media created some of 2025’s most significant jewelry moments. Ankle jewelry emerged as “The Biggest Trend of 2025,” dominating TikTok and Instagram feeds throughout the year. Even more striking was the global embrace of Indian jewelry, with oversized jhumkas going viral on Instagram and layered Indian jewelry necklaces dominating fashion posts worldwide. This marked a cultural shift as Indian jewelry moved from niche cultural wear to mainstream global fashion trend, driven entirely by social media momentum.
The Opal Renaissance
Long burdened by myths, from stories of Cleopatra’s hoarding to Victorian-era diamond merchants spreading superstitions, opals shed their “bad luck” reputation to become one of 2025’s hottest gemstones. Beyond Demi Moore’s Cartier opal earrings, Anya Taylor-Joy’s 64+ carat Tiffany opal necklace, and Lucy Liu’s 41.93-carat black opal piece, celebrities like Zendaya and Florence Pugh wore gold opal pieces throughout the year. The stones’ rarity, otherworldly glow, and rich legends made them among the most sought-after gems of 2025.
The Louvre Heist
Not all 2025 jewelry moments were celebratory. On October 19, the world was shocked by a brazen daylight heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris. In just seven minutes, thieves made off with $102 million worth of French Crown Jewels. The eight to nine historic pieces stolen included Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense’s diamond and sapphire jewelry, Marie-Louise’s emerald necklace, and Empress Eugénie’s tiara—though the latter was later found dropped during the thieves’ escape. The raid, executed during a shift change with military precision, became a major security scandal at the world’s most visited museum. As of December 2025, the investigation continues with the treasure still missing, marking one of the most audacious art crimes in recent history.
The Florentine Diamond Resurfaces
In stark contrast to the Louvre’s loss, November 2025 brought one of the most thrilling jewelry discoveries in living memory. The legendary Florentine Diamond, a 137.27-carat yellow pear-shaped gem belonging to the Habsburg dynasty, resurfaced after being thought lost for over a century. The gem had last been seen in 1918 when Emperor Charles I fled Vienna as the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed. Its disappearance had spawned decades of speculation, inspiring novels, films, and countless theories about its fate.
The truth proved far less dramatic but infinitely more touching. Empress Zita, Charles I’s widow, had safely transported the diamond to Canada during World War II, where she placed it in a bank vault alongside other family jewels. She revealed its location only to her two sons, Robert and Rodolphe, with explicit instructions to keep it secret for 100 years after Charles’s death in 1922. The brothers honored their mother’s wishes, eventually passing the information to their own sons. In November 2025, Habsburg descendants, including Karl von Habsburg-Lothringe,n invited The New York Times to witness the opening of the vault, where the diamond—preserved in yellowed paper in an old cardboard suitcase—was authenticated by Christoph Köchert of A.E. Köchert, the storied firm that was once jeweler to the Habsburg court. The nine-sided, 126-facet double rose cut diamond, with its distinctive light yellow color and slight green overtones, was confirmed genuine based on its cut pattern, weight, and correspondence to historical records. The family plans to exhibit the piece publicly in Canada, honoring the country that sheltered them during their exile.
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on the 2025 jewelry moments that captivated us throughout the year, certain themes emerge: a renewed appreciation for heritage and archival pieces, the power of social media to democratize trends and elevate cultural jewelry traditions, and the enduring appeal of extraordinary gemstones and craftsmanship. From engagement rings that will influence design for years to come, to collections that honor the past while embracing the future, to the global embrace of diverse jewelry traditions, 2025 proved that jewelry remains one of our most powerful forms of personal and cultural expression. These moments didn’t just adorn bodies—they sparked conversations, inspired trends, and reminded us why we’ve been captivated by beautiful objects for millennia.
Featured image: Universal Pictures Corp.
Amanda Akalonu is dedicated to weaving together the worlds of jewelry, watches, and objects through a lens of literary storytelling.
