The 32nd Annual Actor Awards, formerly known as the SAG Awards, returned to Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium on March 1, delivering a spectacular evening of recognition for film and television’s finest performances. But beyond the dramatic upsets and emotional acceptance speeches, the ceremony became a showcase for some of the year’s most extraordinary jewelry. The best jewelry moments at the 2026 SAG Awards transformed the red carpet into a glittering parade of exceptional craftsmanship, from half-million-dollar Tiffany & Co. heritage pieces to jaw-dropping Harry Winston diamonds totaling nearly 100 carats. For those of us who live and breathe red carpet jewelry, this night felt like a return to true glamour.
I’ll be honest: since the 2026 awards season kicked off, I haven’t really been impressed with the lineup of jewelry that has come on the red carpet. Too many safe choices, too much predictable diamond tennis, too little imagination. But the 2026 SAG Awards, or as they’re now officially called, the Actor’s Awards, has wiped my sadness away completely! There were more than enough incredible jewels to last me the rest of the year. From bold colors and opaque stones to faceted gems and whimsical designs, all were represented. It was as if Hollywood collectively remembered that jewelry should be daring, personal, and absolutely spectacular. The 2026 Actor’s Awards jewelry delivered on every front, proving that when actors choose their own pieces for this guild ceremony, magic happens.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Turquoise Rebellion
Among the best jewelry moments at the 2026 SAG Awards, Gwyneth Paltrow’s choice to wear Belperron turquoise-and-black enamel earrings stands as perhaps the most delightfully unexpected. While diamonds are always a favorite of the stars who walk the carpet, I love a rebel who dares to look beyond the expected. Paltrow paired these striking earrings with a lingerie-inspired, lacy Givenchy gown featuring a plunging neckline.
Ali Larter’s Repossi Edge
Ali Larter, 50, brought serious edge to the 2026 Actor’s Awards with her selection of Repossi diamond jewels, including a black gold “Blast” diamond necklace, a matching bracelet, and a pear-shaped diamond “Brevis” ring. She paired this with a strapless, deep burgundy Zuhair Murad gown that featured a corset-style bodice and floor-length draping.
Chase Infiniti’s Desert Diamond Chandelier
With the carpet channeling the 1920s and ’30s aesthetic (a nod to Hollywood’s Golden Age), Chase Infiniti understood the assignment and opted for De Beers jewels that perfectly captured the era’s glamorous spirit. The actress, who was nominated for her performance in One Battle After Another, wore the Metamorphosis ‘Spring’ Chandelier diamond earrings, which include Desert diamonds, along with multiple diamond rings. As a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton, Infiniti wore a custom champagne-toned mermaid gown that became one of the night’s most talked-about looks. The custom, long-sleeved “second-skin” gown was intricately knitted with 92,000 crystals, reportedly requiring 300 hours of labor to complete.
Teyana Taylor’s $500,000 Tiffany Masterpiece
At the 2026 SAG Awards, Teyana Taylor stole the spotlight in a custom surrealist “naked dress” by Thom Browne. Continuing her run as an awards season fashion favorite, her look combined high-art illusion with classic Hollywood glamour. But it was her jewelry that truly left us breathless.
Taylor wore the Jean Schlumberger by Tiffany “Leaves” necklace, a platinum and 18K gold piece featuring over 47 carats of diamonds, valued at roughly $500,000. This museum-quality treasure, originally designed by the legendary Jean Schlumberger (who worked with Tiffany from 1956 until his death in 1987), represents the pinnacle of American high jewelry design. The necklace features delicate diamond-set leaves that seem to flutter and move with the wearer, creating an effect that is simultaneously botanical and ethereal. Taylor complemented the necklace with matching “Three Leaves” ear clips, smaller versions of the same design that framed her face beautifully. The total effect was mesmerizing, proving that some of the best jewelry moments at the 2026 SAG Awards came from those willing to invest in true masterworks.
Chloé Zhao’s Minimalist Diamond Scorpion
Director Chloé Zhao, attending in support of her film “Hamnet” (nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture), stayed true to her minimalist aesthetic while subtly embracing the evening’s “Reimagining Hollywood Glamour” theme. She wore a subdued black gown by Gabriela Hearst featuring unique, elongated, fluid sleeves that some critics described as having a “Stevie Nicks” vibe.
The centerpiece of her look was the Elsa Peretti Scorpion necklace for Tiffany & Co., reimagined in natural diamonds. While the original Peretti Scorpion necklace was typically rendered in gold or sterling silver, this diamond version elevated the design into high jewelry territory while maintaining its essential character. Zhao also wore matching Tiffany diamond earrings and a ring, creating a cohesive look that proved minimalism doesn’t mean boring when the jewelry carries such powerful design integrity.
Keri Russell’s Buccellati Tanzanite
Keri Russell wore a custom black Louis Vuitton gown featuring an asymmetric, one-shoulder neckline. The floor-length dress included soft draping at the waist and a flowing train, a perfect canvas for her exceptional jewelry.
Russell accessorized with high-end pieces from Buccellati, the Italian jewelry house known for its intricate engraving techniques and Old World craftsmanship. Her ensemble included dangling 18-karat white gold earrings set with 220 diamonds and a cocktail ring featuring a 23-carat cabochon tanzanite. The tanzanite, that rare blue-violet gemstone found only in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, provided a stunning pop of color against her monochromatic gown. Russell’s choice represented the best of Italian jewelry artistry at the 2026 SAG Awards jewelry showcase.
Connor Storrie’s Gender-Bending Tiffany Choker
Connor Storrie, star of the series “Heated Rivalry” (who had hosted “Saturday Night Live” just the night before the ceremony), leaned into the evening’s “Reimagining Hollywood Glamour” theme with a sharp Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello charcoal-gray wool suit. His most discussed accessory was a sparkling diamond choker from the Tiffany Victoria collection. The Victoria collection, characterized by its floral-inspired designs and generous use of diamonds, is typically marketed toward women, making Storrie’s choice to wear it a bold statement about gender fluidity in fashion and jewelry. He rounded out the look with Tiffany T1 huggie hoop earrings, a diamond cocktail watch, and a “Stitches” bombé ring, creating a fully realized jewelry moment that challenged traditional notions of masculine adornment.
Kate Hudson’s Desert Diamond Collar
Kate Hudson embraced “regal elegance” in a custom cream-colored Valentino gown featuring a structured square neckline, a modern cutout just beneath the bust, and a cinched, ruched waist that flowed into an A-line skirt. Hudson wore a bespoke suite by L.A. jeweler Emily P. Wheeler, a rising star in the high jewelry world whose work combines contemporary sensibility with exceptional gemstones. The set included a wrap-style collar necklace featuring a 10.15-carat antique peach-toned “Desert” diamond as its centerpiece, along with matching earrings and a pavé diamond ring.
Mia Goth’s Dior Rose des Vents
Mia Goth made a striking return to the spotlight in a custom Dior ensemble that captured the evening’s vintage Hollywood aesthetic. She accessorized with Dior Rose des Vents jewelry, including elegant drop earrings from the collection inspired by wind roses and compass points. Goth’s choice felt perfectly aligned with her enigmatic personal style and demonstrated that the 2026 SAG Awards jewelry could be both luxurious and deeply personal. The Rose des Vents pieces, with their movable elements and symbolic imagery, suggest a more intimate relationship with jewelry, pieces chosen for their personal significance rather than their ability to photograph well from across a red carpet.
Viola Davis’s Emerald Pasquale Bruni Statement
Viola Davis arrived at the 2026 SAG Awards looking like a literal trophy in a shimmering emerald green pleated gown by Gucci. The custom design featured an off-the-shoulder neckline and dramatic draped sleeves that created a regal, queen-like silhouette, fitting for an actress of her stature and accomplishments.
Her jewelry came from Pasquale Bruni, the Italian jewelry house known for its colored gemstone expertise and sculptural designs. The centerpiece was a floral natural diamond necklace featuring a large pear-shaped emerald drop pendant that perfectly matched the hue of her dress. This level of color coordination, finding a gemstone that precisely echoes a gown’s shade, requires either incredible luck or meticulous planning, and in this case, it appeared to be the latter.
Demi Moore’s 95 Carats of Harry Winston
Demi Moore delivered perhaps the evening’s highest-drama fashion moment in a sculptural creation from the Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2026 Haute Couture collection. The look featured a strapless black wool crepe column dress with “trompe l’œil” alligator print on the front, but the defining feature was a massive, sculptural white tulle train attached to the back, speckled with black silk-thread mimosas and over 11,000 crystals. It was the kind of entrance-making outfit that demands jewelry of equal magnitude.
Moore did not disappoint. She wore over 95 carats of Harry Winston diamonds, one of the most substantial jewelry moments of the entire 2026 awards season. Her pieces included a “Cascading Diamond Drop” necklace set in platinum (approximately 73.54 carats), “Secret Combination” diamond drop earrings (12.32 carats), a 7.61-carat emerald-cut diamond ring, and a 1.72-carat crossover diamond ring. This was the best jewelry moment at the 2026 SAG Awards, at its most spectacular, a reminder that sometimes, you simply cannot have too much of a good thing.
Wunmi Mosaku’s Maternity Glamour in Messika
Wunmi Mosaku made a bold “fire-engine red” statement and delivered a masterclass in glamorous maternity style. She wore a custom red jersey Louis Vuitton gown designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, featuring a sweetheart neckline and dramatic, voluminous silk taffeta off-the-shoulder sleeves that added classic Hollywood drama to the contemporary structure. The gown’s empire waist and flowing skirt accommodated her pregnancy beautifully while maintaining a red-carpet-ready silhouette.
Mosaku accessorized with high jewelry from Messika, the contemporary French house founded by Valérie Messika in 2005. Her ensemble included a shimmering diamond necklace, matching earrings, and rings that provided “just the right amount of glitz” against the bold red fabric. Her confident styling choices made her one of the evening’s standout moments, proving that the 2026 SAG Awards jewelry wasn’t just for those following traditional red carpet formulas.
Kristen Bell’s Art Deco Messika
Host Kristen Bell, returning for her second year helming the ceremony, wore a sheer “naked” gown from Georges Hobeika’s Spring/Summer 2026 Couture collection. The dress featured a daringly deep V-neckline that plunged to her mid-torso and was completely covered in shimmering Art Deco-inspired crystals and sequin starbursts.
Bell accessorized with Messika High Jewelry, including the “Night Owl” necklace made of pear-shaped diamonds and matching diamond earrings. The Night Owl necklace, with its articulated, transformable design, allowed Bell to adjust the piece throughout the long ceremony, practical glamour at its finest. The ability to modify how the necklace sits and drapes is particularly valuable during a multi-hour event where comfort matters as much as aesthetics.
Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Million-Dollar De Beers
Sheryl Lee Ralph wore a strapless, floor-length gown by Saiid Kobeisy from his Spring/Summer 2026 Couture collection. The dress featured an intricate, almost etched black-and-white abstract pattern described by some as having an “inkblot” or “marbled paper” effect—a bold artistic choice that required equally bold jewelry to hold its own against such a visually complex garment.
Ralph rose to the occasion by wearing over $1 million worth of De Beers diamonds, including an elegant diamond lariat necklace, a classic tennis bracelet, and dangling diamond earrings. The lariat style, where the necklace drapes loosely without a clasp, often with adjustable length, has experienced a resurgence in recent years, offering a more relaxed, contemporary alternative to traditional chokers and princess-length necklaces. The style’s fluidity and movement complement the organic patterns of Ralph’s gown beautifully.
Dove Cameron’s Swarovski Statement
Dove Cameron wore a custom creation by Monique Lhuillier that was widely praised for its “dark feminine” energy—a strapless, bicolor gown featuring a matte black corset-style bodice and a voluminous, billowing ivory silk skirt. She accessorized with the Swarovski “Constella” necklace, which featured brilliant-cut stones on a rhodium-plated bar, along with matching brooches. Cameron’s choice to wear Swarovski, known for precision-cut crystal rather than natural gemstones, demonstrated that the best jewelry moments at the 2026 SAG Awards weren’t exclusively about diamonds and colored gems. Sometimes, crystal can create just as much impact, especially when the design is strong and the setting is impeccable.
The Return of Red Carpet Magic
As we reflect on the jewelry that graced the 2026 SAG Awards, what becomes clear is that this ceremony represented a turning point in awards season 2026. After weeks of safe, predictable jewelry choices at other ceremonies, the Actor’s Awards reminded us why we pay attention to red carpet accessories in the first place: because when done right, jewelry transforms outfits into statements, celebrities into style icons, and awards ceremonies into fashion moments that endure long after the winners are announced.
The best jewelry moments at the 2026 SAG Awards ranged from Gwyneth Paltrow’s turquoise rebellion to Demi Moore’s 95-carat Harry Winston spectacular, from Connor Storrie’s gender-bending Tiffany choker to Teyana Taylor’s half-million-dollar Schlumberger masterpiece. Bold colored stones—turquoise, emerald, tanzanite, peach diamonds—shared the spotlight with classic white diamonds. Contemporary designers like Repossi and Emily P. Wheeler competed with heritage houses like Tiffany and Harry Winston. And whimsical designs from Dior and Swarovski stood alongside serious high jewelry from Buccellati and Pasquale Bruni.
What united all these disparate choices was a sense of confidence and personal expression. These actors weren’t dressing for critics or following stylists’ safe recommendations. They were choosing jewelry that spoke to their individual aesthetics, that complemented their unique fashion perspectives, that told stories about who they are both on and off screen. And that, ultimately, is what makes jewelry memorable: not carat weight or brand names alone, but the way a piece becomes inseparable from the person wearing it, creating a moment that lives in our collective fashion memory.
The 2026 SAG Awards proved that Hollywood still knows how to sparkle when given the chance. Here’s hoping the rest of the awards season takes note.
Featured images: Getty Images
Amanda Akalonu is dedicated to weaving together the worlds of jewelry, watches, and objects through a lens of literary storytelling.
