It’s the night that fashion and its fans around the world wait for. The Met Gala, where for one night the most fantastical outfits and jewellery take fabulous centre stage. For the 2024 edition, the dress code and theme is “The Garden of Time“, inspired by a J.G. Ballard story from 1962. The short story tells of aristocrats warding off a mob by plucking a flower from his garden each day—a parable of sorts about the inevitable decay of beauty and the onslaught of time.
This tale and the Costume Institute’s spring exhibition is titled Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, which centres on the creations housed in the museum’s permanent archives. Over 250 garments and accessories, spanning four centuries in age, will be reawakened through traditional conservation and cutting-edge technology both and put on display. It’s bound to be a spectacular blockbuster exhibition—but the focus for the night is, of course, the red carpet at the Gala.
The Met Gala may not be the biggest stage for jewels, per se. The focus of stylists and celebrities tends to go to the clothes and outfits—many of which end up being the most spectacular of the year. It is, after all, fashion’s biggest event and the prime space for the wildest clothes. But what we do get on the jewellery front are some masterful moments of discernment.
Among them: the debut of some brand new, hot-off-the-bench Cartier from the house’s upcoming high jewellery collection. Nods to long-running, bastion collections for cognoscenti, as Nicole Kidman did with her Harry Winston pieces. Even some cool archival pulls and styling tricks—a uniquely fashion-forward mix and approach that makes jewellery spotting at the 2024 Met Gala quite exciting.
Here, our pick of the best jewellery moments at the 2024 Met Gala.
1 / 18
Alia Bhatt
The actress brought an opulent dose of Indian representation to the Met. She wore a custom haute couture sari and high jewellery by Sabyasachi. Look closer at the details of her sari, though, and you’ll see that its embroidery includes not just beads and sequins, but precious gemstones like emeralds, pearls, tourmalines and sapphires.
2 / 18
Jennifer Lopez
The 2024 Met Gala co-chair wore Tiffany & Co. high jewellery from the brand’s 2024 Blue Book: Tiffany Celéste collection, and a Jean Schlumberger Bird on a Rock ring.
3 / 18
Penélope Cruz
Cruz wore head to toe Chanel, from custom haute couture to high jewellery from the latest Tweed collection.
4 / 18
Sydney Sweeney
A delicate diamond design by De Beers plays off the rich floral appliqués of Sweeney’s gown.
5 / 18
Gigi Hadid
Channelling impossibly chic Old Hollywood, wearing yellow and white diamonds from Chopard.
6 / 18
Nicole Kidman
The actress worked with Balenciaga to recreate an archival 1951 flamenco dress. With that much drama in the silhouette, a light touch of devastating understatement in the jewellery: Cluster earrings and Secret Combination bracelet by Harry Winston, both in platinum and set with approximately 84-carats of diamonds in total.
7 / 18
Ayo Edebiri
A sense of lightness and fun from Edebiri’s Boucheron jewels. Bleu Infini aquamarine earrings, and a Hopi the Hummingbird aquamarine ring to complement the rich textures of her Loewe outfit.
8 / 18
Sarah Jessica Parker
The actress repped the Big Apple by wearing two New York jewellers: earrings by Briony Raymond, and a ring by Marlo Laz. Also whimsical: an exceedingly long rope of pearls.
9 / 18
Pamela Anderson
For her first ever Met Gala, Anderson paired her Oscar de la Renta gown with over 200 carats of lab-grown pink and white diamonds by Pandora, worn terrifically déshabillé off one shoulder.
10 / 18
Anok Yai
The supermodel’s outfit, if you can believe it, was entirely Swarovski. A tulle catsuit decorated all over with Swarovski crystals, paired with a high jewellery necklace from the brand’s Created Diamonds Galaxy collection.
11 / 18
Linda Evangelista
It’s a comeback moment for the supermodel, making her first appearance at the Met Gala in eight years. She paired her custom Khaite look with elegant tourmaline earrings by Ana Khouri.
12 / 18
Amanda Seyfried
The actress paired her avant-garde hair look with a Mélodie Nacrée tiara by Chaumet, the diamonds playing easily with the cool silver tones of her look.
13 / 18
Jeff Goldblum
Goldblum saw the trend for brooches and, it seems, has decided to lean in. On the lapel and breast of his jacket, not one, but three Jean Schlumberger designs from Tiffany & Co., with a Cocktail watch on the wrist to match.
14 / 18
Dua Lipa
At first glance, it seems like the songstress is leading her jewellery-scape with the platinum, yellow gold and diamond statement necklace. But look a little closer to spot the Elsa Peretti Diamonds by the Yard necklaces that she’s styled on her waist as low-slung body jewellery.
15 / 18
Emma Chamberlain
The returning Vogue special correspondent wore a set of Cartier Nature Sauvage high jewellery designs that played gorgeously off the romantic, decaying lace of her Jean Paul Gaultier haute couture.
16 / 18
Elle Fanning
The Cartier global ambassador had on her ears and wrists some designs from the Cartier Collection archives. A pair of white gold and diamond ear pendants from 2007, and a pair of Strap bracelets from 1926 and 1929.
17 / 18
Demi Moore
A prickly Harris Reed floral dress, paired with the brand new Chloris high jewellery necklace and earring set by Cartier. The designs are inspired by the airy, escaping movement of dandelions, and realised in platinum with emeralds and diamonds.
18 / 18
Amelia Gray
The model paired a high concept Undercover dress with the Solar Diva high jewellery necklace from Messika, a radiant design in gold set with a 35-carat yellow diamond.
