Celebrity

The Creative Jewelry at Cannes

Shoulder necklaces and diamond headbands were among the styles that stood out

by Marion Fasel

May 26, 2024—The fortnight of film, fashion and fine jewelry in the South of France wrapped up yesterday. It was a fascinating year for the Cannes Film Festival. There wasn’t any real notable blockbusters shown at the event this year like when Top Gun took over. Instead it was filled with independent productions that are bound for the art houses stateside.

In terms of the jewelry, there is always a flow of bigtime pieces that are the equivalent of Hollywood blockbusters. But what caught my eye was the more artistic statements in the steady stream of styles. The looks ranged from Margaret Qualley’s dreamy Chanel star headband to Cate Blanchett’s custom shoulder necklace from Louis Vuitton designer Francesca Amfitheatrof. See more of what I mean below.

Margaret Qualley feels like one of the most comprehensive ambassadors Chanel has ever had. She has appeared in their fashion shows, always wears the clothes on the red carpet and now she is adding in the High Jewelry.

For the Kinds of Kindness red carpet, Margaret breezily sported the Étoile Filante Chanel High Jewelry Collection 1932 diamond headband and Collection Patrimoine de Chanel diamond and pearl Paris Tweed Perlé earrings with a light pink Chanel tulle gown.

Cate Blanchett is always a queen of making red carpet fashion and jewelry statements. Usually there is a powerful and immediate impact to her looks but the Louis Vuitton necklace she sported when she attended the premiere of the docudrama The Apprentice was a bit more low-key.

The jewel was worked into her Haider Ackermann for Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2023 Couture Collection gown in a position where a costume jewel was shown on the runway. Ultimately, the understated piece designed by Francesca Amfitheatrof flew a bit under the radar with all the focus and questions surrounding the dress.

Emma Stone’s Louis Vuitton look was all of a shade that went right to her hair color on the Cannes red carpet for the premiere of her film Kind of Kindness. The head to toe style felt modern and fresh the way she tossed it all together.

My favorite part was the Volcano bracelet by Francesca Amfitheatrof. I am not sure what the stones are running down the center but they are stunning and unexpected.

Add Selma Hayek’s name to the growing list of people who are choosing vintage for the red carpet. The star put on two pieces from Boucheron’s Archive Collection at the Emilia Perez premiere.

She wore a giant coral, onyx and gold 1970s pendant necklace which I am certain she shorten at the clasp in the back so it would work with her strapless gown and the layered look she was creating. The choker necklace is a 1980s design composed of coral, wood, diamonds and gold.

Lily Gladstone also wore jewelry from Boucheron.

The Lierre de Paris question mark necklace, pavé set with emeralds is a new design inspired by a vintage diamond jewel from the turn of the century when founder Frédéric Boucheron was at the helm.

At the closing ceremony, model Isabeli Fontana wore two wildly creative sculptural Elsa Jin High Jewelry brooches, La Belle and Mozi, from a series named In Search of Chinese Culture.

The pink and blue sapphire, Melo pearl and titanium jewel on Isabeli’s head represents two fish. The Mozi brooch on her lapel takes design cues from the ink of calligraphy. The titanium piece is set with a black Tahitian pearl, malachite, black diamonds, grey diamonds and emeralds.  

I don’t know why I am always surprised when Selena Gomez pulls off a big Bulgari jewel with such ease. She has done so time and again.

At the premiere of Emilia Perez, she wore the Italian jeweler’s Swan diamond necklace The wings of the two birds at the center flap around a 20-carat pear shape diamond pendant.

When Cannes began Vogue.com ran a story titled, The Queens of Cannes Are Fit, Fabulous and Over 50. The truth is most of the “Queens” were over 60 or even 70 which is really fabulous. The 71-year-old French actress Isabelle Huppert was among them.

For the premiere of Horizon: An American Saga, she wore five De Beers diamond necklaces layered together in the most glorious neck mess in the history of neck messes.

The 63-year-old Julianne Moore has long been a reigning Queen of the red carpet and her appearance at the Horizon: An American Saga premiere proved the point.

She made the double headed Cartier Panthère necklace with swinging chains and the signature link of the House look like something really special.

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