Drama Queens (& Kings) Flaunt Color
at 63rd Annual Golden Globes 2006
By Deborah Yonick

The Bride Wore Green

Gemstone engagement rings are adding style to the aisle

Fox TV's hot primetime soap The OC prides itself on being over the top. So it's not surprising that when characters Julie Cooper and Caleb Nichol became engaged this season, the ring had to be a real attention-getter. And it was: a 5.95-carat Colombian emerald flanked by two half-moon shaped diamonds totaling 1.62 carats. The ring's intense green color was a statement that Julie was not an ordinary bride. But Julie is not nearly as unusual as you might think. In search of an expression of individuality and romance, more and more couples are choosing colored gemstones for their engagement rings.

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More than 2.4 million couples are expected to wed in the United States this year. On average, they're older than they were a decade ago: she's 26 and he's 28. They have a combined income of more than $70,000 and they'll spend $19,000 on average for their wedding. They're also different in attitude, searching for distinctive ways of expressing sentiment, individuality, and personal connections in life.

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With daring, provocative films like Brokeback Mountain and Transamerica receiving major accolades at the 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards, it followed suit that our favorite celebrities made statements in colorful jewels and fashions that begged attention.

Undoubtedly, color was the order of the day, adding a note of individuality to red carpet dressing. The most memorable frocks were in glam red, mesmerizing green (both kelly and lime), regal purple, sumptuous burgundy, midnight blue, yummy chocolate, and dreamy pale pink. In jewelry, bold splashes of ruby, sapphire, onyx, and pearls adorned pop stars of television and cinema.

Emmy Rossum. Yellow and White Diamond Cluster Earrings with 10 carat Radiant Fancy Intense Yellow Diamonds surrounded by a total of 18 carats of white diamonds. 9 carat Radiant Fancy Intense Yellow Diamond Ring with diamond side-stones. Two Diamond Sunflower Bracelets each weighing 10 carats by Harry Winston
© Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage courtesy of Harry Winston

Nicollette Sheridan. Sapphire Drop Earrings with 14 carat Cushion Sapphire Drops and 4 carat Sapphire Tops surrounded by a total of 10 carats of diamonds. 26 carat Oval Sapphire Ring with diamond side stones. Jewelry by Harry Winston.
© Photo Jeff Vespa / WireImage courtesy of Harry Winston

Necks were naked, mostly, in favor of huge gem drop earrings befitting a queen at her coronation; colorful cocktail rings with extremely large center stones; and gem-encrusted stackable cuff, line and/or bangle bracelets. Color was used either monochromatically or to add excitement to white, nude, pale pink, and silver shaded gowns.

There was a mix of long and short dress lengths I style — with goddess profiles, strapless “Gone With the Wind” tulle, deep leg slits, and plunging backlines the leading red carpet fashion trends. 
The most stunning examples of gem and diamond accented jewelry were seen on such film stars as Kate Beckinsale, who dazzled in Lorraine Schwartz 50-carat emerald earrings, and jade and diamond bracelet stacked with diamond and gold (white and yellow) bangles.

Ruby was a favorite of redhead Geena Davis (Best Actress for the TV drama, Commander in Chief), who accented a stunning red Escada mermaid gown with 5-carat ruby drop earrings ala Harry Winston. Other Winston fans included one of TV’s Desperate Housewives Nicollette Sheridan in a pair of 18-carat sapphire drop earrings and 26-carat oval sapphire ring; and film star Emmy Rossum in radiant fancy intense yellow diamond earrings and ring. Vintage bling that fits the trend was also evident in 19th century Fred Leighton opal and ruby gold chandelier earrings worn by actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

Stars dazzled the red carpet this year by opting for jewelry with color. From amethyst to turquoise, and modern to vintage, color exploded across the scene.

Oscar Best Supporting Actress nominee Keira Knightley was breathtaking in a Vera Wang eggplant colored dress, but even more breathtaking was her vintage Bulgari necklace. Covered in emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds, the vintage piece tied in the robust color of her dress while delicately framing her flawless face. Knightley was not the only star who uncovered a vintage treasure. Jennifer Aniston and Best Supporting Actress nominee Michelle Williams also flaunted estate pieces. Combining classic jewelry with elegant, simple dresses made these stars winners when they hit the red carpet!

Jann Carl from Entertainment Tonight selected a stunning necklace to compliment her plum-colored gown. This perfectly-selected gold choker featured beautiful pink and green tourmalines. The former bare necks of the red carpet envied the bejeweled necklaces- which will undoubtedly be a trend for the rest of the year.

Bracelets were among the power jewels of the Golden Girls on the red carpet. Favorites included Gabrielle Union (Honeymooners) in ruby and diamond line bracelets by Sheila Goldfinger; and Neil Lane fans like Reese Witherspoon (Best Actress for the film, Walk the Line) and Molly Sims (Las Vegas) wore onyx and diamond line and cuff bracelets. In Cathy Waterman, actresses Laura Linney (The Squid & the Whale) flaunted a bold ruby and diamond bracelet in 22k gold and platinum, and Candace Bergen (Boston Legal) adorned in vintage gold and platinum coral cuffs and mesh earrings.

But it wasn’t just the ladies sporting unique gem-set jewelry on the red carpet. More male celebrities are selecting jewelry accessories. “Men are becoming more polished by complementing their suits and tuxes with watches, bracelets, dog tags, lapel pins and tie tacks,” says New York City jewelry fashion expert Michael O’Connor. He notes greater interest among men in platinum, diamonds, and a broader range of gemstones.
Style watchers report Steve Carell (Best Actor in a TV comedy, The Office) in sterling silver and rock crystal faceted cufflinks by Suzanne Felsen; Ryan Seacrest (American Idol and E! Network) in onyx and pearl cufflinks and shirt studs by Neil Lane; Hugh Laurie (Best Actor in a TV drama, House) in iolite and platinum cufflinks and shirt studs by Erica Courtney; and Adrien Brody (King Kong) in onyx, diamond, and platinum cufflinks by Jacob & Co.

CharlizeTheron,  Shohreh Aghdashloo,  Evangeline Lilly and Teri Hatcher
Evangeline Lilly, wearing Lorraine Schwartz jadeite earrings

Marcia Cross,  Nicollette Sheridan,  Jennifer Garner and  Tachina Arnold

Tachina Arnold tries on the Ganjam designed blue sapphire and diamond platinum earrings, which she selected to wear to the Emmys, while browsing the Platinum Guild International Emmy Suite at the Luxe Hotel.

Stockard Channing,  Elizabeth Rohm,  Sarah Jessica Parker and  Charlize Theron

Tanzanite A New Birthstone

Do you get the blues in December? Traditional December birthstones are all beautiful blues, turquoise and blue zircon. But these gems are often hard to find in fine jewelry, leaving December babies crying the blues instead.

The non-profit association that represents the North American gem industry, the American Gem Trade Association, in cooperation with other industry associations decided to do something about this lack of December choices. In 2002, the AGTA officially added tanzanite to the traditional list of birthstones for the month of December, building upon the tradition for beautiful blue gems.

Because tanzanite was only discovered in 1969, it never had a chance to be included in the official birthstone list, which was created in 1912. Today, however, tanzanite is by far the most popular blue gemstone after sapphire.

Tanzanite, the ultimate prize of a gem safari, has a mesmerizing blend of rich purples and blues with a velvety deepness of color unlike any other gem. Mined in Tanzania at the feet of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzanite is found only in a five square mile area in the hills of Merelani, ten miles south of the Kilimanjaro International Airport, between Moshi and Arusha. After mining, virtually every tanzanite is heated to permanently change its color from brown to the spectacular violet-blue color for which this precious gemstone variety is known.With the growing popularity of tanzanite, adding it to the traditional list of birthstones can only increase the desire for this blue beauty. And also increase the gem appreciation of those December babies.

Colored gemstone information and jewelry fashion from the non-profit American Gem Trade Association and The International Colored Gemstone Association.

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