Layered Diamonds and Bold Gems Shine at Actor Awards 2026

Nearly 80 carats of bespoke diamonds crowned Kate Hudson, who wore Emily P. Wheeler’s one-of-a-kind Desert Diamonds high-jewelry suite—drop earrings, a wraparound necklace and statement rings—paired with a custom Valentino for the Actor Awards red carpet, images credited to Kevin Mazur/Getty. Modern Luxury reported the suite totaled “nearly 80 carats,” and WhoWoreWhatJewels described it as “crafted exclusively for this appearance.”

The Actor Awards, held March 1, 2026 and referred to as the 32nd Annual Actor Awards by Town & Country, carried a first-ever dress code, “Reimagining Hollywood Glamour From the ’20s and ’30s,” which pushed attendees toward metallic fabrications, drop-waist silhouettes and archival styling. JCK summed the moment: “As the Actor Awards’ first red-carpet fashion theme, Old Hollywood glamour was embraced by celebrities including Kate Hudson, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Sinners’ Wunmi Mosaku,” and many actors indeed dove into vaults and vintage sources to meet the brief.

Kristen Bell, who hosted the show, became the evening’s concentrated sparkle in Messika. JCK noted she “walked the red carpet in Messika’s high jewelry Night Owl necklace and earrings and the Messika by Kate Moss exotic charm ring,” and WhoWoreWhatJewels observed, “Every glance landed on a diamond. Bell… became the sparkle everyone came for.” Modern Luxury paired Bell’s Night Owl Collier and Pendant Night Owl earrings with a Georges Hobeika Spring/Summer 2026 Couture gown.

Color and sculptural design punctuated the diamond pageant. Viola Davis chose Pasquale Bruni, wearing a floral-inspired diamond necklace with an emerald green pear-shaped pendant and matching diamond earrings, paired with Gucci on the carpet. Gwyneth Paltrow favored Belperron drop earrings while photographed in Givenchy by Monica Schipper/Getty, a reminder that heritage maisons provided the subtler statements alongside full-on diamond suites.

The ceremony also delivered audacious, high-carat moments. WhoWoreWhatJewels reported Sofia Carson in Chopard’s Animal World ouroboros earrings, described as 18k rose gold coiled with 133 carats of brown diamonds and onyx, a piece whose symbolism JCK explained: “The ouroboros—a serpent or dragon eating its own tail—symbolizes eternity, renewal, and the unity of opposites.” Ali Larter stacked Repossi’s Berbere necklace, a series of darkened-gold discs reportedly encrusted with 2,000 diamonds totaling 40 carats, while Keri Russell’s Buccellati dangling earrings and a 23-carat cabochon tanzanite cocktail ring combined 220 round brilliant-cut diamonds and a total ensemble value WhoWoreWhatJewels cited as $223,000.

Trade focus and exact stone weights surfaced in other standouts. Sarah Paulson wore three Boucheron Vendôme Liseré pieces in white gold with black enamel; JCK reported the pendant earrings each carried a 3 ct. emerald-cut diamond and her ring was set with a 4.13 ct. emerald-cut diamond, pavéd with round diamonds. Men’s jewelry was largely restrained, yet JCK singled out Connor Storrie’s full suite of Tiffany & Co., naming the Jean Schlumberger by Tiffany “Stitches” ring in gold and platinum with diamonds as “Our favorite piece.”

Vintage sourcing and editorial partnerships shaped many looks: WhoWoreWhatJewels noted an Elle partnership for the themed red carpet and flagged Isa Briones’s vintage Dior necklace sourced by her stylist, augmented by Beladora pieces priced at $3,850 for a white opal and diamond ring and $8,000 for a diamond bracelet. The overall effect, in WhoWoreWhatJewels’s phrasing, was that “Many stars played it safe, sticking mostly to classic diamonds. There were, however, jaw-dropping exceptions.”

If the Actor Awards set a bar for this awards season, it showed that classic diamonds remain the reliable choice while bespoke commissions, dramatic carat counts and colored gems are the moments editors and auction houses will remember.