A Detailed Analysis of Anne Hathaway’s Red Carpet Jewelry Pairing

Anne Hathaway’s recent red carpet era offers a master class in how jewelry can shape, sharpen, and even subvert fashion narratives. From Bulgari High Jewelry in cinematic sapphire blues to everyday-feeling layering tricks that transition from a maxi dress to a pinstriped suit, her pairings illustrate how gemstones, metalwork, and proportion can direct the eye and define a look. Drawing on on-the-record reporting from Vogue, Natural Diamonds, Al Romaizan, Adastra, and specialist red carpet coverage, this analysis unpacks why her combinations work, how to apply the same principles at home, and what to know about care and buying when sparkle becomes the focal point.

Why Anne Hathaway’s Pairings Work

What sets Hathaway apart is her consistency in storytelling through materials. She routinely aligns jewelry with the garment’s mood and structure, then adds tension through contrast. When Vogue documented her Rome appearance, she stood in a custom Gap white maxi shirtdress by Zac Posen but anchored it with Bulgari: a diamond necklace centered by a striking sapphire, a diamond Serpenti bracelet, and diamond earrings. The result was a high–low dialogue that felt deliberate rather than improvised. The pristine shirtdress carried the casual authority; the gems supplied that decisive, camera-ready angle that turns a look into an image.

She also repeats and refines motifs. Natural Diamonds chronicles a Bulgari-forward period since 2022, including Serpenti necklaces and brooch earrings, sapphire-and-diamond suites, and the Monete coin choker. Across those appearances, serpentine lines, saturated blues, and coin reliefs reappear in forms scaled to the dress. This repetition is a signature device: audiences and photographers register the continuity, and the actress can range widely in silhouette without losing the through-line of her jewelry identity.

There is craft in how she modulates scale and surface. At Cannes 2022, the Bulgari Mediterranean Reverie necklace encircling a 107-carat cushion-cut Sri Lankan sapphire sat against a white column gown by Armani Privé. The neutral canvas magnified the stone’s chroma and silhouette while the diamond collar telegraphed symmetry and stature. At other moments—such as the 2024 SAG Awards with a cerulean Atelier Versace gown and Serpenti jewels—the color conversation happens garment to gemstone, calibrating vibrancy rather than surrendering contrast.

Finally, Hathaway embraces versatility that feels grounded in real-world styling. Adastra reports she wore the same three-piece necklace stack—a gold chain with toggle clasp, an earth-toned bead choker, and a delicate pearl strand—across a colorful embroidered maxi dress and a pinstriped suit while filming The Devil Wears Prada sequel. Switching contexts without swapping jewelry demonstrates a practical premise: a focused, well-balanced stack can migrate from soft bohemian to sharp tailoring when lengths, textures, and finishes are tuned to sit as one composition.

Case Studies: Looks That Define the Template

Rome’s High–Low Spark and the Gap Shirtdress

Vogue’s account places Hathaway in Rome at the Bulgari Hotel, nodding to Risky Business with a sleeveless white shirtdress left mostly unbuttoned to create a thigh-high slit. The collar folds to reveal a white corset, and the footwear is white pointy-toe pumps.

Jewelry elevates the silhouette decisively: a Bulgari diamond necklace with an eye-catching sapphire at the collarbone, a diamond Serpenti bracelet, and diamond earrings. This pairing shows how a single high-jewelry focal stone can organize a minimalist base. The sapphire’s saturation introduces color without pattern, and the Serpenti line echoes the slit’s vertical drive and the shirting’s clean placket.

Cannes 2022 and a 107-Carat Lesson in Proportion

Natural Diamonds documents an archetypal big-stone study: a 107-carat cushion-cut Sri Lankan sapphire in Bulgari’s Mediterranean Reverie necklace on a white Armani Privé column.

The chromatic contrast makes the sapphire read as an architectural element, not just an ornament. White diamonds around the sapphire form a crisp halo that meets the gown’s optical clarity. This is a demonstration of balance: the absence of competing embellishment in the garment allows a maximal stone to feel inevitable rather than excessive.

Serpenti in Motion at the 2024 SAG Awards

In another Natural Diamonds highlight, Hathaway wore a Bulgari High Jewelry Serpenti necklace and Serpenti brooch earrings with a cerulean Atelier Versace gown.

The serpent motif’s fluid geometry sits naturally within Versace’s draped, body-aware language. The shared emphasis on movement—think serpentine scaling and the dress’s dynamic drape—produces a unified kinetic profile. A secondary lesson appears in the color talk: cerulean and white diamonds pull toward clarity and coolness, keeping the overall temperature aligned.

Denim, Diamonds, and the CFDA’s Texture Play

At the 2023 CFDA Awards, Hathaway hosted in a Ralph Lauren denim two-piece punctuated by a Bulgari diamond-and-sapphire suite.

Natural Diamonds notes this unorthodox pairing as part of her ambassador era. Here, texture is the operative word. Denim’s matte grain creates a light-absorbent foundation; diamonds and sapphires return that light decisively. The jewelry’s refinement keeps the outfit ceremonial, while denim signals approachability. This is a persuasive case for material counterpoint.

Monete at the Met Gala: Motif as Narrative

The 2023 Met Gala appearance in Atelier Versace with custom Bulgari High Jewelry including a Monete ancient-coin choker transforms the neck into a site of historical layering.

Natural Diamonds underscores Bulgari’s coin tradition, and a diamond collar surrounding the coin intensifies the relief. This pairing shows how a literal motif can carry the expressive load. When the dress already bears strong codes—in this case, a tweed safety-pin concept—the jewelry becomes the plot twist that adds depth without visual noise.

Vintage Valentino and the Diamond Choker’s Restraint

At the 2023 Fashion Awards, Hathaway paired vintage Valentino (spring/summer 1993) with natural diamond earrings and a shimmering Bulgari diamond choker.

Classic cut, classic stones. The idea is to let time be the embellishment: period dress, archetypal diamonds. Natural Diamonds notes this was the same style of choker worn by Zendaya at the 2022 Emmys, a heritage echo that strengthens the choker’s canonical role in red carpet grammar.

Oscars, Tiffany, and Back-Draped Geometry

Her 2013 Academy Awards win in a pink Prada gown came with diamond studs and a Tiffany & Co. floral diamond necklace worn reversed, draped down the back, per Natural Diamonds. Al Romaizan separately highlights that she has also worn a Tiffany Oscars necklace featuring over 100 carats of diamonds. The key principle here is the back as canvas. Back-draping converts an empty plane into the primary field, particularly in stills and three-quarter photos. It is a tactic that redistributes sparkle to the camera’s roaming angles rather than concentrating all interest at the clavicle.

The Devil Wears Prada Sequel: Three-Necklace Versatility

Adastra’s on-set reporting captures Hathaway wearing a layered trio—a gold chain with toggle clasp, an earthy bead choker, and a pearl strand—first with a colorful embroidered maxi dress and relaxed bucket hat, then with a pinstriped suit, recycled-material tote, and the same necklaces.

The lesson is repeatability with identity. By keeping the palette tempered and the textures complementary, the stack operates as a wearable signature rather than an outfit-specific flourish.

Definitions That Clarify the Conversation

High Jewelry refers to one-of-a-kind pieces using exceptional gemstones and artisanal techniques; Natural Diamonds frames Bulgari’s ambassador program within this realm. Serpenti is Bulgari’s long-running snake motif translated into articulated bracelets, necklaces, and timepieces; its sinuous lines read clearly on camera and often resolve at a serpent head clasp or flourish. Monete describes Bulgari’s use of ancient coins in settings, an explicit nod to antiquity that turns the neck into a site of relief sculpture framed by diamonds. A layered necklace look means wearing multiple necklaces of different lengths and textures so that each sits in a distinct visual lane; Adastra’s bead choker, chain with toggle clasp, and pearls are a canonical trio. A toggle clasp comprises a bar and a ring that secure via ninety-degree insertion and rotation; it is legible and tactile, and in gold it reads as a design element rather than only a mechanism, as Adastra notes. Conch pearls are rare, non-nacreous pearls from certain Caribbean conch shells; Jewels Abound underscores their scarcity and their pink hues’ desirability on red carpets, even if not directly tied to Hathaway’s own looks. TCW means total carat weight, the combined weight of all stones in a piece; Palm Beach Jewelry uses the term while discussing achievable alternatives to dramatic red carpet earrings. Sustainable jewelry signals recycled metals and responsibly sourced stones; Al Romaizan points to celebrities choosing these for values alignment and visibility.

Comparative Snapshot of Signature Pairings

A Practical Framework for Pairing

Begin with silhouette, because jewelry must either reinforce or counterbalance line. Column gowns welcome a singular focal stone without competing seams; more complex surfaces benefit from sculptural shapes that can be read at a distance, such as coin medallions or clearly articulated serpents. Then address color. Saturated stones against neutrals, as seen in Cannes 2022, create clarity. When fabric carries its own hue, align undertones—cool diamonds against blues, warmer metals against creams—or choose intentional dissonance if the composition has a strong organizing feature, such as a slit or asymmetric neckline.

Next, decide on hierarchy. Hathaway’s Rome look works because the sapphire necklace clearly leads, while the bracelet and earrings support. A similar logic drives the layered trio on the Prada sequel set: the chain’s toggle provides a focal punctuation, the bead choker adds tactile warmth, and the pearls deliver sheen. Consider motif as narrative. Serpenti is movement; Monete is heritage; floral diamond garlands are romance. These codes help the wearer communicate something beyond dress and stone count.

Finally, test versatility. Hathaway’s rewearing of the same necklace stack across radically different outfits proves that curation beats accumulation. Choose a few pieces that collapse well into a single profile. When that composition can move between bohemian and tailored contexts, you have a daily-wear signature instead of a one-night-only ornament.

Pros and Cons of Common Strategies

A statement necklace organizes a look and photographs strongly, but it can overwhelm delicate fabrics or ornate necklines; the Cannes 2022 approach solves this by pairing maximal stone with a minimal canvas. Layered stacks create depth and everyday adaptability, yet they need careful length staggering to avoid tangling and to keep each texture legible. Asymmetric accents such as brooch earrings produce editorial energy and a sense of lift, although they require measured hair and makeup to keep the face balanced. Motif-heavy pieces like Monete coin chokers bring cultural texture and immediate identity but may clash with equally literal garment concepts unless one yields visual priority. High–low dressing delivers freshness and relatability, as the Gap and Bulgari dialogue shows, but the luxury piece must have enough presence to feel intentional rather than incidental. Borrowed jewels from heritage houses, discussed by Al Romaizan as a standard red carpet practice, confer legitimacy and narrative lineage; the trade-off is that wearers coordinate within the bounds of availability and brand storytelling.

Buying and Care Tips Inspired by These Looks

If the goal is a single focal jewel akin to Hathaway’s sapphire moments, treat color and cut as your first filters and setting style as the amplifier. A simple diamond frame around a colored center stone, as seen in Cannes 2022, heightens contrast and protects edges without busying the outline. For those building a stack, experiment with a three-piece formula: a chain with a visually interesting clasp, a soft bead choker, and a strand of small pearls. The chain offers graphic line and hardware; beads bring earth and warmth; pearls add luminous lift that is friendly to skin tones. Keep lengths staggered so the clasp and beads do not collide, and check that the heaviest necklace sits lowest.

Pearls reward gentleness. Apply fragrance and hair products before you put them on, wipe them with a soft cloth after wear, and store them away from harder stones that could abrade their surface. Bead chokers benefit from reinforced stringing and occasional inspection; if a choker sits at the hollow of the neck, make sure the thread and clasp are strong and that the beads are smooth where they meet your skin. Toggle clasps, which read as a design feature in the Adastra stack, need proper sizing to avoid accidental release; the ring should fit the bar closely enough that the bar cannot slip through when the chain twists.

Serpenti-inspired silhouettes, whether from Bulgari’s High Jewelry or entry-level interpretations, hinge on articulation and fit. A bracelet or necklace should flex smoothly without pinching and should follow the wrist or collarbone without standing off at awkward angles. Ancient-coin and medallion styles are statement-ready at moderate scale; a coin framed in a simple collar or a short chain creates instant clarity while remaining compatible with crewnecks and deep Vs. If sustainability is a priority, as Al Romaizan highlights across recent celebrity choices, look for recycled metals and responsibly sourced stones and ask brands for traceability information where available.

Shoppers working toward a single red carpet–style cornerstone piece might prioritize a versatile diamond choker that can compress a variety of necklines, as Hathaway has shown. For those wanting color, sapphires pair widely with navy, white, and black and can act as a uniform accent for a season. To emulate the accessibility of the on-set layered stack without overextending the budget, try gold-fill or vermeil chains paired with natural shell pearls and matte gemstone beads. The visual language matters as much as the intrinsic material if the composition is well-balanced.

Brief Notes on Context and Heritage

Natural Diamonds’ reporting positions Hathaway’s modern jewelry renaissance within a lineage that stretches back to tiara-tipped early iconography and continues through her 2022 appointment as a Bulgari ambassador. In that period she has appeared in iconic house motifs including Serpenti and Monete and in sizeable colored gems such as the 107-carat sapphire. Vogue’s Rome coverage confirms the agility of her styling: democratic apparel uplifted by decisive high jewelry. Al Romaizan’s broader red carpet survey places her Tiffany moments within a tradition of celebrity–maison collaboration, including the instance of a Tiffany Oscars necklace featuring over 100 carats of diamonds. Together these sources show an artist comfortable with both heritage exuberance and contemporary restraint, selecting jewelry that talks to the clothes rather than competing with them.

Takeaway

Anne Hathaway’s best pairings combine clarity of hierarchy, intelligent use of motif, and a willingness to orchestrate contrast. She repeats signatures—Serpenti fluidity, sapphire blues, coin reliefs, diamond chokers—while adjusting scale and temperature to the garment at hand. Her on-set layered trio proves a point that any jewelry lover can adopt quickly: a small, coherent stack can do more heavy lifting than an overflowing jewelry box. Whether the aim is a single image-making necklace or a daily combination that quietly frames the face, her playbook rewards discipline and imagination in equal measure.

FAQ

What jewelry brands does Anne Hathaway most frequently wear on the red carpet today?

Since 2022, Natural Diamonds reports that Hathaway has been a Bulgari brand ambassador and has repeatedly appeared in Bulgari High Jewelry, especially Serpenti and other diamond-intensive designs. She also has notable Tiffany & Co. Oscars history highlighted by Al Romaizan’s coverage.

Did she really wear a 107-carat sapphire at Cannes?

Yes. Natural Diamonds details her 2022 Cannes Film Festival appearance in Bulgari’s Mediterranean Reverie necklace, set with a 107-carat cushion-cut Sri Lankan sapphire framed by white diamonds and paired with an Armani Privé white column gown.

How can I recreate her layered everyday look from The Devil Wears Prada sequel set?

Adastra describes a simple, effective trio: a gold chain with a toggle clasp for graphic punctuation, an earth-toned bead choker for warmth and texture, and a delicate pearl strand for soft luster. Keep the lengths staggered and the palettes complementary so the three read as one composition across casual and tailored outfits.

Is red carpet jewelry typically borrowed?

Al Romaizan explains that many red carpet pieces are loaned by heritage houses such as Harry Winston, Bulgari, Cartier, and Tiffany & Co. Loans extend access to extraordinary stones while letting maisons amplify brand storytelling around key moments.

What exactly is Bulgari’s Serpenti, and why does it suit the red carpet?

Serpenti is Bulgari’s snake motif translated into articulated bracelets and necklaces and, at times, timepieces. Its fluid geometry photographs clearly, reads as dynamic even when still, and pairs naturally with gowns that emphasize movement or clean architectural lines, as seen in Hathaway’s Serpenti appearances documented by Natural Diamonds.

Any essential care tips if I add pearls to my layering?

Treat pearls gently. Put them on after fragrance and hair products, wipe them with a soft cloth after wear, and store them separately from harder stones and metals to prevent abrasion. This helps maintain their surface luster and keeps layered stacks looking crisp rather than dulled by residue.

References

1. https://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research-designers-complex-eccentric-pieces-create-buzz-find-fans-hollywood-dc
2. https://wcftr.commarts.wisc.edu/index.php/tag/oscars/
3. https://www.independent.org/article/2025/09/26/devil-wears-cerulean-marcuse-hayek/
4. https://adastrajewelry.com/blog/?srsltid=AfmBOor9lc2mT1vwhNxBPuGhXsBuo5DuhBuhXZl4t-282PXBjkS6suSC
5. https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/oceans-8-cartier-heist-necklace-anne-hathaway
6. https://gemgossip.com/anne-hathaways-deco-drop-earrings/
7. https://instoremag.com/judge-the-jewels-first-look-at-anne-hathaways-jewelry-in-the-devil-wears-prada-2/
8. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/voguebusiness_annehathaway-jewellery-luxury-activity-7198603681267630082-yynJ
9. https://beccafreeman.substack.com/p/sunday-sundries-004-mini-retirement
10. https://thebookishfashionista.com/the-bookish-fashionista/style-file-anne-hathaway