Jewelry at the Oscars

Diamonds and platinum once again ruled at the Oscars, but a few celebs, like Heidi Klum, used colorful jewelry to accent their red carpet ensembles -- Heidi's red dress is in sync with her work to help raise awareness for women's heart health. Angelina Jolie, Amy Adams and Phoebe Cates all accessorized with bold, colorful jewelry, and Freida Pinto's diamond drop earrings were reportedly vintage pieces from her native India. Mickey Rourke chose one piece of jewelry for a sentimental purpose -- his necklace included a photo of his 18-year old Chihauhau, Loki, who passed away away a week before the event.

Diamonds and red gowns ruled at the 2008 Academy Awards, with black gowns coming in a close second. Most of the celebrities wore white or colorful diamonds set in gold or platinum. We saw plenty of the chandelier and large drop and pendant earrings that have appeared at recent awards events, and many women decided to put the showy necklaces back on after going bare-necked for a few years.

The jewelry at the 2008 Oscars preview event glittered with diamonds set in platinum and gold. Wide (but open) necklaces and bracelets were popular and so were long drop earrings.

Wide and stacked bracelets and bangles were a preview of the bracelet trend that followed the 2007 Academy Awards event. Earrings were another focus at the 79th Annual Academy Awards Presentations, and beads, jewels, glitter, feathers and other types of embellishments were rampant on gowns, making low-key jewelry more important. Many celebrities chose vintage jewelry that suited their vintage and vintage-look gowns.

Hollywood glamour was back for the 2006 Academy Awards, with women wearing everything from vintage look flowing gowns to the more stilted fashions you'd find on a 1958 Barbie. Jewelry was mostly understated, but elegant, with white and colorful diamonds on lots of ears.

Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hires a coordinator to orchestrate a fashion preview event prior to the Oscar® presentation ceremony. Models walk the runway wearing jewelry, gowns, shoes and accessories that designers hope to showcase on celebrities the night of the awards. The 2006 event was organized by Patty Fox.

Vogue editor André Leon Talley curated "A Celebration of Oscar® Fashion" in 2007, presenting a runway show of gowns and jewelry worn by at past Academy Awards ceremonies. Models wore jewelry by Cartier, Martin Katz, Neil Lane, Fred Leighton, Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston. Shoes and other accessories were furnished by Manolo Blahnik, Judith Leiber, Christian Louboutin, Prada, Roger Vivier and Stuart Weitzman.