The 2026 Emmys red carpet made one thing clear: quiet luxury is out and real jewelry is back. Five trends ran through the night: statement necklaces, substantial diamond earrings, pearls, colored gemstones and the return of the choker. None of them needs a red carpet. Each one translates into something you can wear to dinner, a wedding or the office, and most of them work best with estate and signed pieces.
1. The Statement Necklace
Many stars went bare-necked to show off their necklines, but the ones who wore necklaces went big. Lisa Rinna wore a Jacob & Co. blue sapphire necklace of more than 42 carats. Hannah Einbinder chose an Ana Khouri gold collar with a teardrop diamond, Sarah Snook a netted Cartier necklace with matching bracelets, and Sarah Pidgeon a long Chanel diamond sautoir layered over a lavender slip.
How to wear it: one statement necklace does the work of an entire outfit, so keep everything else quiet. Wear it over a plain, high or square neckline and skip the earrings or keep them to studs. A diamond tennis necklace is the most versatile version, because it reads as a statement at night and as a classic during the day. See our 9.56 carat lab-grown round tennis necklace, the full lab-grown tennis necklace edit, or the signed pieces in high jewelry pendants and necklaces.
2. Diamond Earrings That Actually Show
Diamond earrings were everywhere. Selena Gomez skipped a necklace altogether and let a pair of Tiffany & Co. diamond earrings in 18K yellow gold carry her look. Carrie Coon wore emerald-cut diamond earrings from De Beers London, and Emmy Rossum went vintage with mine-cut diamonds from Fred Leighton, the New York dealer known for antique jewels.
How to wear it: if you only buy one piece this season, make it earrings, because they sit next to your face in every conversation and every photograph. Studs are the everyday answer, drops are the evening answer. The vintage route is worth a look too: old mine and old European cut diamonds have a softer, chunkier sparkle than modern brilliants, and they rarely look like anyone else's. Browse stud earrings, drop earrings, and vintage jewelry.
3. Pearls, Everywhere
Pearls had their biggest night in years. Zendaya wore Mikimoto earrings pairing white South Sea cultured pearls with diamonds, and Ayo Edebiri chose Mikimoto pearl and diamond drops with a pearl ring. Jean Smart, who won for Hacks, wore vintage pearl and diamond earrings in white gold.
How to wear it: forget the idea that pearls are formal or old-fashioned. The modern way is to mix them with gold and color, or wear a single pearl piece with something casual. Signed estate pearls are especially good at this, because the designers who made them were already breaking the rules: a David Webb pearl, diamond and ruby earring or a Tiffany pearl, coral and chrysoprase clip earring in yellow gold looks right with a sweater. Pearls are soft, so put them on last, after perfume and hairspray, and wipe them before putting them away.
4. Color
Not everyone stuck to white diamonds. Florence Pugh wore a Bulgari necklace in 18K pink gold with pink morganites, green tourmalines and diamonds against a lavender gown, and Shailene Woodley wore a multicolored gemstone collar. The point was color used generously, in combinations that would have been called wrong a decade ago.
How to wear it: choose one colored piece and let it pick up a color in your clothes, or wear it against black or cream and let it do all the work. Yellow gold warms most stones; white gold keeps them crisp. Bulgari has been doing this for decades, and its estate pieces are a good place to start. Browse pre-owned Bulgari, or read our guide to fancy color diamonds if you want color in a diamond itself.
5. The Choker Comes Back
Chokers returned in a grown-up form: gold and diamonds rather than velvet. Grace Gummer wore a diamond Boucheron choker with a strapless Dior gown, and Janelle James and Denée Benton both layered a choker with a collar necklace just below it.
How to wear it: a choker works best with an open neckline: strapless, off-the-shoulder, a deep V or a crisp open collar. Layer it with one longer chain for the look from the carpet, or wear it alone. A diamond tennis choker in 14K white gold is the cleanest version and the easiest to wear on its own. See all chokers.
The Common Thread
Every one of these trends rewards owning fewer, better pieces. A red carpet look is built around one strong jewel, not a pile of small ones, and that is exactly the habit worth borrowing. Many of the pieces on the carpet were vintage or signed, which is where the most character is. Our pre-owned and estate jewelry collection is the place to find that kind of piece, each examined before listing. Jewelry ships free and insured, with 14-day returns on unworn pieces.
Frequently asked
What were the biggest jewelry trends at the 2026 Emmys?
Statement necklaces, substantial diamond earrings, pearls, colored gemstones and chokers in gold and diamonds. The common thread was bold, real jewelry rather than quiet, minimal pieces.
How do I wear a statement necklace without overdoing it?
Let it be the only statement. Wear it over a plain neckline, keep earrings to simple studs or skip them, and avoid layering other necklaces with it.
Are pearls still in style in 2026?
Yes. Pearls were one of the strongest trends of the 2026 Emmys. The modern way to wear them is mixed with gold and color, or as a single piece with something casual.