"Jewellery is like the perfect spice - it always compliments what's already there." Legendary words by the even more legendary Diane Von Furstenberg.
And it's hard to disagree. Whether it's royal jewels, including the glittering tiaras, or some of the best pieces from brands like Tiffany, sometimes the accessory becomes the focus, outshining both the designer outfit and the star wearing it.
While classic diamonds will never go out of style, sometimes a colourful gem can really transform a look and make a lasting impact.
Be it rubies, emeralds, sapphires, or something else, we take a look at the best diamonds and gems under all colours of the rainbow.
Our favourite coloured diamonds and gemstone moments on the red carpet
Lady Gaga
The Tiffany Yellow Diamond isn't just one of the most famous colourful stones in the world, it's one of the most famous diamonds ever.
A jaw-dropping 128.54 carats, Gaga became only the second person to ever wear it publicly, after Audrey Hepburn in the promotion for Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Beyonce would wear the diamond after Lady Gaga for an cinematic advertisement filmed for the brand.
Jennifer Lopez
Back in 2023, Jennifer Lopez shut down the red carpet at the LACMA Art + Film Gala wearing a most magnificent pink tourmaline necklace.
The stunning stone was part of Gucci's Allegoria High Jewellery collection, and was reported to feature a 161-carat cushion-cut pink tourmaline, a diamond bow clasp, and a chain adorned with 72 tourmalines totalling 88 carats.
Catherine, Princess of Wales
Kate Middleton shone on the red carpet for the 2018 BAFTAs - and it wasn't just from her pregnant glow.
Wearing a Jenny Packham forest green gown, Kate colour coordinated her accessories by debuting a dazzling emerald necklace believed to be part of a private gift set given to her after her 2011 wedding to Prince William.
The pieces are set with white diamonds, yellow diamonds, and square-cut emeralds, which are set within a floral border of diamonds.
Angelina Jolie
For the 2009 Academy Awards, Angelina Jolie proved the true power of opting for statement coloured jewels.
Wearing a pair of large, emerald drop earrings from Lorraine Schwartz that perfectly contrasted her simple, plunging black gown from Elie Saab, Angelina didn't need to do much else to still look ultra glamorous.
Demi Moore in Cartier
At the 2024 Met Gala, Demi Moore wore a never-before-seen piece from Cartier's Nature Sauvage collection, a necklace and earrings set called Chloris.
The Chloris featured spirals of platinum and diamonds with emerald stones, designed to resemble dandelions being swept away in the wind. Demi's set included a 7.87-carat emerald necklace and matching 2.25-carat earrings.
Julia Roberts
It takes a lot for anything to outshine Julia Roberts's legendary mega-watt smile, but when she stepped out on the red carpet at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, all eyes were drawn to the Chopard rock around her neck.
The Pretty Woman icon wore the unrivalled masterpiece from the Swiss jewellery house, which featured a rare yellow diamond weighing over 100 carats, with an additional 54.67 carats of pear-shaped and cushion-cut diamonds.
Kate Hudson
At the 2025 Golden Globes, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days star Kate Hudson brought full Hollywood glamour.
The singer and actress was decked out in the finest high jewellery from the Italian house, Bvlgari. The focal piece of Kate's set was a pear-shaped sapphire set among 161 fancy cut diamonds.
Princess Diana
Worn on several iconic occasions by Princess Diana, including the night of the 'Revenge Dress', her sapphire and diamond necklace is arguably one of the most recognised and coveted necklaces in the royal collection.
The extravagant sapphire and diamond choker was a wedding gift from the Queen Mother.
In the book, The Royal Jewels, fashion historian Suzy Menkes described the piece as a "duck egg of a sapphire, surrounded by a double row of diamonds and mounted as a brooch."
Anne Hathaway
As if the Atelier Versace sparkly gown wasn't enough of a showstopper, Anne Hathaway attended the Bvlgari Mediterranea High Jewellery launch showcasing some of the collection's finest pieces.
Anne's standout piece was the Bvlgari Mediterranea Matrona Romana necklace, which features an arrangement of oval cabochon pink tourmalines, totalling 131.39 carats, set in a design that celebrates the Roman heritage of Bvlgari.
Salma Hayek
Colourful stones can add a touch of personality and flair to a look, and Salma Hayek's 2025 Golden Globes styling conveyed a more rebellious take on traditional glam.
From her messy, tousled hair to the dark eye shadow, Salma's look evoked rock chic, and her emerald green earrings only added to this modern twist on glam.
Salma's stunning set of emerald jewels was courtesy of Lorraine Schwartz, and the full set, made up of Colombian emeralds, reportedly totalled over a staggering 300 carats.
Rihanna
When you're Rihanna—a bona fide style icon—and you're attending something as glamorous as the first Diamond Ball back in 2014, expectations would've been high.
Luckily, the business mogul and pop star delivered thanks to the magnificent Chopard necklace featuring a 123.24 carat pear-shaped rubellite and 65.24 carats of diamonds set in platinum.
The warm, pink tones of the stone perfectly complemented her satin rose gown and the deep maroon of her lipstick.
Elizabeth Taylor
Nobody knew and appreciated jewellery like Elizabeth Taylor. And those around her made sure she only had the finest.
From the start of their affair up until their engagement and marriage, Richard Burton collected and presented Elizabeth with a Bvlgari diamond and emerald suite, including a brooch, earrings and necklaces.
The Bvlgari suite sold for $23M during the iconic 2011 auction of Elizabeth's jewels, with the brand buying back several of their pieces and later putting them on display.
Victoria Beckham
Considering she's such a fashion icon, it's a travesty that Victoria Beckham's appearances at the iconic Met Gala can be counted on one hand (she hasn't been since 2014)!
One of her earliest appearances allowed the Spice Girl to showcase the scene-stealing allure of a monochromatic look - topped off by co-ordinating coloured jewels.
Victoria attended 2006's Anglomania Met Gala in a red dress with layers of tulle, paired with a stunning diamond and ruby cascading necklace.
Jessica Chastain
At the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, they screened a restored version of the classic, Cleopatra. For the occasion, screen siren Jessica Chastain paid homage to the film's star, Elizabeth Taylor, wearing archival Bvlgari pieces from Elizabeth herself.
Jessica wore the spectacular octagonal sapphire sautoir necklace given to Elizabeth by Richard Burton in 1972 and the famous Trombino ring.
The rich, blue sapphire stands out so beautifully against her crisp, white dress.
Kate Middleton
Dating back to 1911, this iconic emerald choker has an estimated value of £15.8 million - and a history just as rich.
The choker is part of the Delhi Durbar Parure, a set of jewels collected by Queen Mary at the time of the Delhi Durbar in December 1911. Queen Mary had the necklace renovated by Garrard. It was reimagined as an Art Deco-style choker necklace featuring the original diamonds and emeralds placed in a new platinum setting.
Princess Diana brought the piece back in regular rotation, wearing it as both a choker and as a headband. After being missing from public appearances for years, Kate Middleton brought back the timeless coloured piece for Prince William's Earthshot Awards in 2022, paired with her rented neon green dress.
Demi Moore in Chopard
Demi Moore proved that more is most definitely more when she attended the Trophée Chopard award ceremony in Cannes in 2024.
Wearing a gorgeous, sparkling blue dress, Demi kept her accessories in sync, showcasing Chopard's Haute Joaillerie Collection necklace featuring 70.40 carats of Paraíba tourmalines and 43.38 carats of diamonds set in 18 carat white gold.
Naomi Campbell
One of the most legendary supermodels of all time, nobody is better at showcasing the timeless glamour of a coloured diamond or stone like Naomi Campbell.
The icon brought high fashion and high jewellery opulence to the 2018 Academy Awards, pairing a pared back white jacket with a bold, statement emerald cabochon necklace.
Jennifer Aniston
Known for her laid back style and simple sophistication on the red carpet, it's rare to see Jennifer Aniston ever go too lavish with her jewellery, which is why we loved her authentic take on colourful stones.
Matching her black, sequin gown at the 2015 Golden Globes, Jennifer wore a striking and distinct pair of antique gold and black onyx earrings.
Julianne Moore
Colourful jewels lend themselves to monochromatic outfits, and Sirens star Julianne Moore showcased how to do it masterfully at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
Wearing emerald jewel tones which contrast perfectly with her coppery, auburn hair, Julianne paired an emerald-green Dior dress with emerald and diamond jewellery by Chopard.
She wore a pair of earrings featuring pear-shaped emeralds totalling 48.84 carats.
Gwyneth Paltrow
At the 2015 Oscars, Gwyneth Paltrow mastered tonal dressing, pairing her soft, blush dress with complementing rich, deep pink jewellery.
The Shakespeare in Love star wore Anne Hu Fire Phoenix earrings consisting of two pear-shaped cabochon Rubellites set in white gold.
Cate Blanchett
At the 2015 Academy Awards, Oscar winning icon Cate Blanchett went for a unique twist on statement, colourful jewels.
Defying the old fashion rule of not mixing black and blue, the Elizabeth actress paired an all-black Maison Margiela Couture gown with a vibrant, turquoise blue bib of Tiffany diamonds and aquamarine stones.
Ana de Armas
At the 2020 Golden Globes, Ana de Armas dazzled in a suite of Tiffany sapphires.
The Blonde actress paired her custom navy blue and black sequinned Ralph & Russo gown with a rare piece from Tiffany & Co's Blue Book collection.
The luxe necklace featured 19 precisely matched pear-shaped sapphires, totalling over 101 carats, held together by brilliant platinum and diamond links.
Per Tiffany & Co's Instagram page, the sapphires were intentionally selected to graduate in size from over 2 carats to over 8 carats at the centre as they wrap around the neck, designed to capture the light from every angle.
Keira Knightley
She might be best known for her traditional, classic British period dramas, but Keira Knightley embraced full, vivacious Italian glamour and colour at the 2006 Academy Awards.
The Pride and Prejudice star's luxurious sapphire, emerald, ruby and diamond Bvlgari collier necklace was said to have come from the 1950s, and once belonged to the Princess Soraya of Iran.
Blake Lively
There's nothing like a timeless black dress, and sometimes, even just the subtlest pop of colour is all it takes to add a new layer to the look.
Blake Lively expertly demonstrated how to keep colourful jewellery subtle but impactful, pairing a statement 50 carat Colombian emerald necklace with a velvet black gown for the premiere of her film, Rhythm Section.
Jennifer Lopez
She might have told us not to be fooled by the rocks that she's got, but how can we overlook this unique lavender coloured diamond?
JLo attended the 2019 Met Gala looking like a walking jewel - the singer/actress wore a sequinned Versace fringed gown and matching silver headpiece complemented with a reported $8M worth of Harry Winston jewellery.
The Purple Dragon Necklace—boasting 65 carats of jewels alone—was the real centre piece, featuring a rare lavender-hued central sapphire and additional white diamonds.
We love the added glam of matching her soft, lavender eyeshadow to the deluxe stone.
America Ferrera
America Ferrera paid homage to her film, Barbie, in the most stylish, elevated way at the 2024 Academy Awards.
Wearing a soft pink chainmail gown by Atelier Versace, America paired it with Pomellato‘s Ode to Milan Castello necklace, made of five reverse-set rubellites totalling more than 29 carats, surrounded by an additional 28 carats of diamonds and set in 18-carat rose gold.
Jessica Chastain
Inspiration for redheads everywhere, Jessica Chastain offered a masterclass in jewel-tone dressing at the 2022 Academy Awards Vanity Fair After Party.
Pairing her emerald green gown with a Gucci High Jewellery lionhead necklace embellished with an Opal, tanzanites and diamonds and set in 18 carat white gold, Jessica's monochromatic look was one of the most glamorous we've seen.
Joan Collins
While 80s fashion tended to veer towards the bigger and the bolder, Dynasty icon Joan Collins' Golden Globes outfit in 1983 is surprisingly timeless.
Wearing the sort of monochromatic, jewel-toned look we could see on the red carpet today, Joan's silky green dress paired perfectly with her emerald and diamond earrings and necklace.
Viola Davis
While we love diamonds and pearls and all the classic jewels, they tend not to lend themselves to feelings of warmth and colour. And that's why we absolutely love Viola Davis' technicolour take on glamorous accessories at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
From the floral, jewelled accessories in her hair to the yellow beryl hummingbird ring by Boucheron, these diamonds are far from cold.
Zendaya
If there was ever any doubt that the younger generation of Hollywood were more than qualified to continue evoking glamour and elegance, Zendaya's appearance at the 2021 Venice Film Festival put that to rest.
Arriving in style and exuding pure luxury, Zendaya's focal piece was her mesmerising Bvlgari Serpenti necklace, centred on a truly striking 93-carat emerald.
Sarah Jessica Parker
While in character as the always-stylish Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker offered up a style masterclass that's worth recreating (even if you can't afford the same items!).
She proved that a simple white dress or top is instantly elevated with the addition of colourful jewellery, making an easy, quick outfit seem like it was anything but.
For SJP, she wore the Solange Azagury-Partridge Random necklace, set with square and princess-cut diamonds, emeralds, amethysts, rubies, black spinel and yellow, blue, orange and pink sapphires in blackened 18 carat white gold.
Queen Elizabeth II's aquamarine set
Queen Elizabeth II might have been known for her very distinct style, but in terms of pairing her jewellery to her outfits, her looks could feel surprisingly fresh.
Keeping everything monochromatic, the late monarch paired her stunning aquamarine and diamond with a blue dress.
The necklace is part of the aquamarine parure - sometimes known as the Brazilian Aquamarine Parure. The diamond and aquamarine pieces were presented to the Queen in 1953 by the Brazilian president as a coronation gift on behalf of the people of Brazil. By 1957, the Queen had also commissioned Garrard to make a tiara to match the aquamarine necklace.
