The 21 Most Iconic Natural Diamond Moments From 2016
Out with the new, in with the old.
Published: January 21, 2026
Written by: Sarah Cassuto
The year is 2016: statement boots are in, the Snapchat dog filter dominates social media, and Rihanna, Sia, and Drake are at the top of the music charts. It has also proven to be a year of iconic jewelry moments, from mega earrings to layered chokers and body chains, covered in diamonds. Celebrities embraced these trends across red carpets with looks that felt bold and fit perfectly into an era of social media feeds filled with selfies and the Bottle Flip Challenge.
Below, we rewind the clock and revisit the best natural diamond looks of a decade ago.
Meet the Author
- Sarah Cassuto graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Journalism.
- As a journalist, she has worked at publications including the New York Post, GQ, Glamour and Teen Vogue.
2016: The Year of the Statement Earrings
Selena Gomez Wore Diamond Hoop Earrings to the 2016 Grammys
Selena Gomez brought on glitz and glam at the Grammy Awards, pairing a sparkly Calvin Klein gown with Norman Silverman diamond hoop earrings and a David Webb azurmalachite cocktail ring. Gomez walked the red carpet with her close friend Taylor Swift—some things don’t change.
Beyoncé Wore Cognac Diamond Earrings to the 2016 Grammys
Beyoncé took on the Grammys wearing Lorraine Schwartz earrings with cognac diamonds, white diamonds, and blackened gold. While the earring shape looks like it was intended to go with the collar on her dress, they were actually already in Schwartz’s collection.
Nicole Kidman Wore Diamond Drop Earrings to the 2016 Met Gala
Nicole Kidman paired a caped gown from Alexander McQueen’s Fall/Winter 2016 collection with a vintage 19th-century diamond tiara and inverted pear-shaped diamond drop earrings from Fred Leighton.
Naomi Watts Wore Diamond Fringe Earrings to the 2016 Met Gala
Naomi Watts starred in two films that year, The Divergent Series: Allegiant and Shut In. The actress attended that year’s Met Gala, wearing a futuristic silver Burberry gown accessorized with vintage diamond fringe earrings and Art Deco bangles from Fred Leighton.
Reese Witherspoon Wore Diamond Cluster Earrings to the 2016 Oscars
Reese Witherspoon wore a million-dollar grouping of Tiffany & Co. jewels to the Academy Awards, including an emerald-cut 7.49-carat tsavorite ring with diamond accents, as well as cluster diamond earrings and three platinum-and-diamond bracelets.
Katy Perry Wore Diamond Earrings to the 2016 Met Gala and Golden Globes
Perry walked the red carpet at the Met Gala with a tech-inspired look that highlighted yellow gold and diamond floral motif pendant earrings and a matching ring, by Fred Leighton. These pieces were worn with a black Prada gown and even a Tamagotchi.
Perry was once again seen wearing a Prada gown on the red carpet at the Golden Globes. She styled the pink dress with 13-carat cluster diamond drop earrings, a 70.51-carat Secret Combination diamond bracelet, the Traffic diamond ring, and two diamond band rings, all from Harry Winston.
Lady Gaga Wore 90-Carat Diamond Earrings to the 2016 Oscars
The award for most expensive look at the 88th Academy Awards goes to… Lady Gaga, who wore over 100 carats of diamonds, including a pair of 90-carat emerald-cut diamond earrings and a 10-carat heart-shaped diamond engagement ring, both by Lorraine Schwartz.
Rihanna Wore Diamond Earrings at the 2016 VMAs
Rihanna shined bright like a diamond during her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. She took the stage wearing a Hearts on Fire diamond choker necklace, weighing just under 5 carats. She changed for her performances of Stay, Diamonds, and Love on the Brain, where the singer wore 17-carat Yeprem diamond earrings.
Chokers and Statement Necklaces Were All the Rage In 2016
Taylor Swift Wore a Diamond Choker to the 2016 Grammys
At the 58th Grammys, Swift won three awards, including Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Music Video, based on her 1989 album. Her look of the night featured a fancy-colored diamond choker by Lorraine Schwartz, estimated at 40 carats.
Sofia Vergara Wore A David Webb Necklace to the 2016 Oscars
Sofia Vergara wore a stunning set of David Webb jewelry to the 22nd annual SAG Awards. Her bright pink Vera Wang gown was paired with the diamond Double Scroll necklace along with the matching earrings and rings.
Jennifer Lopez Wore Harry Winston Diamond Necklaces to the 2016 Golden Globes
Jennifer Lopez brought color and shine to the Golden Globe’s red carpet, wearing a marigold Giambattista Valli gown accessorized with around 200 carats of Harry Winston diamonds. Her look included layered diamond necklaces, a diamond bracelet, yellow diamond earrings, and a diamond ring.
Sarah Jessica Parker Wore A Diamond Fred Leighton Cameo Necklace at the 2016 Met Gala
Sarah Jessica Parker paired an antique diamond riviere necklace from Fred Leighton with an antique agate-and-turquoise cameo pendant and a variety of diamond rings. Inspired by the Broadway musical Hamilton, this look draws on the 1700s.
Jennifer Lawrence Wore A Chopard Diamond Bib Necklace at the 2016 Golden Globes
Jennifer Lawrence took home the award for Best Actress, Comedy for the movie Joy at the Golden Globes. The actress wore a stunning Chopard diamond bib necklace, featuring 156.77 carats of natural diamonds.
Charlize Theron Wore A Dangling Diamond Harry Winston Necklace to the 2016 Oscars
Charlize Theron was blinged out in nearly $3.7 million of Harry Winston diamonds for the Academy Awards. The look consisted of a 48.8-carat Secret Cluster diamond necklace, the 15.49-carat Winston Cluster diamond earrings, along with two rings, one weighing 8.78 carats and one weighing 7.44 carats.
Madonna Wore Massive Diamond Pendants at the 2016 Met Gala
Madonna brought over 400 carats of natural diamonds to shine as part of her Met Gala look. The focal point of her look was a large diamond pendant worn as a headpiece, paired with a diamond body chain and diamond rings, all by Neil Lane. Benny Blanco wore the same diamond necklace to the 2026 Golden Globes; 2016 really is back.
Uma Thurman Wore a Giant Diamond Brooch to the 2016 Met Gala
Uma Thurman made history at the Met Gala by wearing a Cartier diamond peacock brooch on the shoulder strap of her Ralph Lauren dress, giving the piece its red carpet debut. The jewels were commissioned as a special order in 1948 and feature more than 90 carats of natural diamonds.
2016 Was a Year of Major Celebrity Engagements
Jason Statham Proposed to Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in 2016
After Jason Statham proposed to model and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, the pair debuted their engagement at the Golden Globes that year. The ring features a round, flawless diamond in its original Edwardian setting from jeweler Neil Lane. The stone is accented with smaller diamonds and sits on a platinum band.
Kate Upton Got Engaged to Justin Verlander 2016
Kate Upton got engaged to Justin Verlander in the spring, but announced the news publicly at the Met Gala that May. Verlander worked with jeweler Anita Ko to create a unique twist on the popular single-solitaire-set ring. The ring is valued at around $1.5 million and weighs 8 carats.
Pippa Middleton Got Engaged to James Matthew in 2016
Pippa Middleton’s engagement ring features a central Asscher-cut diamond estimated to weigh between 3 and 4 carats. James Matthew proposed to Middleton with the Art Deco-style ring in July, and the couple got married in May of the following year.
The 2016 Super Bowl Championship Ring Featured 194 Diamonds
The 2015-16 Super Bowl was won by the Denver Broncos, who beat the Carolina Panthers 24-10. The championship ring is made up of 212 stones, 194 being diamonds and an additional 18 orange sapphires. The face of the ring shows off the Super Bowl 50 logo, the Broncos team logo, and three Lombardi Trophies.
The Largest Violet Diamond in History Was Discovered
Rio Tinto discovered an astounding stone at its Argyle mine in Western Australia in 2015, but did not bring it to the public until the following year. The mining company unearthed a 9.17-carat rough stone that gave a 2.83-carat fancy deep greyish blue violet diamond, named the “Argyle Violet.” This stone is the largest violet diamond ever found from this mine. The diamond was purchased by L.J. West Diamonds, which experts estimated its value anywhere from $2.8 million to $5.6 million.
