Celebrity Jewelry

Judge the Jewels: Taika Waititi Throws on a Casual $6M Diamond Necklace for the Met Gala

Waititi wore a staggering 150 carats of natural diamonds.

Published

5 months ago

May 20, 2024

Becky Stone

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A post shared by JACOB & CO. (@jacobandco)

The sighting: Filmmaker and actor Taika Waititi attended the 2024 Met Gala in an all-leather Marni suit, tie and gloves that made me hope he had a portable fan hidden somewhere in there for ventilation … but I was the one gasping for air once I noticed the diamonds peeking out from his collar!

The jewels: Taika Waititi wore a staggering 150 carats of natural diamonds in the form of a $6 million rivière necklace from Jacob and Co. You might not have noticed it because of how subtly those golf ball-sized diamonds were peeping out from behind the suit’s leather lapels, but they were there.

Waititi was also wearing the Jacob and Co. Royal Tourbillon Baguette watch, a timepiece featuring a dial completely covered in diamonds. I’m not enough of a watch girl to say anything about this watch except, “Ooh, shiny!” but I do appreciate the thematic appropriateness of a celeb choosing a major timepiece for the Garden of Time themed Met Gala.

The trends: Diamond collar necklaces and diamond rivières have been big in recent years, with collar-length diamond necklaces showing up as one of the biggest trends for Met Gala 2024. But none of the others were as big as this behemoth.

What do we think? What I can’t get past here is the absolute nonchalance of throwing on that monster of a necklace underneath a leather suit jacket. It’s mind boggling – and also extremely baller.

Wearing that necklace would be impressive under any circumstances, but wearing it so that it’s barely visible says, “Yeah I’m luxurious, but I don’t need to make a big deal about it” in a way that’s almost unbearably chic.

The fact that the diamond riviere and watch were the only contrast to the unrelieved brown of the leather suit made them pop all the more.

Judgement: 17/10 to an unbelievably casual deployment of major diamonds.

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”