Global stars and fashion icons gathered at the 2026 Messika gala and the Venice International Film Festival to showcase high-end diamond jewelry, featuring bold black-and-white gowns, serpentine necklaces, and intricate floral-inspired gemstone designs from leading luxury houses.
High Jewelry Highlights at the Messika 2026 Gala
The Messika 2026 gala brought together international celebrities wearing high-end jewelry collections that leaned heavily into dramatic contrasts of black and white. Founded in Paris in 2005 by Valerie Messika—who serves as artistic director and draws creative inspiration from her father Andre Messika’s prominent career in the international diamond trade—the French luxury house has spent roughly two decades transforming natural diamonds into everyday luxury rather than restricting them solely to special events.
Valerie Messika brings an entirely new dimension to natural stones by creating unconventional jewelry, drawing largely from her early environment surrounded by precious gems because her father was a prominent figure in the international diamond trade. Egyptian star Amina Khalil attended the celebration in a black gown by David Koma, pairing the look with a dazzling diamond-encrusted necklace and a matching diamond ring from the French brand. American actress Julianne Moore stepped out in a white dress designed by Tom Ford, accessorized with a diamond pendant necklace featuring an embellished drop and matching statement earrings. Meanwhile, Italian-French model Carla Bruni kept to her signature understated style with a sleek black ensemble complemented by Messika’s fine jewelry pieces.
Korean actress Kim You Jung opted for a simple black dress, accessorized with yellow gold and diamond pieces including a distinct necklace and bracelet from the brand. Emirati singer Balqees rounded out the high-profile appearances with a patterned black-and-white gown matched to the luxury jeweler’s creations.
Venice Film Festival Red Carpet Diamond and Gemstone Displays
Across the cinematic circuit, the 83rd Venice International Film Festival wrapped up its red-carpet events with an eye-catching turnout of women adorned in jewelry designs that ranged from diamond necklaces and dangling earrings to nature-inspired creations. Greta Scarano wore white gold En Équilibre jewelry from Cartier set with emeralds, onyx, and varied diamond cuts including Troidia, square, baguette, and brilliant stones, complete with matching 18-karat white gold earrings. Stephy Qi Wei chose a nature-themed ensemble featuring branch-like cluster drop earrings alongside a floral-inspired diamond necklace.
Maggie Gyllenhaal brought Italian luxury to the red carpet with Bvlgari pieces, styling a serpent-inspired Serpenti necklace alongside Roman Wonders High Jewelry earrings. Natalia Ryumina paired a soft white dress with radiant-cut diamond drop earrings featuring small center stones and larger angled-edge pendants. Francesca Michielin chose a multi-row brilliant-cut diamond choker from Leo Pizzo featuring a central pear-shaped green emerald, matched with coordinated drop earrings and a ring that contrasted against her black dress and dual-toned hair. Antonella Salvucci completed the jewelry lineup with a crystal-embellished choker from Oliver Weber featuring pink-toned Swarovski and colored crystals.
