One of the most powerful jewelry moments from the recently held Golden Globes wasn’t diamond encrusted—it was green, as in big emeralds. Salma Hayek wore 300 carats of Colombian emeralds in a necklace, earring, and ring suite from jeweler to the stars Lorraine Schwartz. The look became an instant Internet sensation, with influencers and journalists alike praising it.

Julie Chafé, the young face behind the @jewelswithjules account, called it “violently iconic,” declaring that Hayek had “won the Golden Globes.”

In the bridal arena, color is also creeping into diamonds’ turf. The Wall Street Journal penned an article on the subject in early August. In it, Instagram jewelry seller Stephanie Gottlieb revealed that her colored gemstone sales were up 65% in a year, with the Princess Diana ring serving as a particular favorite among engagement ring shoppers.

Ostbye

Colorful and high-profile jewelry flexes like these are the cherry on top of a groundswell to give colored gemstones a bigger platform among collectors. Sure, De Beers has given the world eight decades of clever diamond ads, but these and other real-life colored gemstone moments are hard to ignore.

Manufacturers have noticed.

“Once on social media, these [occurrences] are the things that people screen capture and bring to their jeweler and say, ‘I love this—what can we do’?” says Theresa Namie, merchandise manager, Ostbye “The public is inspired to design around that. I love that we have all these pop culture images out there. We look at everything pop culture to give suggestions to our retailers.”

Namie points to the movie “Wicked,” based on the Broadway play, as a current trend generator.

“’Wicked’ is popular now, so pink and green are big, big, big!” she says.

Plus, two recent celebrity engagements—Selena Gomez with a marquise-shape diamond and Zendaya with a large cushion-cut rock—are driving mainstream interest.

“We are already getting requests for marquise cuts in diamonds and sapphires,” she adds.

And when Taylor Swift–inspired friendship bracelets started trending, ODI/ Original Designs saw a spike in requests for similar styles. “The Taylor Swift friendship bracelet set off a trend for customizable gemstone and charm bracelets,” reveals Valerie Fletcher, vice president of design and product development.

But it’s not just celebs that are driving interest to color. Runway fashions do, too—thank you, PANTONE and couturiers. Among the 2025 clothing trends? Looks from the 1980s—think shoulder pads, big bold gold, and bold gemstone statements. “Big and bold were at all the shows,” notes Namie.

LALI Jewels

Social media is another arena where the rise of colored gems is clear to see. Head to the LALI Jewels Instagram account at @lali.jewels to see a rainbow of offerings; brand co-owner and designer Arun Bassalali routinely uses social media to connect with collectors, all fans of the colored gemstone jewelry the brand has been making since 2015. His Instagram account is also where he shares his own star moments, like when one of the contestants from “The Golden Bachelorette” wore pink sapphire and Australian opal jewels from his line in event promotions.

It seems his efforts are gaining momentum. In a late November 2024 post, Bassalali thanked followers for helping the firm hit a milestone—exceeding 6,000 followers.