Who shone the brightest on the red carpet?

Aside from Jared Leto’s ombre locks, Lupita Nyong’o’s dewy skin and Pharell’s knees, what else dazzled on the red carpet? The jewels, of course! Though almost always second to the dress, jewelry is key to a stunning red carpet look. One website commented how Lupita’s custom Prada gown, dreamy as it is, could’ve benefitted from a necklace and it’s true — a bit more glitter couldn’t have hurt. H. Stern, jeweler to the stars, has always been a red carpet staple and this season is no exception. The Oscar Best Supporting Actress award winner wore H. Stern jewelry with her burnt orange Givenchy dress at the NAACP Image Awards, and so did other Hollywood A-listers in this year’s major awards ceremonies. What makes all these stars consistently turn to H. Stern for their awards season bling? It’s all about design.

Now one might argue that when it comes to buying jewelry, investing in classic pieces is the way to go, however H. Stern has proven that unique pieces are just as timeless and even more precious. Then you can be the groovy grandma who gives her granddaughter an eagle-inspired brushed gold cuff from H. Stern’s Ancient America collection — way cooler than a gigantic pearl set in diamonds, don’t you think? Your descendants will thank you for your Oscar-worthy taste. Like Hans Stern, you’d be thought of as ahead of your time.

Hans Stern was called “the king of diamonds and colored gems, capable of unveiling the personality hidden in every precious stone.” If it weren’t for Hans, Brazil’s colored gemstones, such as aquamarines, amethysts, topazes, citrines and tourmalines, wouldn’t be as well known. Until only a few decades ago, jewelers were interested only in emeralds, rubies and sapphires — it was on the opposite side of this dazzling spectrum that H. Stern found its niche. He was so committed to building his business that he sold his most valuable possession, a Hohner accordion, for $200. This was in 1945, when H. Stern was just a startup jewelry company in Brazil. Fast forward to the ‘80s, H. Stern was big enough to sign Catherine Deneuve. The brand was the first to launch collections inspired by famous personalities, pioneering the concept of “designer jewelry.”

Creativity, simplicity and elegant lines are just as in vogue today as when H. Stern started changing the concept of jewelry with the designs of Roberto Moriconi. It has remained cutting edge since, launching collections inspired by the arts, architecture, music and fashion.

The uniqueness of H. Stern designs lies in each one’s allusion to movement. A large diamond set in precious stones can look so heavy — too heavy for the young, modern red carpet fashion crowd. H. Stern’s pieces, from its Sunrise collection, which features quartz and amethyst stones in cascading color, to the Grupo Corpo collection inspired by ballet, to the Oscar Niemeyer collection and its flowing architecture, and the Ancient America collection which echoes the gloriousness of flight, appear organic yet modern, and like they belongs on a famous décolletage.

This year, H. Stern was worn by the likes of eternal fashion hero Diane Kruger, red carpet warrior Giuliana Rancic, effortless beauty Gwyneth Paltrow, and TV darling Olivia Munn — even with their distinct personal style, they found something from the brand that represents them. And isn’t that what jewelry is about?

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H.Stern is available only at Adora, 3/F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center Makati. Tel. no.  217-4029.