Nicole Kidman, 1997
“Ask anyone for the best jewelry red carpet moments in Oscar history and Nicole Kidman wearing chartreuse Galliano and Indian Moghul jewelry in 1997 will top the list. Always. Martin Katz, whose jewelry showcases some of the world’s most exceptional stones, was working with vintage jewelry a lot at that time. He remembers the moment that changed what it meant to take risks on the red carpet. “That photo of Nicole with then husband Tom Cruise was one the most iconic Oscars photos ever taken. It constantly appeared for many, many years and I still see it pop up today. At that time I worked a lot with famed stylist L’Wren Scott who did all of Nicole’s fashion styling and several other celebrities. When L’Wren fist showed me the Galliano gown she chose for Nicole to wear, she asked if I had long ruby earrings to pair with it. However, as soon as I saw it, I told L’Wren I had a better idea. I was still working with vintage jewelry (as well as designing) and I owned a magnificent set of original Moghul Indian jewelry. As soon as I showed her the earrings and a matching pair of bracelets it was the obvious choice and all of us were thrilled with the choice. The inlayed enamel colors in the jewelry perfectly accented the Chartreuse-like color of the gown as you can see in the photos.” And the rest, as they say, is Oscar jewelry history.”—Stellene Volandes, Town & Country’s Editor-in-Chief
