News Briefing
NEWS BRIEFING: 20 March 2026
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A curated edit of the week's global jewellery news - national and international - compiled for industry insight and trend monitoring.
💰 Gold swings from $5,011 to $4,551 in three days as Fed holds rates and leveraged positions flush
Fortune, 16–20 March 2026
Spot gold opened the week at $5,011 on Monday 17 March before plunging more than 9% over two sessions. The Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate at 3.5–3.75% on Wednesday — a unanimous decision — and the sell-off was attributed to paper traders liquidating leveraged futures positions rather than any deterioration in physical demand; coin and bar premiums remained elevated throughout. The London PM fix on Thursday 19 March came in at approximately $4,573, a $310 single-day fall, before a partial recovery to around $4,663 by the week's close. Year-on-year, gold still trades more than $1,977 higher per ounce.
💰 Silver drops $14 in two sessions post-Fed, from $80.90 to $66.93, yet remains up over $33 year-on-year
Fortune / J.P. Morgan Global Research, 17–19 March 2026
Silver, which had been trading above $80 for much of the week, fell sharply in line with gold following the Federal Reserve's rate decision. At $80.90 on Monday it was already up more than $47 on the year; by Thursday 19 March it had retreated to $66.93 — a $10.84 single-morning fall. Fortune notes that silver has nonetheless outperformed gold over the past twelve months, rising more than 150%. J.P. Morgan Global Research forecasts the metal averaging $81 per ounce through 2026, driven by investment demand tracking gold and industrial applications in solar and electronics.
💰 Federal Reserve holds rates at 3.5–3.75%; Powell cites persistent inflation and geopolitical uncertainty
TradingKey, 18–19 March 2026
The Fed's March 18 decision was unanimous, but Chair Jerome Powell's accompanying language — flagging persistent US inflation and rising uncertainty around the economic outlook — moved markets more sharply than the decision itself. TradingKey noted that the structural bull case for gold remains intact, and that the post-Fed sell-off reflected futures positioning rather than any change in underlying demand. Institutional consensus from JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and UBS continues to point to $5,055–$6,200+ per ounce by late 2026.
💰LiteFinance: structural gold bull channel intact; analyst year-end target range $6,500–$7,000
LiteFinance, 20 March 2026
In its 20 March analysis, LiteFinance noted that this week's correction followed a similar pattern to January's: gold tried and failed to reclaim the March high of $5,418 before correcting to support at $4,952–$4,995. The analyst view is that the metal remains within a bullish ascending channel, with the strategy being to take long positions on pullbacks to the $4,900–$5,000 zone. Upper channel targets for 2026 are projected at $6,500–$7,000 — a potential further 40–50% upside from current levels — contingent on continued central bank buying and dollar weakness.
💰Kering creates dedicated Kering Jewelry division; appoints Jean-Marc Duplaix as CEO with immediate effect
Reuters / WWD, 16 March 2026
The French group announced on 16 March the unification of Boucheron, Pomellato, Dodo and Qeelin alongside its recently acquired manufacturer Raselli Franco Group under a single operating division. Jean-Marc Duplaix, group COO since 2012, takes the CEO role with each house chief reporting directly to him. The jewellery division generated €935m in 2025 revenue, rising 10% organically in Q4 — a sharp contrast to fashion and leather goods, which fell 11% in the same period. CEO Luca de Meo will present his full strategic roadmap at a Capital Markets Day in Florence on 16 April. Kering separately completed the sale of its beauty division to L'Oréal for €4bn.
💰Tiffany & Co. names Natalie Portman as global house ambassador; campaign film premieres during Oscars broadcast
Camille Freeston, Marie Claire / AOL, 13 March 2026
The LVMH-owned jeweller announced the appointment on 13 March, two days before the 98th Academy Awards, with a campaign film debuting during the broadcast itself. Shot on 70mm by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema and directed by Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet, the film portrays Portman writing a letter to her daughter, framing HardWear by Tiffany around themes of inherited strength. Premiering the campaign film during the Oscars broadcast — rather than on a brand channel — placed Tiffany at the centre of Hollywood's most-watched evening before any red carpet photographs appeared. CEO Anthony Ledru described the partnership as a 'natural alignment of values'.
💰Tiffany & Co. names Natalie Portman as global house ambassador; campaign film premieres during Oscars broadcast
Camille Freeston, Marie Claire / AOL, 13 March 2026
The LVMH-owned jeweller announced the appointment on 13 March, two days before the 98th Academy Awards, with a campaign film debuting during the broadcast itself. Shot on 70mm by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema and directed by Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet, the film portrays Portman writing a letter to her daughter, framing HardWear by Tiffany around themes of inherited strength. Premiering the campaign film during the Oscars broadcast — rather than on a brand channel — placed Tiffany at the centre of Hollywood's most-watched evening before any red carpet photographs appeared. CEO Anthony Ledru described the partnership as a 'natural alignment of values'.
💰TAG Heuer names Béatrice Goasglas as CEO — first woman to lead the LVMH watch brand in its 166-year history
Business of Fashion, 16 March 2026
Goasglas, who joined TAG Heuer in 2018 and heads its client relations and US market operations, has been appointed chief executive following the sudden departure of former CEO Antoine Pin in January. Business of Fashion notes that her experience in the American market and client development will be significant assets as the brand navigates softening watch sales and intensifying competition from domestic Chinese brands. She becomes the first woman to hold the position in the house's history.
💰 Escalating Middle East conflict threatens to delay the luxury sector's long-anticipated regional rebound
Business of Fashion, 16 March 2026
Business of Fashion reports that war in the Middle East is creating fresh uncertainty for luxury brands counting on Gulf consumers — particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia — as a primary engine of 2026 growth. The region has absorbed a disproportionate share of high jewellery and fine watch spend since 2022, driven by a younger aspirational consumer base and sovereign investment. Any sustained disruption to regional confidence could slow the broader luxury recovery that brands have been positioning for throughout the year.
💰 GEM Awards 2026: Jessica McCormack wins Retail Innovation; Silvia Furmanovich wins Jewelry Design
Rapaport / Jewelers of America, 16 March 2026
The 24th annual GEM Awards took place 13 March at Cipriani 42nd Street, New York. Jessica McCormack, whose Mayfair brand grew from £9m to over £30m in four years on the strength of its self-purchasing narrative, took the Retail Innovation award. Brazilian designer Silvia Furmanovich won Jewelry Design, telling the audience: 'In a world that sometimes feels full of discord, I believe creativity has a quiet and powerful way of bringing people together.' Thomas Waller, WWD's senior accessories market editor, won Media Excellence. Johnny Nelson received the inaugural $50,000 David Yurman GEM Awards Grant. Mark and Candy Udell of London Jewelers received Lifetime Achievement, coinciding with the retailer's 100th anniversary.
💎 Oscars 2026: Kate Hudson's $35m Garatti green diamond necklace leads the most jewellery-driven red carpet in years
Booth Moore, Hollywood Reporter, 15–16 March 2026
The 98th Academy Awards (15 March, Dolby Theatre) delivered a carpet Hollywood Reporter described as unusually jewellery-focused. Kate Hudson, nominated for Song Sung Blue, wore a custom Garatti necklace featuring a 16-carat fancy green diamond surrounded by 49.85 carats of white stones, valued at $35 million. Anne Hathaway wore Bulgari's Neoclassical Starlight necklace built over 850 hours around an 8.02-carat pear-cut fancy vivid yellow diamond. Elle Fanning wore a transformable Cartier necklace originally created in 1904. Total fashion and jewellery earned media for the ceremony reached a record $225.84 million, up from $173.07 million at the 2025 Oscars.
💎 Men's brooches reach critical mass at the Oscars: Idris, Brody, DiCaprio, Shaboozey and Jordan all pin on
Booth Moore, Hollywood Reporter, 15–16 March 2026
Hollywood Reporter identified the 2026 Oscars as the moment men's lapel jewellery moved from emerging trend to mainstream red carpet convention. Damson Idris wore a bespoke piece from his own label DIDRIS: a 7.41-carat heat-treated marquise blue diamond set in 18-carat gold, made in London in collaboration with Goldsmiths' Centre-based studio CAD-MAN. Adrien Brody wore a sculptural Elsa Jin Ulysses brooch. Leonardo DiCaprio chose a 1964 Boucheron yellow gold brooch from the private archive. Michael B. Jordan, accepting best actor for Sinners, had a David Yurman star-shaped brooch pinned to the back of his jacket.
💎 Zendaya debuts as Rolex Testimonee at the Oscars wearing a high-jewellery Lady-Datejust worth $177,400
Booth Moore, Hollywood Reporter, 15–16 March 2026
Presenting on stage at the Oscars in a custom Louis Vuitton gown, Zendaya wore a 28mm Rolex Lady-Datejust high-jewellery timepiece — her first public appearance as Rolex's newest Testimonee. The watch retails at $177,400. She paired it with Diamond Branch earrings by Taiwanese designer Cindy Chao, crafted in titanium and 18-carat gold and set with 84 diamonds totalling 30.22 carats. Rolex also operated a private green room at the Dolby Theatre during the ceremony, hosting nominees throughout the evening.
💎 Teyana Taylor's Tiffany Shooting Star necklace and Chanel gown named best look of the full awards season
JCK / Hollywood Reporter, 15–19 March 2026
One Battle After Another's Teyana Taylor wore the Tiffany Céleste Shooting Star necklace — a Jean Schlumberger design set with approximately 1,000 diamonds totalling nearly 60 carats, with an 18-carat centre stone transformable as a ring — with a custom black-and-white Chanel gown embroidered with her children's names. JCK awarded her best-dressed of both the night and the full 2026 awards season. Chanel topped the brand power rankings for the ceremony overall with $28.5 million in Media Impact Value, dressing Taylor, Nicole Kidman, Gracie Abrams and best actress winner Jessie Buckley.
💎 Men's statement jewellery expected at the Oscars: bey
GEM Award for High Jewelry Excellence: Ana Khouri wins; Linda Evangelista makes surprise appearance to present
Rapaport / National Jeweler, 13–16 March 2026
The GEM Awards gala opened with an unannounced appearance by supermodel Linda Evangelista, who took the stage to present the High Jewelry Excellence award to Brazilian sculptor-turned-jeweller Ana Khouri. In her acceptance speech Khouri described her ambition to create pieces that 'carry the spirit of art, yet live intimately with the person who wears them.' National Jeweler reported the Evangelista appearance as the social highlight of an evening that also featured speeches by David Yurman and Silvia Furmanovich.
👗 Statement necklaces and chokers return to dominance at the Oscars, ending two seasons of earring primacy
Harper's Bazaar Singapore, 15–16 March 2026
Harper's Bazaar Singapore described the Oscars 2026 as a decisive shift back to the neckline after two years in which elaborate earrings had been the dominant red carpet jewellery category. Chokers and statement necklaces appeared on Teyana Taylor (Tiffany), Kristen Wiig (Boucheron Quatre Classique), Chase Infiniti (De Beers London Metamorphosis), Ginnifer Goodwin (Sabyasachi) and Rose Byrne (Taffin). The choker in particular was identified as combining vintage glamour with contemporary structure, sitting close to the face to maximise impact under photographic lighting.
👗 Fancy coloured diamonds displace white solitaires as the Oscars' dominant status signal
Only Natural Diamonds / Hollywood Reporter, 15–16 March 2026
Across the 2026 Oscars carpet, green, yellow, blue and champagne diamonds appeared in unprecedented volume. Only Natural Diamonds reported that rarity now outranks size as the ultimate status signal. Kate Hudson's 16-carat fancy green (Garatti), Anne Hathaway's 8.02-carat fancy vivid yellow (Bulgari), Gwyneth Paltrow's trio of fancy vivid yellow ovals (Tiffany) and Damson Idris's marquise blue (DIDRIS) all contributed to a carpet on which coloured stones outnumbered classic white diamond sets. Natural coloured diamonds in rare green and blue have also appreciated significantly as investment-grade collectibles.
👗 Vintage and archival jewellery commands the Oscars carpet: Elle Fanning's 1904 Cartier and Kate Hawley's Schlumberger archive brooches
Only Natural Diamonds / Hollywood Reporter, 15–16 March 2026
Several of the Oscars' most culturally resonant jewellery moments centred on historic rather than new pieces. Elle Fanning wore a transformable Cartier diamond necklace created in 1904, its wisteria motif echoing her Givenchy gown's embroidery. Costume designer Kate Hawley accepted Best Costume Design wearing three Tiffany archive brooches designed by Jean Schlumberger between 1952 and 1970 — pieces she had sourced directly while researching antique Tiffany jewels for Frankenstein. Usher and Felicity Jones also wore diamonds from the 1920s and 1930s respectively.
👗 Men's jewellery extends beyond brooches to pearl sashes, ear cuffs and stacked rings at the Oscars
Emily Phillips, 10 Magazine, 15–16 March 2026
The 2026 Oscars signalled that men's engagement with jewellery has moved beyond the lapel pin into fuller accessorising. Shaboozey wore a $35,000 Mikimoto Akoya and Golden South Sea Cultured Pearl Skipping Rope Necklace fashioned as a waist sash or watch chain. Aron Piper wore a Jean Schlumberger pin alongside Sixteen Stone earrings from Tiffany & Co. Emily Phillips noted that 'the men pushed the boundaries of elegance' — a shift attributed to the normalisation of Adrien Brody's brooch-wearing at previous ceremonies.
👗 Lab-grown diamonds make their Oscars main carpet debut: Odessa A'zion's 54.95-carat Pandora suite
Vogue Singapore / AZA Fashions, 15–16 March 2026
Odessa A'zion wore two layered Pandora necklaces totalling 148 lab-grown diamonds and 54.95 carats — the Rose at Dawn and Era Star designs in 14-carat white gold — becoming the first celebrity to wear lab-grown diamonds on the Oscars main carpet. Vogue Singapore and AZA Fashions both described the choice as a declaration rather than a compromise, marking a cultural shift in which ethical sourcing is positioned as a positive luxury credential. Mckenna Grace also wore a lab-grown diamond haute couture suite by Smiling Rocks.
💍 Bulgari Eclettica high jewellery collection previewed at Oscars ahead of 23 March Milan launch
Booth Moore, Hollywood Reporter, 15–16 March 2026
Bulgari used the Oscars as a soft launch platform for Eclettica, a collection not yet publicly announced at the time of the ceremony. Priyanka Chopra Jonas wore the Serpenti Illusio necklace centred on a 14.01-carat antique cushion-cut sapphire from Madagascar, composed of more than 200 elements and requiring over 1,300 hours of craftsmanship. Anne Hathaway wore the Neoclassical Starlight necklace, built over 850 hours around an 8.02-carat pear-cut fancy vivid yellow diamond. Hollywood Reporter described the strategy as calculated: by placing unreleased high jewellery on the world's most-watched red carpet, Bulgari generated maximum editorial coverage before any press release was issued. The full collection launches in Milan on 23 March.
💍 Garatti Milano: the small family atelier behind the Oscars' most talked-about jewel
Only Natural Diamonds, 15–16 March 2026
The most-discussed jewel of the Oscars night came from a relatively little-known Milanese family house. Garatti, founded and run by Creative Director Milena Garatti, specialises in natural fancy green diamonds. The custom necklace for Kate Hudson comprised a 16-carat fancy green diamond centre stone and 49.85 carats of white diamond surround, made to coordinate with her Armani Privé gown. Milena Garatti told Only Natural Diamonds: 'Kate has an effortless radiance.' The Oscars appearance brought significant international attention to an independent, craft-led atelier previously operating largely outside mainstream fashion press.
💍 Taffin by James de Givenchy: Rose Byrne's cognac diamond torque makes the independent New York house a global name
Galerie Magazine, 15–16 March 2026
Galerie Magazine named Rose Byrne's Taffin torque — a question mark-shaped design in warm gold with a floating 22.58-carat pear-shaped yellow-brown antique-cut diamond — one of the defining jewellery moments of the night. Designer James de Givenchy told Galerie: 'Jewellery is meant to be worn and experienced, not simply kept in a case.' Founded in 1996, Taffin is beloved by fashion editors for its unconventional designs and rare stone combinations. Byrne's appearance is expected to significantly raise the house's international profile.
💍DIDRIS at the Oscars: Damson Idris's London-made label, built on Botswana diamonds and Goldsmiths' Centre craft
Only Natural Diamonds, 15–16 March 2026
Only Natural Diamonds published the fullest account of Damson Idris's Oscars brooch, designed under his label DIDRIS and realised by Theo Ioannou at CAD-MAN, a bespoke studio at the Goldsmiths' Centre in Clerkenwell, London. The piece uses a 7.41-carat heat-treated natural marquise blue diamond surrounded by 42 additional natural diamonds totalling 6.38 carats, all Kimberley Process-certified by De Beers and sourced from Botswana, South Africa and Namibia. Idris stated: 'I always knew the value of jewellery — jewellery was the first thing that came into my life.'
💍 Kate Hawley accepts Oscars Best Costume in three Tiffany Schlumberger archive brooches linked to her own research for Frankenstein
Only Natural Diamonds, 15–16 March 2026
Costume designer Kate Hawley accepted Best Costume Design for Frankenstein wearing three brooches from the Tiffany & Co. archives designed by Jean Schlumberger between 1952 and 1970 — pieces she had sourced directly while researching antique Tiffany jewels for the film. The 1952 piece features platinum, gold, rubies and sapphires; a mid-1960s design combines platinum, gold, diamonds and yellow beryl; the 1969 piece is set with yellow sapphires. Only Natural Diamonds noted this as a rare instance of a film's costume research directly shaping the presenter's choice of personal jewellery on the night.
🏛️ Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art opens at the V&A on 28 March — UK's first ever exhibition devoted to the house
V&A / Country & Town House, 19–28 March 2026
The Victoria and Albert Museum opens the UK's first exhibition dedicated to Elsa Schiaparelli (1890–1973) on 28 March, running until 1 November 2026 at the Sainsbury Gallery, South Kensington. More than 200 objects span the 1920s to the present under current creative director Daniel Roseberry, including the 1938 Skeleton and Tears dresses (both created with Salvador Dalí), the 1938 Pagan collection choker, and an evening coat designed with Jean Cocteau in 1937. Director Tristram Hunt has described the V&A's holdings as the foremost Schiaparelli collection in Britain. The exhibition catalogue launched 19 March. Weekday tickets from £28; weekend from £30.
🏛️ Bonhams Paris stages live fine jewellery auction this week featuring antique pieces, rare gemstones and signed jewels
Bonhams, 16–20 March 2026
Bonhams Paris is holding a live fine jewellery auction this week presenting antique pieces, rare gemstones and signed jewels. The sale reflects sustained collector interest in the signed and antique segment, which has benefited from provenance-conscious buyers and the perception that historic pieces offer a hedge against new-production price inflation driven by record gold costs. The Bonhams sale follows strong recent performance in the estate jewellery market in London, including the sale of the largest white diamond to come to the UK market in over a decade at Elmwood's earlier this month.
🏛️ Bulgari Eclettica full collection launches in Milan on 23 March — first formal presentation following Oscars preview
Hollywood Reporter, 16 March 2026
Following the Oscars preview of Eclettica pieces on Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Anne Hathaway, Bulgari will formally present the full high jewellery collection in Milan on 23 March. The launch will be the first complete public showing of the collection, building on the attention generated by the Oscars strategy of placing pieces on major figures before any official announcement. The collection's name draws on the Roman house's historic identity as a creator of deliberately eclectic, culturally hybrid jewellery.
🏛️ V&A East Museum opens April 2026 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with inaugural exhibition The Music is Black
Luxury London, 2026, luxurylondon.co.uk
The long-awaited V&A East Museum — part of the broader East Bank cultural development on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford — is confirmed to open in April 2026. Its inaugural exhibition, The Music is Black, examines the relationship between Black British culture, music, fashion and dress, with adornment and jewellery featuring as key expressive elements. The new museum, which occupies a purpose-built building designed by O'Donnell + Tuomey, is intended to house the V&A's research collections and collaborate closely with the neighbouring Sadler's Wells East and London Stadium campus.
🏛️ Independent designers Taffin and Garatti emerge from the Oscars as the new benchmark for red carpet jewellery prestige
Galerie Magazine / Hollywood Reporter, 15–16 March 2026
Galerie Magazine observed that the 2026 Oscars' two most-discussed jewellery moments came from independent ateliers rather than luxury conglomerate houses: Taffin by James de Givenchy (New York) and Garatti (Milan). Both are small, craft-led operations with deliberately restricted retail footprints and museum-collected pieces. Several commentators interpreted this as evidence that on the world's most prominent jewellery stage, design provenance and rarity of stone now carry as much cultural weight as the name of a major luxury house.
