Taylor Swift gave the red carpet some competition with her audacious ruby-laden appearance at the 2025 Grammy Awards, proving that the age-old fashion rule of contrasting jewellery with attire deserves a contemporary rewrite. Following Zendaya’s headline-making cushion-cut diamond ring in its unconventional east-west setting at the Golden Globes, Swift’s jewellery choices cement 2025 as the year of breaking traditional jewellery rules.
Gone are the days of colour-blocking jewellery with outfits—a trend that dominated red carpets for nearly a decade. Swift’s commitment to monochromatic styling, pairing deep red rubies with her crimson Vivienne Westwood creation, ushers in a new era of tonal dressing that extends from clothing to precious gems. This departure from the standard practice of contrasting jewellery makes a compelling case for matching one’s jewels to their attire, creating a more cohesive and sophisticated visual narrative.
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Swift wore a delicate thigh chain bearing a ‘T’ charm by Lorraine Schwartz also featuring rubies (Photo: Getty Images)
In a bold departure from the emerald-dominated red carpets of 2023-24—championed by stars like Megan Fox and Indian billionaire Nita Ambani (at her son’s much talked about wedding last year)—Swift’s meticulously curated suite of ruby jewellery, totalling over 60 carats, created a beautiful monochromatic narrative thatTatler predicts will reshape jewellery trends. The parallel between the two major jewellery moments of 2025 is particularly striking—while Zendaya challenged convention through a unique gemstone-setting technique, Swift does so through revolutionary styling and placement.
The centrepiece of her jewellery ensemble, a delicate thigh chain bearing a ‘T’ charm by Lorraine Schwartz, emerged as a masterclass in subtle storytelling. While the charm’s dual meaning—potentially nodding to both Taylor and beau Travis—has set social media ablaze, it’s the technical execution that deserves critical acclaim. The chain’s placement, peeking strategically from beneath her Vivienne Westwood creation, shows how modern jewellery can serve both a personal narrative and aesthetic innovation.
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Taylor Swift wearing her waterfall-style chandelier earrings cascading with matching rubies (Photo: Instagram / @josephcassell1)
What elevates this jewellery moment beyond mere trend-setting is Swift’s commitment to tonal sophistication. The waterfall-style chandelier earrings cascade with matching rubies, their colour saturation maintaining perfect harmony with her statement ring. This level of gemological consistency speaks to an extraordinary attention to detail often overlooked in red-carpet jewellery selections.
The choice of rubies proves particularly significant in today’s jewellery landscape. These historically royal gems, which have taken a backseat to minimalist diamond pieces and emeralds in recent years, carry deep symbolic weight—representing passion, power and protection. Swift’s embrace of these stones, particularly in such a comprehensive suite, signals a revival of meaningful coloured gemstone jewellery.
As jewellery houses and stylists take note, Swift’s ruby revolution, following Zendaya’s engagement ring innovation, suggests a future where unconventional choices and intentional symbolism become the new standards of red carpet excellence.
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