At the 2026 Met Gala, pearls emerged as the definitive jewellery statement, aligning perfectly with the “Fashion is Art” theme. From Akoya to baroque and heirloom strands, they draped torsos, arms and collars in sculptural forms. Historic Indian, Roman and European references converged on the red carpet, making pearls the night’s most visible and culturally layered adornment.
At the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala this year, where the theme was Fashion is Art—drawn from a spring exhibition exploring the relationship between clothing and the human form—pearls dominated the red carpet. And rightly so, given pearls are the oldest gems in the jewellery canon, requiring no cutting, no faceting, and no human intervention to achieve their final form.
Historically, ancient Romans considered them the ultimate symbol of wealth and status. In India, they have been traded for over 2,000 years, with the Gulf of Mannar producing some of the most significant natural pearl harvests in history. Maharani Gayatri Devi wore them with chiffon saris; the Nizams of Hyderabad draped them in ropes of seven-, 10-, and 15-strand necklaces.
This year, at one of the biggest fashion events in the world, they appeared in every form: Akoya, baroque, cultured, heirloom. They draped torsos, cascaded down arms, and anchored looks rooted in centuries of craft.
Robb Report India has rounded up some of the most noteworthy moments, starring the coveted jewel.
For her Met Gala debut, Gauravi Kumari from the erstwhile royal family of Jaipur wore pearls from The Gem Palace, widely credited as one of the oldest jewellery houses in India.
The Gem Palace has been operating in Jaipur since 1852, when they served as jewellers to the Maharajas of Rajputana. That legacy found its way to the Met Gala 2026, where Kumari wore a necklace featuring traditional Indian rose-cut diamonds, pearls and rubies from the jewellery house's Victorian collection. Inspired by Maharani Gayatri Devi's signature aesthetic, Kumari's layered pearl necklaces cascaded down the torso. A kundan choker with a statement pendant anchored the look, complemented by heritage bangles and carefully chosen rings. Interestingly, Kumari's gown was crafted from Maharani Gayatri Devi's pink chiffon sari, reworked into a Prabal Gurung silhouette.
Fun fact: Rihanna also wore rings and bracelets from The Gem Palace's Victorian collection!
Emily Blunt wore a $5,00,000 Mikimoto body necklace as the centrepiece of her 2026 Met Gala look. The one-of-a-kind piece featured thousands of Akoya pearls—cultured in Japanese waters, known for their near-perfect roundness and high lustre—and a structured diamond collar at the neckline, which separates into multiple symmetrical strands cascading across her body and arms. At the collar's centre sits a 21.85-carat pear-shaped morganite, surrounded by 45.97 carats of diamonds. Stylist Jessica Pastor described the piece as "a deliberate reversal", wherein the body necklace became the garment, defining the silhouette and directly expressing the relationship between the body and what adorns it.
To complete the look, Blunt paired the necklace with Mikimoto Bows Akoya Pearl Earrings set with 40.7 carats of diamonds in 18-karat white gold, and two additional Mikimoto rings totalling a further 4.34 carats of diamonds.
Fun fact: Mikimoto, founded in 1893 by Kokichi Mikimoto in Toba, Japan, is credited with developing the first cultured pearl.
Kylie Jenner wore a custom Schiaparelli Haute Couture ball gown by Daniel Roseberry. It featured a rigid bustier in brown corset toile, embellished with a sfumato effect, and a voluminous skirt in butter duchess satin embroidered with over 2,000 satin stitch balls, 10,000 natural baroque pearls and more than 7,000 painted pearlescent fish scales. The embroidery took roughly 11,000 hours to complete.
Jenner accessorised with an antique silver necklace decorated with rhinestones, pearls, and small hand-sculpted bird heads, with matching chandelier earrings.
Notably, baroque pearls are irregular in shape, formed when the irritant inside the oyster settles asymmetrically, producing a surface that is organic and unrepeatable.
The body-oriented essence of the Costume Art exhibit invited guests toward pieces that draped arms, torsos and spines, with face-framing collars and chokers giving way to longer, more structural jewellery formats. Baroque and oversized pearls, moving away from perfectly round strands toward asymmetrical shapes up to 15mm, created sculptural presence across multiple looks. The material has been traded and worn across India, Japan, Rome, and Renaissance Europe for centuries. At the 2026 Met Gala, it became the most visible jewellery story of the evening.
Fun fact: Sfumato is a painting technique developed by Leonardo da Vinci to create soft, hazy transitions between tones. In Jenner’s look, it translated into fabric and embroidery to give the bustier its smoky, gradient effect.