Starting as and always a rave, the wearing of expensive diamonds at music award presentations has become a “must-do.” And this year’s MTV Video Music Awards was a convention of diamonds and music in the Palms Casino Resort of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The “diamond” actresses and performers began with Elizabeth Taylor and her emerald cut 30-carat engagement ring. Later married to Richard Burton she acquired the pear-shaped 69.42 carat . Priscilla Presley owned the Elvis 3.5 carat engagement ring encircled by 21 other diamonds. Catherine Zeta-Jones wore the antique marquis 10 carat diamond worth $2-million from Michael Douglas.
But then came along the pop music stars. Madonna wears the Guy Ritchie three-stone diamond with a decorated platinum band. The famous diva Paris Hilton receives a 24-carat canary diamond ring worth $5-million and a 15-carat white diamond worth $2.1-million. Britney Spears who is married to Kevin Federline owns two very expensive diamond rings. The famous singer Whitney Houston owns a stunning four-carat oval diamond with a value in the trillions received from Bobby Brown. When Christina Aguilera becomes engaged it’s symbolized with a $54,000 20-carat ring.
And the result of these forerunners? It was diamonds lighting the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards held on Sept. 9th at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Some of the winners included Rihanna and the “Pon de Replay,” Beyonce who has been a performer since the age of seven, and Britney Spears known as the driving force of the 90s teen-pop music movement. Performers wore diamond bangle bracelets, adorned right-hand rings and diamond earrings. Beyonce was wearing five-diamond Caviar bangles designed by Lorraine Schwartz; Mary J. Blige wore 18-carat gold and diamond earrings designed by Ofira.
MTV Video Music Awards organizers rolled out the red carpet for terrific performance and a parade of sparkling diamond trends under the bright Las Vegas casino lights. More diamond wearers and pop performers included Ashanti, Jennifer Hudson, Eve, Jennifer Garner, Megan Fox with a 10-carat valued at $49,000 and $4,600 hoop earrings, Nicole Scherzinger wearing a $450,000 bright yellow diamond and $150,000 studding. Ashley Simpson, Whitney Port and Audrina Partridge wore diamonds. The Moon Man Award made of diamonds is worth $200,000. Wearing expensive diamonds is the thing to do if you’re going in style and at the awards ceremony an ultimatum.
MTV is one of the true art forms in video and music, and to think it all began with action recording cameras and camcorders. We can thank our performing stars for the new age of 90s music on video and the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas and its promotion of high standards.