From “Bejeweled” to de-jeweled.
Taylor Swift was the big winner during Tuesday night’s 2023 VMAs, walking away from the show with a whopping nine new Moon Person statuettes — and without one very valuable ring on her finger.
One of the evening’s best-dressed celebs, the “Anti-Hero” hitmaker walked the red carpet wearing more than $160,000 worth of bling, including a vintage Van Cleef & Arpels ring from Joseph Saidian & Sons priced at $12,000.
As seen in footage from the broadcast, however, it appears the center diamond detail was dislodged at some point during the ceremony while Swift danced and clapped in the crowd.
In the viral clip, the ever-expressive superstar can be seen grimacing and showing the seemingly damaged ring to a staffer, sparking an all-hands-on-deck search for the sparkling stones.
While it’s unclear whether the bling was eventually retrieved, the songstress had a blank space on her left-hand index finger while accepting the award for Video of the Year the end of the telecast, and wasn’t wearing the piece at an afterparty later that night.
A rep for Joseph Saidian & Sons didn’t immediately respond to Pvnew Style’s request for comment.
Follow the 2023 VMAs with our up-to-the-minute coverage:
- See all the looks from the red carpet
- VMAs 2023 winners: Complete list with nominees
- VMAs 2023 live updates: See the full list of winners so far
This isn’t the only instance of valuable jewelry going missing during a major awards show; while performing during the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, Ariana Grande suffered a fashion mishap when her $169,000 diamond choker disappeared.
“This is the first time a piece has broken while a celebrity was wearing it,” the rep told Pvnew Style at the time, adding, “Luckily, the piece didn’t slide off the stage! It was found on the side of the stage in a far corner, to everyone’s relief.”