A diamond’s gotta shine, and these sustainable stones sure do.
In an emotional letter to fans late last month, Taylor Swift announced she’d finally bought her masters, sharing several photos of herself posing with her first six albums while wearing an array of her favorite jewelry — including VRAI’s Solitaire Studs and Solitaire Drop Ear Jackets, both set with twinkling lab-grown diamonds.
“It was the most amazing surprise,” VRAI CEO Mona Akhavi tells Page Six Style of seeing Swift choose her brand for such a “monumental, history-making moment.”
It’s far from the first time the Grammy winner’s been spotted in the company’s sustainable sparkle, however; she’s worn the same earring combo several other times, and owns two different sets of the Solitaire Studs (one featuring round brilliant stones, the other with trillion-cut ones).
Swift’s sported VRAI jewels everywhere from a 2022 VMAs afterparty — where she layered the brand’s Signature V Band with a bevy of other rings — to the 2024 Super Bowl, where she opted for her trillion-cut studs.
But according to Akhavi, it’s the Linked Tennis Earrings that’ve become downright “synonymous” with the singer; they’ve popped up on Swift at Chiefs games, parties and movie premieres over the last few years. She even wore the tennis bracelet-inspired style onstage during her Eras Tour.
“As a creator of her own music, career, story and brand, Taylor aligns with VRAI‘s diamond origin and creation process; disrupting expectations through innovation and authenticity,” says the CEO.
“We create diamonds by crystallizing greenhouse gasses in our zero-emission foundry — the world’s first [to be] certified carbon-neutral. The diamonds are gently grown in plasma reactors powered by 100% renewable energy from the Columbia River, located in America’s beautiful Pacific Northwest — entirely removing the environmental and human toll of mining.”
Several of Swift’s other longtime favorite labels, like Stella McCartney, Reformation and Dôen, are also known for their eco-conscious initiatives.
Lab-made diamonds, which are chemically, physically and optically identical to natural ones, have become increasingly popular in recent years. With the naked eye, even gem experts can’t tell the difference between the two without utilizing special equipment. And in addition to their reduced environmental and social footprint, created diamonds are typically more affordable than mined ones.
Swift first wore VRAI for a screening of her “All Too Well” short film at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, selecting a pair of “modern yet effortlessly elegant” marquise-cut Ear Climbers for the occasion.
“It truly meant so much to everyone on the team who worked on creating that piece, as from the moment the diamond grows until the moment it’s in a piece of jewelry, we control the process,” Akhavi recalls.
“It was a special moment for our designers, master cutters, engineers and marketers. There are many Swifties on the team!”
And while stars are typically loaned fine jewelry for select appearances, Swift continues to reach for her VRAI favorites time and time again — without being paid to do so.
Still, with her well-documented love of wearable Easter eggs and fashion that reflects her values, Akhavi says the musician makes for a fitting (unofficial) brand ambassador.
“[Swift] is known for her authentic style that favors self-expression and is full of symbolism — just as VRAI designs are symbolic and meaningful.”
This article was written by Elana Fishman, founding editor of Page Six Style. Elana applies her celebrity fashion and beauty expertise to shoppable content for fellow fans as the host of video series including Style Trial, Heart to Cart and Beauty Scoop — and by tracking down every Taylor Swift-worn style so you can shop it, too. Elana consults celebrity stylists on the latest street style and red carpet trends, researches which celebrity-backed brands and products are worth it, and chats with the stars themselves for beauty and fashion recommendations. Prior to Page Six Style’s inception in 2018, Elana covered celebrity fashion at Vox Media, Lucky, Marie Claire and Teen Vogue.