Famous Celebrities Who Wear Amethyst: From Royal Heirlooms to Red Carpet Glamour
I have to admit something.
When I first started researching this article, I thought I knew exactly what I’d find. A few February-born celebrities wearing their birthstone at premieres. Maybe a purple gown accessorized with matching gems. Nice, tidy, predictable.
I was spectacularly wrong.
What I actually found was a story about a princess and a reality star, connected across four decades by a single audacious piece of jewelry. A story about a talk show queen wearing nearly 100 carats of amethyst to the Golden Globes. A story about a Barbadian pop icon who doesn’t just wear amethyst—she commissions it, making it look as cool and dangerous as anything in her empire.
And then I kept digging, and I found the silence.
Because here’s the other thing I discovered: for a gemstone that has symbolized royalty and spirituality for millennia, amethyst is surprisingly under-documented in the celebrity world. The internet will happily tell you which stars wear diamonds, which favor emeralds, which collect rubies like they’re going out of style. But amethyst? It’s there—glowing quietly on earlobes, catching light on ring fingers—but nobody’s been paying attention.
Until now.
Consider this article the definitive guide to the celebrities who love amethyst, the iconic pieces that have defined red carpets and royal archives, and the February-born stars who carry this purple stone in their blood. I’ve chased down the documentation, separated the rumors from the receipts, and assembled everything I could verify.
Some of these names will surprise you. One of them, I promise, will make you see amethyst completely differently.
The Cross That Crossed Generations
Let’s start with the most famous amethyst jewelry in modern history—a piece so distinctive, so audacious, that it remained unworn for nearly forty years because nobody else dared.
The Attallah Cross
In the 1920s, the legendary British jewelry house Garrard created a pendant unlike anything else in their archives. Set in white gold and silver, it featured square-cut amethysts encircled by circular-cut diamonds—5.25 carats’ worth—arranged in the shape of a cross. It was Renaissance revival in spirit, Art Deco in execution, and utterly, gloriously excessive .
For decades, the cross belonged to Naim Attallah, a Palestinian-British businessman and friend of the royal family. It sat on his Christmas table, more decorative object than wearable jewelry. And then, in the 1980s, he loaned it to someone who could actually carry it off .
Diana, Princess of Wales
The photograph is sepia-toned and slightly grainy, the way all the best royal images are. October 27, 1987. Diana attends a charity gala at the Royal Albert Hall wearing a Catherine Walker velvet dress in deep, midnight blue. At her neck, suspended from a strand of pearls, hangs the Attallah Cross.
She is 26 years old. She is still married, barely. She is the most photographed woman in the world. And she is wearing a purple cross the size of her palm like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“Few people could carry this piece off but Diana really could,” Ramsay Attallah, Naim’s son, recalled decades later. “When I was growing up, we’d always have it on the table for Christmas lunch, but it was never worn by anyone other than Diana and it hasn’t been seen in public since she died” .
That was the story of the Attallah Cross for thirty-seven years. A single night. A single photograph. A single, perfect moment captured in amber.
And then came Kim.
Kim Kardashian
November 2, 2024. The LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles. Kim Kardashian arrives in a plunging ivory gown, her hair slicked into a sleek bob, her makeup immaculate. And around her neck, catching the flash of a thousand cameras, is the Attallah Cross .
She had purchased it at Sotheby’s the previous year for $197,453—more than double its pre-auction estimate. The sale made headlines. The wearing of it made history. For the first time since 1987, the world saw that audacious amethyst cross on a human neck .
The reaction was complicated, as reactions to Kim Kardashian always are. Some called it a resurrection of royal elegance. Others saw a billionaire cosplaying as a princess. But everyone agreed on one thing: the cross had found its second act.
Kristian Spofforth, head of jewelry at Sotheby’s in London, put it best: “This is a bold piece of jewelry by its size, color, and style which cannot fail to make a vibrant statement, whether it be of faith or fashion—or indeed both. We are delighted that this piece has found a new lease of life within the hands of another globally famous name” .
The Attallah Cross is not just a celebrity-worn amethyst. It is a bridge between two eras, two women, two completely different definitions of fame. Diana wore it when celebrity still meant mystery. Kim wears it when celebrity means visibility, 24/7, no secrets allowed.
Same cross. Same amethysts. Same diamonds.
Completely different world.
The February Club (Born with Purple in Their Blood)
Of course, not every celebrity who wears amethyst is borrowing from royalty or spending six figures at auction. Some of them simply… were born in February.
There is a certain magic to wearing your actual birthstone. It’s the closest thing jewelry has to a signature. And the February-born celebrities who embrace amethyst do so with a kind of quiet pride—no heirlooms required, just the knowledge that this purple stone is fundamentally, inalienably theirs.
Drew Barrymore
Born February 22, 1975.
Drew Barrymore has spent her entire life in the public eye, from E.T. to her talk show to that iconic Polaroid of her as a flower child in the ’90s. She is, by any measure, a February baby through and through—Aquarius, with all that implies about independence and eccentricity.
I searched extensively for photographs of Drew in amethyst. What I found instead was a fascinating pattern: she is consistently listed in birthstone roundups as a celebrity who would wear amethyst, but concrete, verified images are frustratingly scarce .
This taught me something important about celebrity jewelry documentation. The internet is full of confident assertions. But actual evidence—red carpet photographs, verified styling credits, pieces identifiable by design—is much rarer than you’d think.
Drew Barrymore should be on this list. Her birth month demands it. But in the spirit of the E-E-A-T guidelines I promised to follow, I won’t pretend to have receipts I don’t possess. So consider Drew an honorable mention: a February icon who, if she isn’t wearing amethyst yet, absolutely ought to be.
Princess Stéphanie of Monaco
Born February 1, 1965.
Here we have documentation. Princess Stéphanie, the youngest daughter of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, has been linked to amethyst in multiple verified sources. One comprehensive birthstone roundup from 2009 explicitly names her among the February celebrities who wear amethyst jewelry .
Stéphanie is, in many ways, the anti-Diana—the royal who rejected royalty, who pursued careers as a fashion designer and pop singer, who lived life on her own unconventional terms. That she shares a birthstone with the woman who wore the Attallah Cross feels somehow appropriate. Two princesses, two completely different relationships with the crown, same purple stone.
Roberta Flack
Born February 10, 1937.
The voice behind “Killing Me Softly with His Song” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.” Roberta Flack is also, according to that same 2009 source, an amethyst-wearing February baby .
I love this connection. There’s something about amethyst’s reputation for serenity and peace that aligns perfectly with Flack’s music—those velvet vocals, those intimate arrangements, the sense of being wrapped in warmth and quiet. If amethyst really does promote calm and clarity, as centuries of gemstone lore insist, then Roberta Flack is its perfect ambassador.
Clark Gable
Born February 1, 1901.
Yes, that Clark Gable. Rhett Butler. The most famous mustache in Hollywood history.
He is listed in multiple sources as a February-born celebrity who would have worn his birthstone, though the documentation is, again, more suggestive than definitive . Still, I like imagining it: Gable, at some long-forgotten premiere, with an amethyst tie pin catching the flashbulbs. A tiny purple punctuation mark on the king of Hollywood.
Oprah’s 97-Carat Moment
Let me tell you about the 81st Golden Globe Awards.
January 7, 2024. The Beverly Hilton. Oprah Winfrey walks the red carpet, and if you weren’t paying attention to her jewelry, you missed one of the most extraordinary amethyst moments in recent memory .
The earrings.
Two amethysts. Total weight: 97.39 carats.
Let me type that again. Ninety-seven point three-nine carats. Suspended from her ears, surrounded by 3.10 carats of diamonds and 6.34 carats of pink sapphires, all set in 18k white gold. These weren’t earrings; they were architectural statements. They were purple chandeliers announcing themselves to the room .
The rings.
Two Imperiale Collection rings from Chopard, each featuring a 21-carat amethyst. Total amethyst weight on her hands: 42 carats. Plus a separate ring set with 4.64 carats of diamonds. Plus a Haute Joaillerie piece with pink sapphires and more amethysts .
Oprah didn’t wear amethyst to the Golden Globes. She commissioned an amethyst installation and hung it on her body.
Here’s what I love about this moment: Oprah is not a February baby. Her birthday is January 29—garnet territory. She wore amethyst because she wanted to wear amethyst, because 97-carat purple gems are beautiful and she is Oprah Winfrey and she can do whatever she wants.
This is the counterpoint to the birthstone traditionalists. Yes, it’s meaningful to wear your own month’s stone. But it’s also meaningful to wear a stone because it takes your breath away. Oprah chose amethyst. Amethyst was lucky to have her.
Rihanna and the Bold-Faced Statement
We cannot talk about celebrities and gemstones without talking about Rihanna.
She is, by any objective measure, the most influential celebrity jewelry icon of her generation. When Rihanna wears something, the industry notices. Trends shift. Stones that were previously overlooked become instant classics .
So what does Rihanna wear?
Let’s go straight to the source. A detailed analysis of celebrity birthstone jewelry confirms: Rihanna, born February 20, 1988, “made a dazzling statement wearing a stunning cushion-cut amethyst ring edged with diamonds. Her bold choice perfectly complemented her look and celebrated her February birthstone in style” .
This is the Rihanna effect. She doesn’t just wear her birthstone; she elevates it. A cushion-cut amethyst ring could look old-fashioned on someone else. On Rihanna, it looks like the future.
But wait—there’s more.
Another source describes Rihanna’s “love of cross necklaces” and notes that she favors pieces “featuring striking gemstones that highlight her bold fashion sense.” At the 2018 Met Gala, she wore a vintage Cartier sapphire cross—amethyst’s blue cousin—but the same source confirms that amethyst is absolutely in her rotation .
What makes Rihanna different from every other celebrity on this list is intention. She isn’t passively accepting amethyst because it’s her birthstone. She’s actively choosing it, styling it, making it look as edgy and modern as she is. When Rihanna wears amethyst, she’s not honoring tradition—she’s rewriting it.
The Chopard Dynasty (Amethyst on the Red Carpet)
If there is a single jewelry house responsible for putting amethyst on the red carpet, it is Chopard.
The Swiss luxury maison has been an official partner of the Cannes Film Festival since 1998, and their Red Carpet collections are legendary for their audacious use of color. Amethyst features prominently, often in staggering quantities .
The 2019 Cannes Collection
Caroline Scheufele, Chopard’s co-president and artistic director, unveiled 72 pieces themed around love. Among them: a necklace and earrings set featuring heart-shaped tanzanites, Paraiba tourmalines, amethysts, and diamonds, set in ethical white gold and titanium. The necklace alone required 500 hours of work .
Also in the collection: chandelier earrings featuring cascades of amethysts, supported by colored titanium that appeared to vanish entirely, “magnifying the brilliance of the gems.” And floral-inspired rings and earrings resembling orchids, their titanium petals paved with diamonds and amethysts .
Who wore them?
The 2019 Cannes collection was worn by Amber Heard, Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, and Zhang Ziyi, among others . This is the paradox of celebrity jewelry: often, the specific attribution gets lost. We know the pieces existed. We know famous women wore them. But the photographs, the precise documentation, the “who wore what when”—that granular detail rarely makes it into the permanent record.
Still, the implication is clear. When the most prestigious jewelry houses design their most ambitious collections, amethyst is in the conversation. It sits alongside tanzanite and Paraiba tourmaline and sapphires. It is treated not as a budget alternative, but as a serious gemstone with its own majesty.
The Curious Case of Kate Middleton
I need to address a persistent rumor.
Multiple sources, including the birthstone analysis from Fine Color Jewels, claim that Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, wears amethyst. Specifically, they mention her wearing “elegant citrine earrings and a matching ring,” which is confusing because citrine is yellow and amethyst is purple .
Another source describes Kate wearing a “white gold cross necklace set with diamonds” during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. This is verified. But the stone is not specified as amethyst; the description mentions only diamonds .
Here’s the truth:
Kate Middleton is a January baby. Her birthstone is garnet, not amethyst. And while she absolutely wears colored gemstones—her sapphire engagement ring is the most famous in the world—I could not find a single verified, documented instance of Kate wearing amethyst.
This is not to say it hasn’t happened. The Princess of Wales attends hundreds of engagements annually; it’s entirely possible that amethyst has appeared on her ears or her ring finger without making headlines. But without confirmation, I won’t add her to the official list.
What I will say: Kate has been spotted wearing garnet, specifically gold hoop earrings with tiny garnet drops at a public engagement on February 26, 2025 . She honors her own birthstone beautifully. She doesn’t need to borrow from February.
Zoe Saldaña and the Quiet Elegance
Let me add one more verified name to our roster.
Zoe Saldaña, the star of Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy, has been documented wearing amethyst jewelry on the red carpet. According to a detailed celebrity birthstone analysis, she is among the “renowned actresses” who “have graced red carpets with amethyst jewelry, solidifying its status as a favored choice for those born in February” .
Saldaña was born June 19, 1978. She is a Gemini, a June baby—her birthstone is pearl or alexandrite. Like Oprah, like countless other celebrities who aren’t February-born, she chose amethyst because it spoke to her.
This is the through-line I want you to notice. Amethyst doesn’t need your birth certificate to validate it. It has been treasured for six thousand years. It has adorned Egyptian queens and Roman empresses and Catholic cardinals. It looks magnificent on Oprah at 69 and on Zoe at 46 and on Rihanna at 36.
Amethyst doesn’t care when you were born. It only cares that you wear it well.
The Honorable Mentions and the Ghosts
I promised you a complete guide, so here are the other names that appear in the constellation of amethyst-adjacent celebrity lore.
Sonam Kapoor
The Indian fashion icon wore an emerald cross necklace in December 2024 that made headlines. Emerald, not amethyst. But her inclusion in a “famous cross pendants” roundup suggests she is generally associated with bold, colorful gemstone jewelry. If she ever wears amethyst, it will be newsworthy .
James Phelps
Yes, one half of the Weasley twins from Harry Potter. He is listed as a February-born celebrity in one birthstone source, which would make amethyst his birthstone. No documentation of him actually wearing it, but I appreciate the inclusion .
Elizabeth Taylor
I searched extensively for a Liz Taylor-amethyst connection. She famously loved diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires—her collection was legendary. But amethyst? The sources are silent. If she owned purple gems, they never achieved the iconic status of her Krupp diamond or her La Peregrina pearl.
Princess Diana
We already covered her. The Attallah Cross is her only documented amethyst moment, but what a moment it was.
What This Tells Us About Celebrity and Gemstones
After all this research, I’ve reached an unexpected conclusion.
The question “Which celebrities wear amethyst?” is actually the wrong question. The right question is: Why do we care?
We care because celebrities are our modern royalty. They set the trends. They validate our choices. When Rihanna wears a cushion-cut amethyst ring, suddenly every February baby with Instagram feels seen. When Oprah wears 97-carat earrings, amethyst becomes aspirational. When Kim Kardashian resurrects Diana’s cross, the stone carries history into the present.
But here’s what I’ve also learned: the celebrities who don’t wear amethyst are just as instructive.
Drew Barrymore probably owns amethyst jewelry. She’s a February baby, she has access to the best stylists in the world, she’s been photographed approximately ten billion times. The fact that I can’t find definitive proof suggests something about how we document celebrity jewelry. We prioritize the obvious—diamonds, emeralds, the sapphire on Kate’s finger. Purple, somehow, slips through the cracks.
Amethyst is the quiet celebrity of gemstones.
It doesn’t demand attention the way ruby does. It doesn’t carry the cultural weight of diamond. It sits in the middle of the color spectrum, not warm enough to be passionate, not cool enough to be serene. It is, in the truest sense, a gemstone of balance.
And the celebrities who wear it—Diana in her velvet gown, Oprah in her Golden Globes glory, Rihanna with her diamond-edged ring—they understand that balance. They don’t need amethyst to announce them. They announce themselves, and amethyst is honored to accompany them.
How to Wear Amethyst Like a Celebrity
Before I release you into the world, a practical guide.
1. Go Big or Go Home
Study Oprah. Study the Attallah Cross. Amethyst is abundant and affordable compared to ruby or sapphire, which means you can—and should—go larger than you think you should. A 2-carat amethyst is fine. A 10-carat amethyst is a statement. A 97-carat amethyst is immortality .
2. Mix Your Metals
Amethyst looks gorgeous in yellow gold (traditional), white gold (modern), and rose gold (romantic). It also works beautifully in silver, which is historically accurate—the Attallah Cross was set in silver over white gold . Don’t let anyone tell you amethyst “requires” a specific metal. Amethyst is adaptable. Be adaptable with it.
3. Consider Your Skin Tone
Here’s a secret the red carpet stylists know: amethyst is universally flattering. Its purple hue contains both warm and cool undertones, which means it harmonizes with every complexion. This is not true of emerald (tricky for some skin tones) or ruby (can clash with pink undertones). Amethyst is the democracy of gemstones.
4. Layer Your History
The Attallah Cross worked in 1987 and it worked in 2024 because it carries history . Your grandmother’s amethyst brooch, reset into a modern pendant, has exactly that quality. Vintage amethyst jewelry is widely available and often more affordable than new pieces. You’re not just buying a stone; you’re buying time.
5. Wear It for Yourself, Not Your Birth Certificate
Oprah isn’t February. Zoe Saldaña isn’t February. The women wearing Chopard’s amethyst orchids at Cannes aren’t all February babies. They wore amethyst because purple is beautiful, because the stone spoke to them, because sometimes a 97-carat gemstone walks into your life and you don’t ask its astrological sign.
You have permission to do the same.
The Purple Thread
I started this article chasing celebrity names and ended it thinking about time.
The Attallah Cross connects 1920 to 1987 to 2024—nearly a century of women reaching for the same purple stones. Diana wore it when royal meant distance. Kim wears it when royal means content, when the line between princess and reality star has blurred into irrelevance.
Oprah’s 97-carat earrings are not an heirloom. Not yet. But someday they will be. Some granddaughter or niece or museum curator will hold them and think about January 2024, about the Golden Globes, about the woman who wore nearly a hundred carats of amethyst like it was nothing.
And Rihanna’s ring—that cushion-cut, diamond-edged statement—is sitting in a safe somewhere, or maybe on her nightstand, or maybe on her finger right now as I type these words. It is February as I write this. Her birth month. Her stone.
Purple is the thread that connects them. Not birth dates, not celebrity status, not the price tags attached to auction lots. Just the color. Just the light bouncing off silica crystals, purple as royalty, purple as spirituality, purple as the February sky just before the sun sets.
The celebrities who wear amethyst are not a closed set.
You are reading this article. You own or are considering owning amethyst jewelry. You are, in the only way that actually matters, participating in the same tradition as Diana and Oprah and Rihanna. The tradition of looking at a purple stone and thinking: Yes. This one is mine.
Welcome to the club.
About Our Research:
This article was carefully constructed using verified sources whenever possible. The Attallah Cross documentation comes from Town & Country magazine’s detailed reporting on the 2024 LACMA Gala . Oprah Winfrey’s Golden Globes jewelry was documented by Berger, covering the Chopard pieces in detail . Rihanna and Zoe Saldaña’s amethyst connections are verified through Fine Color Jewels’ celebrity birthstone analysis . Chopard’s Cannes collections are documented through their official red carpet coverage .
Sources with unverified claims or commercial motivations were corroborated against multiple references or omitted entirely. Princess Stéphanie and Roberta Flack appear in multiple historical sources, lending credibility to their inclusion .