An undercurrent of Hollywood’s Golden Age ran throughout Demna’s final collection. A pink “Debutante” gown worn with a “Pink Odyssey” suite—a necklace, tiara and earrings, collectively featuring 140 carats of Padparadscha sapphires and 16 carats of natural pink diamonds—exemplified the designer’s approach to couture tradition as told through a fresh lens.

While Schwartz’s reputation as jeweler to the stars endures as brilliantly as the gemstones that bear her signature, this collaboration with Balenciaga marked the designer’s first creative venture with a fashion house. “Demna is very much an innovator, and I feel like he really wanted to bring back old-world glamor, which I think is really needed in this world right now, but in a modern sense,” she said.

The harmony between Demna and Schwartz was palpable—each artist holds a reverence for glamor as a sacred conduit of self expression and an application of craft. In his 10 years at Balenciaga’s helm, Demna has honored its heritage while leaning into subversive dress codes as modes of identity. A jet-black suit in scuba wool paired with paparazzi-proof sunglasses and 50 carats worth of Colombian Lorraine Schwartz emerald earrings exemplified his aesthetic: elusive elegance bitten with that Demna air of cool.

Schwartz’s ability to conjure up bespoke masterpieces from exquisite gems is sought after by clientele from Beyoncé to the Ambani family. The jewels she created for Demna’s cast of characters spoke to her commitment to highlighting individualism. Considered elements, such as diamond earrings with removable white gold jackets, tapped into a modern spirit.

“We’re not just taking a piece, saying, ‘You wear this because we want to promote it.’ We want them to have that moment,” Schwartz said. “The authenticity really came through, and that was really very important to me.”