On the one hand, we have tech tycoons flexing their megayachts; on the other, their better halves sport baubles costing just as much as a luxury yacht. Case in point, the recent appearance of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s wife, Lauren Sánchez. At a state dinner for Xi Jinping earlier this week, the 56-year-old shifted the focus from politics to fashion at the black-tie event at the White House in Washington, D.C. The helicopter pilot single-handedly turned heads with her sartorial choices, headlined by a statement diamond necklace that completely stole the show and captured the attention of fashionistas and experts alike.
Ashleigh Bergman, founder of Milestones by Ashleigh Bergman, spoke to the Daily Mail about Sánchez’s spectacular, emerald-cut rivière necklace. “It appears to be slightly graduated emerald cuts estimated to range from 3 to 5 carats per stone, with a large emerald-cut center stone that probably ranges from 15 to 20 carats,” she shared. This estimate, placing individual stones at roughly 3 to 5 carats each alongside a massive centerpiece, puts the necklace’s value at a staggering $10 million.
While it is hardly unusual to spot billionaires sporting multi-million-dollar assets, what makes this particularly striking is that Sánchez’s accessory for a single evening rivaled the reported cost of her own wedding. The necklace carries a price tag comparable to the couple’s three-day Venice festivities, which were estimated at $7 million to $10 million. Dubbed the wedding of 2025, the June 27 affair brought roughly 200 guests to San Giorgio Maggiore.
Speculation suggests the jeweler behind this glittering masterpiece could be either Samer Halimeh or Lorraine Schwartz, given Sánchez’s history of wearing pieces from both jewelers. Either way, the rivière is truly magnificent and easily ranks among her top three high-jewelry looks to date. The mother of three teamed her necklace with a vintage black Alexander McQueen gown that highlighted the rivière necklace and large diamond drop earrings.
Among Lauren Sanchez’s jewels that made jaws drop in the past are her 20-to-30 carat cushion-cut pink diamond engagement ring worth nearly $3 million designed by Lorraine Schwartz and another $4 million sparkler spotted during the Venice wedding celebrations. Coming back to this necklace, it is undoubtedly the crème de la crème of jewels sported by the wealthy first lady of the Koru superyacht, and also a major feat in its own right. Emerald-cut diamonds feature broad step facets revealing color and inclusions.
A matched necklace of large emerald cuts demands exceptional consistency in color, clarity, proportions, and appearance across multiple large stones. Going by the images circulating, Sánchez appears to be wearing an entire matched suite of multi-carat emerald cuts which is in fact even more remarkable than the fact that the necklace cost nearly as much as her lavish Venice wedding!
