Sabrina Carpenter, Madonna, and Marilyn Monroe All Know Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend

Sabrina Carpenter pulled from the pop culture history books for a myriad of diamond references during the 2024 MTV VMAs. The Short n’ Sweet artist emulated blonde bombshells of the past for her very first Video Music Awards appearance. 

Styled by Jared Ellner, Carpenter channeled her inner pop princess, wearing the same archival Bob Mackie gown Madonna wore to the Oscars in 1991, sourced by TAB Vintage. She accessorized with De Beers diamonds, including the jeweler’s 2.75-carat diamond Snow Dance earrings, and the brand’s Old Bond Street pavé 3.35-carat emerald-cut diamond ring set in platinum. The hero of her ensemble came in the form of a glistening De Beers Swan Lake diamond Y-necklace that trailed down her décolletage, totaling 23.95 carats.

In 1991, Madonna made sure to remember that “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” channeling her inner Marilyn Monroe at the Academy Awards. The ultimate “Material Girl” performed at the awards ceremony wearing a the same white bejeweled Bob Mackie gown and $20 million worth of Harry Winston natural diamonds, including chandelier earrings, thick stacks of diamond bracelets over her white opera gloves, and a mind-boggling diamond necklace. “Talk to me, Harry Winston. Tell me all about it!” 

Nominated for seven different awards, Carpenter took home her first Moon Person trophy for Song of the Year thanks to her hit track, “Espresso,” which she performed during the VMAs ceremony in a dynamic medley.  

First, Carpenter descended from the ceiling on a diamond-shaped swing, singing “Please, Please, Please.” Joined by countless UFOs, aliens, and astronauts (or “Moon Men” for the VMAs), Carpenter referenced yet another icon – Britney Spears, and another famous diamond moment in pop culture – the Heart of the Ocean. 

In 2000, Spears’ “Oops! I Did It Again” music video featured an interlude where she falls in love with an astronaut, who gifts her the Heart of the Ocean diamond necklace from Titanic. “But I thought the old lady dropped it into the ocean at the end,” she says of the 1997 film. After he says he went and retrieved it just for her, she responds, “Awe, you shouldn’t have.” The audio of the interaction played over the performance before she sang “Taste.” 

Conquering the stage in her custom Victoria’s Secret bedazzled corset, Carpenter ripped off her mock-neck bib mid-performance to reveal an impressive diamond necklace with a pear-shaped ruby pendant for some extra drama.

She even mimicked the choreography from Monroe’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, or Madonna’s “Material Girl” music video, depending on who you’re asking. It’s safe to say, Carpenter made a memorable debut at the MTV VMAs with the help of natural diamonds.