Taylor Swift wore jewels to the 2023 VMAs and departed with trophies in hand. The number of VMAs she won in a single evening was tied by her.

Despite all of her victories, she could have misplaced a priceless item: the diamond from a vintage Van Cleef & Arpels ring. According to an Instagram post, the ring was given to her by vintage jewelry dealer Joseph Saidian & Sons, who set the price at $12,000.

Swift was informed that the ring had lost its diamond, and the announcement was captured on a backstage camera. In the video, she desperately searches for the stone with the assistance of many VMAs staff members, who also make an effort to find it.

According to jewelry content developer and gemstone distributor Julia Hackman Chafe, what would have been catastrophic for ordinary people probably didn’t have the same impact on Swift.

Chafe says that much of the jewelry worn by celebrities at award ceremonies does not belong to them. Instead, their stylists go out and buy them jewellery. If a stylist discovers a piece she likes, she contacts the PR agency for the jewelry brand to reserve the item.

According to Chafe, several jewelry companies employ various PR agencies. Then, the PR agencies would collaborate with celebrity stylists, who might choose from a variety of items to present to their client.

In the event of a crisis, such as the one that occurred at the VMAs, there are guardrails in place. According to Chafe, an insurance waiver for the merchandise is often signed by a representative of “one side of the deal” in the event that it is destroyed (or lost at the VMAs).

The joyful ending was documented in a fan video that was made just as Swift discovered the diamond. Regarding the recovery of the diamond, TODAY.com has been in touch with Swift’s staff. At the time of writing, TODAY.com has contacted Saidian & Sons but has not received a response.