DUBAI: Pop star Mariah Carey accepted the Vanguard Award at Sunday night’s MTV Video Music Awards in a $10 million diamond set by Antwerp-based, Lebanese-founded high jewelry house Levuma.
Founded by Ali Khalil in Antwerp in 2016, the jewelry house has a long tradition in the diamond industry, beginning with Khalil’s great-grandfather. In the 1930s, Khalil’s great-grandfather began trading rough diamonds in Sierra Leone. Fast forward to 2016 and Khalil decided to name his brand after Levuma, a remote village in the southeastern part of Sierra Leone and the site of the family’s first plot of land dedicated to mining diamonds.
On Sunday night in New York, Carey showed off the Rosee Eternelle necklace and earrings by Levuma, featuring more than 204 carats of D-F color, VVS+ clarity diamonds set in platinum. The set was displayed at Jewelry Salon in Riyadh in February.
At the awards ceremony, Carey wore the jewels while performing a medley of her hits, including “Fantasy,” “Obsessed,” and more.
At the awards ceremony, Mariah Carey wore the jewels while performing a medley of her hits. (Getty Images)
During her acceptance speech, Carey reflected on her contributions to music and joked about the long wait to receive her first VMA. “What in the Sam Hill were you waiting for?” she joked.
The evening featured a nostalgic aesthetic with performances by veteran artists including Carey, Busta Rhymes and Ricky Martin, while newer performers such as Doja Cat and Tate McRae incorporated choreography heavily borrowed from the 1980s and 1990s.
Ariana Grande won the MTV Video Music Awards’ top honor on Sunday, taking home Video of the Year for “Brighter Days Ahead,” which also claimed Best Pop Song at the ceremony near New York City, AFP reported.
Visibly emotional while accepting the evening’s most prestigious award, the 32-year-old singer-songwriter and actor delivered an extended thank-you to her fans, whom she described as “fiercely loving and supportive.”
Lady Gaga was another major winner, beating industry heavyweights including Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd for the top artist honor.
The 39-year-old interrupted her concert series to accept the Artist of the Year award and also won Best Collaboration with Bruno Mars for “Die with a Smile.”
Rose, who is pursuing a solo career after rising to fame with K-pop group Blackpink, received Song of the Year for “APT,” also co-written with Bruno Mars.
