Bling Empire: Anna Shay’s Jewelry

Netflix has delivered a second season of Bling Empire, and the drama is high. The jewelry is also way over the top, and the most glamorously bejeweled of them is Anna Shay. We may never know the extent of her jewelry collection, but just the glimpses we have had are a testament to her taste and luxury.

In the first season of Bling Empire, we were introduced to the mega-rich cast. If you watched season 1, you would recall the Louis Vuitton high jewelry necklace scandal, in which Christine Chiu and Anna Shay owned the $100K+ piece; Christine wore the necklace to a party at Anna’s, and they were off to the drama races. Using the mere adornment of a single piece of jewelry as a power-play fits in with the power structure of the mega-rich social circle. It’s not a move for the faint of heart…or wallet.

This season we are treated to some jewelry shopping, including Cherie Chan and Anna Shay are looking at diamonds for Cherie’s engagement ring. They start out with a smaller-sized diamond, that would still look large on Cherie’s petite hands; they end up looking at a 10-carat stone that would dwarf her hand in opulence. During this scene, Anna declares that “At The End Of The Day, I Don’t Think I Pick The Jewelry. The Jewelry Picks Me.” Funny, some incredible high jewelry pieces have picked me over the years, but the man at the till disagreed.

Anna’s views on jewelry and life may seem out of touch, but they are her reality and seem to serve her well. She owns an impeccable jewelry collection and her favorite piece of all is the engagement ring that her father presented to her mother. Overall, Anna feels very connected to her jewelry and its place in her life story, and that can remain true no matter the numbers on the price tags.

Anna is very connected to Boucheron, she calls the store her Disneyland. Her family has been clients of the luxury jewelry house for a long time, and she refers to shopping there as a feeling of home. Her many pieces and especially necklaces are a testament to this connection. Anna has at least one of Boucheron’s question mark necklaces, these can be valued at north of $600K. From Elle Magazine :” Though the Question Mark dates back to 1879, its distinctive elements have persisted through the years. The design is marked with a freedom of expression that defied the standards of its time, and over a century later, this defiance in form and nuance is still ad rem. This eternal essence – one that stands the test of time – is the hallmark of high jewellery par excellence.”

She has never known a life without excess and luxury, and I am just glad that she is so happy to show it off. Her mother told her to wear her jewelry, Anna has reported that her mother said ‘“Wear your jewelry. I’m not buying jewelry for you so that you can put it in a safe and never wear it.” I have long believed that as well, if you are buying jewelry because you love wearing it, wear it!

Anna Shay keeps tight-lipped about her wealth, though it is clearly one of the highest numbers of the extremely wealthy cast. Don’t expect the more reserved, quiet Anna of season one. While she is still far less loquacious than her castmates, she is far more prepared to bare her social teeth this season.

What are your favorite Anna Shay pieces?

Written by Kayti Kawachi