Free Jewelry Means One Thing: It’s Swag Time

Awards season for celebrities means lots of galas, gowns and - of course - giveaways. Swag bags that were once a small token of an awards show’s affection have ballooned into a prize worth more than a year’s salary in most circles.

And ‘bags’ don’t really begin to describe the suitcases full of loot the stars get to schlep home after the festivities. In fact, there are entire swag rooms, or ‘gift suites’, the celebs can stroll through to pick up anything from free spa weekends and handbags to electronics and fine jewelry. Sounds rough.
According to Yahoo!'s OMG, some of stars spotted trolling the gift suites this year were "Swag Hag", Debra Messing; “Gossip Girl”, Michelle Trachtenberg; and our favorite mom, Jessica Alba, who apparently fell in love with a woven, diamond-studded bracelet from Tacori. Other stars ogled conflict-free, earth-friendly fine jewelry from Precious Earth, and glittering gems from Touchstone Crystal.

And Best Actress nominees will be presented with a sparkly compact created by L'Oreal with help from colored-gemstone manufacturer Carelle, says National Jeweler. The compact features lemon citrine and pale-green quartz stones set in 18-karat yellow gold with diamond details. In addition to the nine compacts gifted to the likes of Angelina Jolie and new rival, Anne Hathaway, one last compact will be auctioned off on eBay.com to benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation during the Golden Globes broadcast.

So while we’re watching sympathetically when the losers in each category get sloppy drunk on Moet and try desperately to get within Brad Pitt’s sightline, it’s best to remember that these artists may not have everything – but they can all powder their noses in style. For free.