Zendaya’s Ancient Iranian Jewelry Sparks Debate Over Heritage, Provenance and Fashion

Zendaya’s latest red-carpet appearance for The Odyssey has sparked an unexpected conversation far beyond Hollywood fashion. The actress arrived in London wearing an ivory Jacquemus gown and striking gold-and-diamond earrings that a London gallery identified as being made from ancient Iranian artifacts dating to the first millennium B.C.

The jewelry quickly attracted attention because of its unusual history. While the pieces fit Zendaya’s reputation for carefully considered, theme-driven fashion, archaeologists and cultural-heritage commentators have questioned whether ancient artifacts should be incorporated into contemporary luxury jewelry.

The debate has also raised a more complicated issue: provenance.

Zendaya’s Ancient-Iranian Earrings Become the Focus

Zendaya has become known for using fashion to complement the films she promotes. Her recent appearances surrounding The Odyssey have continued that approach, with the actress choosing highly distinctive designs for different events.

In London, she wore an ivory halter gown with an attached head scarf from Jacquemus. The minimalist outfit was paired with large circular gold-and-diamond earrings.

According to Barron London, the gallery associated with the jewelry, the earrings were created using gold medallion plaques from ancient Iran.

The gallery’s website identifies the pieces as Ziwiye gold medallion plaques that were mounted with diamonds by London jeweler Glenn Spiro.

The claim that the underlying material dates to the first millennium B.C. has made the jewelry substantially more controversial than an ordinary vintage fashion accessory.

Why Archaeologists Are Concerned

The criticism is not simply about whether ancient objects can be worn as jewelry.

At the heart of the discussion is the question of what happens when archaeological artifacts are removed from their original historical context and transformed into luxury fashion.

Archaeological objects can contain information about the societies that produced them. Their archaeological value often depends not only on the object itself but also on where, when and how it was discovered.

When an ancient artifact is separated from its archaeological context, researchers can lose valuable information about its origins, use and relationship to other objects.

Some commentators therefore argue that turning such artifacts into contemporary jewelry can reduce objects of cultural significance to luxury accessories.

Others have expressed concern that the public display of ancient artifacts as desirable fashion objects could contribute to demand for antiquities whose ownership histories are unclear.

The Mystery Surrounding Ziwiye Antiquities

The controversy is particularly sensitive because the name Ziwiye is associated with an important archaeological discovery in Iran.

The Ziwiye treasure is generally associated with artifacts discovered near the village of Ziwiye in northwestern Iran during the 20th century. The collection contains objects representing the artistic traditions of the ancient Iranian and broader Near Eastern world.

Its history has also been the subject of longstanding scholarly and provenance discussions.

That history matters because the modern antiquities market has frequently been criticized for separating archaeological objects from the circumstances in which they were discovered.

An artifact with a documented excavation and ownership history is fundamentally different, from a heritage perspective, from an ancient object that entered the market without clear documentation.

That distinction is central to the current discussion surrounding the earrings.

Critics Question the Transformation of Ancient Objects Into Fashion

Some archaeologists and cultural-heritage advocates have criticized the use of ancient artifacts as contemporary fashion pieces.

Dr. Z, an archaeologist and online creator, described the practice as a form of “fetishize the past,” arguing that the transformation of ancient material into luxury fashion can raise ethical concerns.

The criticism also reflects a broader debate within archaeology about the commercialization of cultural heritage.

Ancient objects from regions including Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Greece and other parts of the Middle East have long appeared in international museums and private collections.

In many cases, questions about ownership, excavation and export have followed them.

For critics, the issue is therefore bigger than Zendaya’s outfit. The actress became the visible face of a debate involving the international art market, museum collections, private dealers, archaeological ethics and the protection of cultural heritage.

Who Owns the Story Behind an Ancient Object?

One of the most difficult questions surrounding antiquities is the difference between legal ownership and ethical provenance.

An object can have been legally sold at some point in its modern history while still generating questions about how it originally left its country of origin.

That is why provenance research has become increasingly important for museums, collectors, galleries and auction houses.

Researchers may examine excavation records, previous owners, museum catalogues, customs documents, auction histories and other archival material to determine an artifact’s journey.

For an object claimed to be thousands of years old, a documented chain of ownership can be particularly important.

Without that information, establishing whether an artifact was excavated legitimately, exported legally or removed illicitly can be extremely difficult.

What the Gallery Says About Zendaya’s Earrings

According to reporting by The Guardian, Barron London said it acquired the earrings in 2025 from Glenn Spiro.

The gallery said the earrings formed part of Spiro’s Materials of the Old World collection, which incorporates ancient artifacts into contemporary jewelry.

Barron London has presented the pieces as jewelry created from ancient material rather than as newly manufactured replicas.

That distinction is important to the current debate because critics are questioning not the authenticity of the modern jewelry design alone, but the history and provenance of the ancient components.

Representatives Have Not Commented

Representatives for Zendaya, her longtime stylist Law Roach, Barron London and Glenn Spiro did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the material supplied for this report.

As a result, important questions surrounding the artifacts’ historical ownership and movement from Iran into the modern jewelry market remain unresolved publicly.

It would be premature to state as fact that the earrings were looted or obtained through colonial plunder without documentary evidence establishing that history.

That distinction is particularly important when reporting on cultural-property disputes.

Zendaya’s Fashion Choices Put the Issue in the Spotlight

The controversy illustrates the unusual influence of modern celebrity fashion.

Zendaya’s red-carpet appearances frequently become news stories in their own right. Her styling has included archival fashion, couture and outfits designed around the themes of the films she is promoting.

For Dune: Part Two in 2024, she famously wore a futuristic silver robot suit from Thierry Mugler’s fall 1995 collection.

During the current promotional campaign for The Odyssey, she has again embraced historically and artistically inspired fashion.

One of her appearances featured a cream Schiaparelli gown designed to evoke a marble sculpture. The design had debuted on the runway only hours before she wore it.

The Jacquemus look and ancient-inspired jewelry followed the same broad pattern: fashion as part of the storytelling surrounding a major film release.

But the ancient earrings demonstrate that historical references can carry ethical questions that do not arise with ordinary couture.

Where Fashion Meets Cultural Preservation

The Zendaya jewelry controversy highlights a fundamental tension between fashion’s fascination with history and archaeology’s emphasis on preservation and context.

Fashion designers frequently draw inspiration from ancient civilizations. Goldwork, motifs, silhouettes and decorative techniques from historic cultures have influenced contemporary design for generations.

Inspiration, however, is different from physically incorporating an archaeological object into a modern product.

A designer can reproduce an ancient motif without removing an original artifact from its historical context. Using an actual ancient object raises additional questions about ownership, conservation and cultural rights.

That is why provenance has become such an important part of conversations about luxury jewelry containing historical materials.

What Happens Next?

The controversy may ultimately depend on documentation.

If the jewelry’s ancient components have a thoroughly documented provenance demonstrating lawful excavation, export and ownership, some of the concerns could be addressed.

If significant gaps exist in the ownership history, however, questions about the pieces could become more serious.

For now, the public discussion remains focused on a larger principle: should ancient cultural artifacts be transformed into luxury fashion when their complete provenance is uncertain?

Zendaya’s appearance has brought that question to a global audience that might otherwise never encounter debates surrounding antiquities law and archaeological ethics.

The Bigger Picture

The discussion surrounding Zendaya’s earrings is not simply another celebrity fashion controversy.

It touches on the relationship between contemporary luxury, archaeology and cultural heritage.

Zendaya did not create the historical objects in the jewelry, and the available information does not establish that she personally knew of any disputed provenance. The current controversy instead centers on the gallery, jeweler and historical journey of the artifacts incorporated into the pieces.

As more consumers, celebrities and fashion houses become interested in archival and historical objects, provenance is likely to become an increasingly important part of luxury fashion.