Zendaya's Sparks Backlash With Jewelry Choice When Promoting The Odyssey
Zendaya recently sparked backlash after wearing 3,000-year-old Iranian gold medallions as earrings when promoting Christopher Nolan's film The Odyssey in London.
The actress, who plays Athena in the new blockbuster, accessorised her white Jacquemus gown at the London photocall with large gold earrings.
These earrings were made from Iranian gold medallions dating back to the 1st millennium BC, making them around 3,000 years old. They were mounted by Glen Spiro, a London-based jeweler, with 18k yellow gold diamonds, as part of his line of turning artefacts into jewelry.
Historians, archaeologists, and social media critics condemned Zendaya's look, calling it "colonialism chic. People report that the priceless artefacts belong in museums rather than on a red carpet.
London-based writer Zirrar Ali called out celebrities, particularly in the Western world, as being "largely deaf to questions of ethics and history when it comes to the Global South."
The stunning gold medallions were part of the Ziwiye hoard, or Ziwiye treasure, which Britannica describes as a "collection of Median-period art dating to the 7th century BCE." They were discovered in Northwest Iran in 1947, per CNN, when locals found a coffin packed with treasure.
Because the finds were not professionally excavated, the pieces were broken up and sold individually. You can find pieces from the collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre and the British Museum.
According to Hyperallergic, The Forensic Archive of Iran has launched a petition requesting transparency around the gold discs' provenance.
"You can wear something around your neck that dates back thousands of years but is still contemporary and cool," the earring's designer, Glen Spiro told Galeria magazine in a 2025 interview.
The earrings were acquired by fine jewelry brand Barron London in 2020, which told CNN that the discs are held in a "simple noninvasive" claw setting so as "not to alter or damage the original objects in any way."
"Cultural heritage rightly inspires important conversations, and we welcome informed dialogue about provenance, preservation and the appreciation of exceptional craftsmanship," the brand told CNN. The earrings are not for sale, and remain part of the company's private collection.
This isn't the first controversy linked to Zendaya's outfits. While she is known for being a style icon, and The Odyssey press tour has brought us some of her most beloved looks, fans are concerned with the ethics that go into making her look so good.
Social media was up in arms when it was revealed that her stylist, Law Roach, flew her Schiaparelli dress from Paris to London on a private jet after it debuted at Paris Haute Couture Week hours earlier.
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This story was originally published July 18, 2026 at 8:25 AM.