Zendaya's The Odyssey press tour has delivered a carefully constructed sequence of goddess-inspired fashion. But one accessory from her London appearance has moved the conversation beyond celebrity styling and into questions about provenance, cultural heritage and the use of ancient objects in luxury jewelry.
At a July 5 photocall at IET London: Savoy Place, Zendaya wore a custom white Jacquemus halter dress styled by Law Roach. The minimalist, Grecian-inspired look was completed with large gold earrings supplied by Barron London, a Mayfair dealer specializing in antique and fine jewelry.
The earrings initially appeared to be another example of the method dressing that has shaped Zendaya's promotional wardrobe. Attention shifted, however, when viewers learned that the circular gold elements were not modern reproductions.
What Were Zendaya's Ancient Earrings Made From?
Barron London describes the pieces as "a pair of Ziwiye gold medallion plaques, circa 1st millennium BC Iran."
That dating would make the discs approximately 2,000 to 3,000 years old. Barron London attributes them to Ziwiye, an archaeological site in northwestern Iran associated with gold, silver and ivory objects that began circulating through the antiquities market after a reported discovery in the late 1940s.
The gold discs were incorporated into earrings with diamonds and 18-karat yellow gold by London jeweler Glenn Spiro. Barron London later acquired the finished pieces and loaned them to Zendaya for the photocall.
The dealer told The New Arab that the earrings are not for sale and remain part of its private collection. It also said the ancient discs are secured with a "simple, non-invasive claw setting" intended to preserve them without permanent alteration or damage.
That explanation addresses how the objects are physically mounted. It does not fully resolve the separate question of how the discs entered the private antiquities and jewelry markets.
What Is Glenn Spiro's 'Materials of the Old World' Collection?
The earrings were created as part of Glenn Spiro's Materials of the Old World collection, which places rare historic materials within contemporary high-jewelry settings.
Public descriptions of the Iranian-disc earrings emphasize the ancient origin of the gold medallions as well as Spiro's addition of diamonds and an 18-karat yellow-gold mounting. Barron London did not create the earrings but subsequently acquired them and supplied them for Zendaya's appearance.
That distinction helps clarify the different stages behind the red-carpet look: the ancient objects entered the private market, Spiro remounted them as contemporary jewelry, Barron London acquired and loaned the earrings, and Zendaya's styling team selected them for the photocall.
The controversy consequently extends beyond one celebrity's wardrobe. It raises questions about how ancient materials are acquired, transformed, marketed and eventually presented as luxury fashion.
Why Provenance Matters in Luxury Jewelry
Barron London's public description identifies the objects by period and region but does not provide a complete ownership history showing when the discs left Iran or how they passed between previous owners.
An incomplete publicly disclosed provenance does not prove that an object was stolen or illegally exported. It does, however, make it difficult for independent researchers to assess whether the object was lawfully excavated, transferred and sold.
Those concerns are particularly significant for objects attributed to Ziwiye. The reported find was disturbed before a controlled archaeological excavation could document all the objects in their original setting. Items later marketed as part of the "Ziwiye treasure" were dispersed through antiquities dealers into museums and private collections.
Because the reported discovery was not systematically documented, scholars have questioned whether every artifact labeled "Ziwiye" came from one location or even belonged to a single original group.
Archaeologist and content creator Annelise Baer helped draw attention to Zendaya's earrings online. She explained that the discs were probably high-status decorative objects rather than earrings in their original form.
Other archaeologists and cultural-heritage commentators questioned why replicas were not used to achieve the same visual effect. The debate was not solely about whether the objects had been physically damaged, but also about whether archaeological materials should be converted into luxury accessories without a publicly documented ownership history.
Does a Non-Invasive Setting Resolve the Concern?
Barron London's statement that the mounting is non-invasive distinguishes these earrings from ancient objects that have been drilled, cut or polished to make them wearable.
That distinction matters. Altering an archaeological object can permanently remove physical evidence that researchers might otherwise use to understand its production, date or original purpose.
Physical preservation, however, is only one part of responsible antiquities ownership. Cultural-property specialists also consider an object's documented history, the circumstances under which it left its place of origin and whether its movement complied with the laws that applied at the time.
Experts interviewed by The New Arab placed the controversy within a broader debate over "Orientalist practices," in which the ancient heritage of Iran and the wider Middle East may be treated as disconnected from the modern countries and communities associated with it.
Barron London's mounting explanation therefore answers one question—whether the discs were permanently altered—but leaves broader questions about provenance and cultural ownership open.
Who Is Responsible for Celebrity Red-Carpet Jewelry?
Neither Zendaya nor Law Roach has publicly addressed the controversy or explained how the earrings were selected for the look.
Major red-carpet appearances typically involve a network of stylists, designers, jewelry houses, publicists and brand representatives. The questions raised by Zendaya's earrings therefore extend beyond the actress herself: What due diligence did the dealer conduct? What ownership information was provided to the styling team? And should genuine antiquities be treated differently from conventional vintage jewelry?
The incident also highlights the limits of method dressing. Fashion that references a film's historical or mythological setting can create an effective promotional narrative, but using genuine ancient objects introduces cultural-heritage and ownership questions that reproductions avoid.
The debate surrounding Zendaya's look illustrates why physical preservation alone may not resolve concerns about cultural ownership. For ancient objects entering the luxury market, a transparent ownership history can matter as much as the craftsmanship used to display them.
