One might argue that the best part of the annual Academy Awards is the people watching, specifically the people on the red carpet watching. Case in point: last year’s Best Supporting Actress Lupita Nyong’o, who is getting a lot of attention this morning for the dress she wore to the event.
Made by Calvin Klein, it apparently sported 6,000 pearls. How much could such an outfit cost?
According to website Pearl Paradise, a loose white Akoya pearl retails for around $100—through the site offers it for $25. Assuming that Calvin Klein’s designers are paying wholesale, it’s safe to assume $25 per pearl. That means that, on pearls alone, the dress cost $150,000 to make.
This, of course, doesn’t take into consideration the other materials used, the designers’ time or other labor costs. Whatever the actual cost, it’s not something you’re likely to find off the rack any time soon. And there’s no accounting for the value of Nyong’o making a splash in it on live TV.
Watch more coverage on the Academy Awards from Fortune’s video team:
