Philippine actress Beauty Gonzalez has come under fire for “crassly” flaunting jewellery made from centuries-old excavated gold at a recent fundraiser gala attended by celebrities and politicians in Manila.

Gonzalez graced the occasion in a nude corseted gown, describing her look that included a gold neck piece and earrings that were unearthed from cities like Butuan and Surigao, as an “appreciation for Philippine ancestral gold”.

She also said in an Instagram post that the accessories, which were previously displayed at the National and Ayala museums in the capital, had been reworked by a local jeweller.

The Heiress star declined to reveal the price of the pieces, telling the Philippine Entertainment Portal “the only thing I can say is you can see those things in museums”.

But her appearance at last week’s event was denounced by veteran art critic Marian Pastor Roces and social media users who accused the 32-year-old of “grave robbery”.

“Because if these were legally excavated, the pieces would belong to the National Museum or the Bangko Sentral (Philippine central bank),” Roces wrote on Facebook.

She said an “astounding” number of graves would have been desecrated to fetch the ornaments.

“This fashion victim is wearing mouth and eye covers: around 10 of them. Which is to say that the necklace was fashioned from excavations of many individuals,” the Manila-based curator added.

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She also questioned Gonzalez’s styling sense: “How on earth is this an homage, exhibiting impunity and crassness? Ignorance can’t possibly be fashionable.”

Gonzalez faced the ire of Filipino social media users, too. Some rebuked her for wearing “ghoulish, looted” archaeological artefacts and disrespecting national treasures.

“Disgusting. Excavating gold from our ancestors and turning them into jewellery instead of preserving its cultural value,” said a user on Instagram.

Wrote another: “You know where they are from and that doesn’t bother you? You’re even proud of it? This is not something you should flex.”

Others wondered how the accessories ended up in the hands of Gonzalez’s jeweller, and why authorities were so apparently lax in supervising historical items. Curator Roces responded by saying, “people indulge in pervasive culture because there are no consequences”.

Not all were unimpressed with her style statement. Fellow actress Carmi Martin and model Zeinab Harake called Gonzalez “elegantly beautiful”.

In another incident of fashion faux pas, Senator Imee Marcos was criticised by an indigenous group for wearing their tribal attire to President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s second State of the Nation address on Monday.

Given the human rights violations against the Igorot tribe during dictator Marcos Snr’s regime, Siklab Philippine Indigenous Youth Network said the lawmaker donning the Cordillera clothing was an “insult” to its community.

Imee Marcos, also the sister of the Philippine leader, called her gesture a tribute to the ancient culture, earning praise from her supporters on social media, who called it “flawless”.

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