Screen Gems: Iconic Jewelry in Film
Movies are often caught in that odd space between art-reflecting-life and life-reflecting-art. Contemporary style culture influences the movie costumer’s choices, and vice versa. How often have we seen the trends shift in the wake of a popular movie? Fashion and jewelry are an integral part of telling a story on film and that importance has occasionally left lasting style legacies. Ask anyone to identify one piece of movie jewelry that they consider to be iconic, and they will probably mention one of about 10 different pieces with which we are all familiar. Instead of going through some of the less impressive, I’m going to jump in with my own top three choices. I made these choices based on luxury, pop culture references, and personal taste.
We’ll start with my second runner-up, the Heart of the Ocean. You know the one: Titanic, blue and white diamond necklace, ship sinks, “I’ll never let go, Jack,” everyone cries. A lot of people would put this necklace in the grand prize slot, but for my tastes, there are two more fetching jewels that have graced the silver screen. But truthfully, this necklace is truly one of the most easily recognized and replicated screen gems in modern history.
Le Coeur de la Mer necklace, according to the movie, was a blue diamond from Louis XVI of France’s crown. Well, that sounds amazing for the movie, but the facts surrounding this movie prop are nowhere near as glamorous as the fictional account. The Heart of the Ocean was inspired by two key elements: the magnificent Hope Diamond and an actual Titanic story from 1912. As the story goes, Kate Florence Phillips and her married lover Henry Samuel Morley were traveling to America from England. En route, he gave her a blue sapphire pendant necklace. Sadly, Mr. Morley perished in the sinking but the lady lived on.
The actual movie prop, which is still housed by Twentieth Century Fox, was a blue cubic zirconium set in white gold. It was created by London jewelers Asprey and Garrard at a cost of just $10,000. However, Asprey and Garrard also created an exquisite luxury version with a colossal 170-carat Ceylon sapphire cut in the shape of a heart. This stunner was flanked by 36 carats of round white diamonds. The whole shebang was set in platinum. This premium reproduction (which was sold to an unknown collector for $2.2 million) was worn by Celine Dion when she sang “My Heart Will Go On” at the 1998 Academy Awards. Harry Winston also put his lustrous spin on the Heart of the Ocean when he created a $20 million, 15-carat blue diamond necklace that Gloria Stuart (who played old Rose in the Titanic film) wore to the Academy Awards that same year.
If you’re like me and your pockets aren’t quite deep enough for the Heart of the Ocean and you’re in the market for a wedding ring to match the lasting love Jack and Rose shared, check out the Royal Lace Wedding Band.
My first runner-up also features some lovely colored gemstones, but this time, they’re deep, passionate rubies. In the film Pretty Woman, a rags-to-riches story starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, Gere’s character present’s Roberts’s with a gorgeous ruby and diamond necklace. The necklace is made with 23 pear-shaped rubies set in heart shapes covered with white diamonds. Gere’s character, Edward, impresses Vivian (Julia Roberts) when he tells her that the necklace was worth $250,000. However, the necklace, made by Parisian jeweler Fred Joaillier, is estimated to actually be worth between $440,000 and $1 million. According to movie buff lore, the jewelry store that loaned the necklace to the movie sent along an armed guard who stood next to the director the entire time the necklace was on camera.
Although not the most extravagant or expensive (as far as movie jewels go), I love this necklace because of the charming story that goes along with it. Apparently, the scene where Edward snaps the jewelry box closed on Vivian’s fingers, eliciting a spontaneous and utterly joyous and carefree laugh from Roberts, was not written in the script but was actually a prank played by Richard Gere. In the end, it was so endearing to Vivian’s character, it was left in the film. And that scene has become synonymous with “Pretty Woman.”
For my highly-coveted award of Most Iconic Movie Jewel, I have selected the perfect pearl and diamond Tiffany collar necklace worn by Audrey Hepburn’s character Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. This impeccable beacon of classic beauty features five strands of large pearls elegantly draped down Hepburn’s back, following the back neckline of the iconic Givenchy little black dress. In the front, a massive diamond brooch, which can only be described as a sculpture, is centered between the strands of pearls. The value of this necklace is primarily in the social recognition. EVERYONE knows this necklace. EVERYONE loves it. Except my husband, who for some inexplicable reason doesn’t like pearls.
The scene in the movie where Holly Golightly enjoys her Danish pastry breakfast (which was not enjoyed by Audrey Hepburn, considering she didn’t even like Danish pastries) features Holly in her trademark LBD and pearl necklace. The outfit has become tantamount with class and elegance (which was odd, considering Holly Golightly is generally thought to be a high-class call girl). Whatever the facts, the most important fact is this: the pearl and diamond necklace is the most fabulous piece of jewelry ever shown in a movie.
I love jewelry, and I love when amazing pieces are shown in movies. There are dozens of other iconic jewels shown in movies. To add a little flair to your own wardrobe, find a piece of jewelry inspired by some of your favorite silver screen gems.
Always yours,
Rebecca
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