Hollywood spares no expense for its iconic films. Many of our favorite movies are set in exotic locations. The stars wear the chicest designer clothes, including the finest jewelry. Take a closer look at the iconic pieces of jewelry that almost upstaged their famous human costars.

Read: Most Expensive Jewelry Sold at An Auction in 2021

Vivian’s Ward’s Necklace: Pretty Woman

Source: (Marshall, G.). (1990). Pretty Woman, USA

One of Pretty Woman’s most memorable scenes sees Edward gifting Vivian a black jewelry box, which he unexpectedly snaps shut. The improvised scene sent Julia Roberts into a fit of giggles before Richard Gere fastened the jewelry around her neck. The 18-karat white gold necklace featured 23 pear-cut rubies set inside sparkling diamond hearts. With an estimated price tag of $1.35 million, the generous gift made women everywhere long for their own Edward.

French jewelry brand Fred Joaillier designed the necklace every ‘90s woman wanted especially for the hit rom-com. It wasn’t the company’s first time designing jewelry for Hollywood’s elite, though. Marlene Dietrich and Grace Kelly were among its famous clients.

Scarlett O’Hara’s Cameo Brooch: Gone With The Wind

Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett O’Hara inspired a generation of women with her fashion choices. Her large cameo brooch, worn when Rhett finally breaks her heart, is one of her most iconic pieces. The oversized gold-set brooch featuring someone riding a bird really popped against O’Hara’s black velvet mourning dress. Unlike many modern pieces of film jewelry, the brooch wasn’t made for Gone With the Wind. The film’s costume designer Walter Plunkett borrowed it from his mother’s collection. Soon after the film’s release, women everywhere started wearing their own cameos and other heritage pieces in homage to O’Hara’s iconic style.

The Heart of the Ocean: Titanic

titanic necklace
Image via Flickr by Ben Sutherland

Rose’s striking necklace, known as The Heart of the Ocean, was a constant reminder of her station, even while she romanced working-class Jack. A blue diamond was the centerpiece of the fictional necklace once owned by King Louis XVI. Ultimately, Rose chose love over money and dropped the multi-million-dollar necklace into the ocean at the film’s end.

We mourned its loss, but in truth, we needn’t have wasted our tears. While the original necklace is a piece of film history, the white gold necklace has only a cubic zirconia. This gem is far less valuable than the Hope Diamond it was modeled on! Nevertheless, the necklace spawned many replicas, including two notable examples worth much more than the original.

Acclaimed jewelry designer Harry Winston created a Heart of the Ocean replica for Gloria Stuart, who played the elderly Rose. She showed off the piece, featuring a 15-carat blue diamond, at the 1998 Academy Awards. Her necklace eclipsed the original’s value with an estimated worth of $4 million. Celine Dion also wore a Heart of the Ocean replica to the same ceremony, where she sang the film’s award-winning song “My Heart Will Go On.” This replica, with a 170-carat sapphire and 103 diamonds, had a much more modest value of $7,300.

Carrie Bradshaw’s Engagement Ring: Sex and The City 2

A traditional white diamond would never suit quirky Carrie Bradshaw. Mr. Big showed he understood his wife-to-be when he presented her with a black diamond engagement ring in the second Sex and The City film. The unusual 18-karat white gold ring had a 5-carat black diamond surrounded by 78 white pave diamonds. Carrie’s alter ego Sarah Jessica Parker designed the striking ring with Sex and The City’s long-time costume designer Patricia Field and New York jewelry designer Itay Malkin. It sparked a trend for black engagement rings and other non-traditional bridal choices.

The One Ring: The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit

It might not be as flashy as Carrie’s rock, but the One Ring is synonymous with Peter Jackson’s J.R.R. Tolkien films. As the story goes, Sauron made the pure gold ring in the crater of Mount Doom. It normally appears plain, but an inscription of Sauron’s words appears whenever the ring is exposed to fire. The One Ring’s real-life story is a little less exciting. New Zealand jewelry experts Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith crafted the ring in the traditional way from 18-karat gold. While it’s called the One Ring, the jeweler actually made 15 different rings of varying weights and sizes for the fantasy films.

The Pearl Earrings: The Girl with the Pearl Earring

The eponymous pearl earring is a key player in Peter Webber’s film about Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. The true identity of the girl in Vermeer’s most famous work is shrouded in mystery. However, in this movie she’s the humble maid Griet, played by Scarlett Johansson. She dresses modestly in drab-colored clothes. However, Griet’s outfit is elevated when Vermeer’s mother-in-law Maria gifts her a pair of pearl earrings for her sitting with Vermeer. The film’s costume designer Dien van Straalen created the iconic large pearl earrings especially for this period film.

Satine’s Necklace: Moulin Rouge

Satine’s necklace in Moulin Rouge might represent the Duke’s hold over her, but that doesn’t make us want it any less! This stunning white piece features 1308 glittering diamonds totaling 134 carats. As if that wasn’t enough, a 2.5-carat cabochon-cut Sri Lankan blue sapphire accents the clasp. Its intricate lacework looks light as a feather, but this necklace actually weighs around 15 ounces. With an estimated value of around $1 million, it was the most expensive piece of jewelry made for a film.

This stunning piece is the work of Australian jeweler Stefano Canturi. He spent weeks researching the time period before creating a necklace embodying the opulence of Paris in the late 1800s. He worked from measurements of Nicole Kidman’s neck and décolletage to ensure it fit her just right.

Don’t worry: Satine’s necklace wasn’t destroyed when the Duke tore it from her neck. That was a stunt double chain made of silver and crystals. The valuable necklace is part of Canturi’s private collection.

Hollywood stars aren’t the only ones showing off enviable jewelry, though. Visit AaLAND Diamond Jewelers for showstopping pieces to treat yourself or the ones you love. Browse our collection or let us create a custom piece that looks like the jewelry from your favorite film. The choice is yours when you choose AaLAND Diamond Jewelers.

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