15 Jewels, real or fictional, that stole the spotlight in blockbuster movies

Marilyn Monroe once said in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. But surely she would include not only diamonds on the list, but also pearls, rubies, rings and even magical lockets. The maxim is also valid in cases like Hermione Granger’s, involving clocks that allow time travel. Furthermore, the truth is that there are extraordinary jewels that, in a way, managed to steal the spotlight during the films in which they appeared.

In this article, the incredible.club shows some examples of famous, emblematic and never forgotten jewelry already shown in Hollywood productions.

The necklace is an adaptation inspired by the Hope diamond, which belonged to French royalty. It is a huge and peculiar navy blue diamond, surrounded by small white diamonds. Originally, the piece adorned the neck of King Louis XIV of France.

After the revolution and the fall of the Empire, the precious stone passed through the hands of several owners until it was donated to the National Museum of Natural History in the United States, in 1958. Since then, the jewel has been part of the institution’s collection.

This magical, fictional and practically indestructible gold ring confers supernatural powers on whoever holds it. Among them are the ability to read the mind or control the will of other people, even allowing the owner of the jewel to enslave them. Upon contact with heat, the ring reveals the inscription “One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in darkness bind them in the Land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie.”

The spectacular jewelry set worn by Marilyn Monroe during the musical number Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend was not authentic, but replica jewelry created for the film. However, during the promotion of the feature, the actress actually used real diamonds, one of which gained special prominence: the Lua de Baroda.

The small, yellow, 24-carat gemstone was discovered in India and, for over 500 years, belonged to the royal family of that country, the Maharajas of Baroda. In 2013, the jewel was auctioned and snatched for more than 1 million dollars (about 5 million reais).

One of the most enchanting scenes in the film is when Edward (Richard Gere) presents Vivian (Julia Roberts) with a necklace, almost “biting” her fingers with the box and giving her a good fright. The famous jewel in white gold and 23 rubies carved in the shape of a pear and surrounded by diamonds is a totally authentic luxury piece, developed by the French designer Fred Joaillier. The necklace was valued at US$250,000 (approximately 1.2 million reais).

The magnificent piece was made especially for the film by the jeweler Cartier, replicating a 1930s model personally created by Jacques Cartier for the Maharaja of Nawanagar. The replica is almost identical to the original. The only differences are in size and some special diamonds that are only present in authentic jewelry.

The large blue diamond called “Queen of Holland” and another green one from the original model were replaced by zirconia with the same shape and dimensions. Furthermore, as the original jewel had been created for a man, the size was reduced in order to be adapted to the measurements of actress Anne Hathaway.

This 134-carat necklace made of white gold and more than 1,300 diamonds is the most expensive piece of jewelry in cinema history made exclusively for a film. It was the work of jeweler Stefano Canturi and required more than three months of work to complete. During the recording of the feature, between one take and another, Nicole Kidman needed to take short breaks to rest, preventing the extraordinary piece from hurting her back. After all, the necklace weighed almost half a kilogram (426 grams to be exact).

The truth is that the actress wore authentic jewelry only during the promotion of the film: tiaras, necklaces, earrings and bracelets from Tiffany & Co. The ones we see on screen during the scenes in the feature are replicas that were in charge of the famous costume jewelry company Corocraft, since the manufacturer of the authentic pieces refused to provide them for the recordings. In addition, the production company could not afford the high costs of jewelry.

The locket was a magical talisman that protected every resident of Fantasia who had it in their possession. If the wearer was a human, the piece could even grant his wishes. It is a jewel in the shape of two serpents biting their tails, one in gold and the other in silver.

The animals intertwine forming an infinite knot that represents the relationship between fantasy and reality. Currently, the piece integrates the decoration of Steven Spielberg’s office, who received it as a gift from filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen in return for having collaborated in editing the American version of the film.

The jewels in this period film play a very important role, demonstrating the importance that costumes and accessories have when telling a certain story correctly. Therefore, the protagonist, Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley), displays a magnificent piece in 18-carat white gold with two round diamonds and 683 brilliant-cut diamonds, all inspired by camellias. The elaboration was in charge of Chanel.

The choker adorned with a letter “B” and with several pearls hanging from it is an imitation of the piece that actually belonged to Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII of England. It is a jewel that can be seen on the woman’s neck in all the portraits produced at the time.

It is a replica of the drop-shaped earrings worn by the model in the painting Girl with the Pearl Earring, by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, a work around which the feature film revolves. Despite the name of the painting, it was never possible to confirm whether the pearls were really real. There are experts who defend the authenticity of the jewel while others say the opposite. To date, the controversy has not been resolved.

Without a doubt, this is one of the most powerful gems on our list, but it is unfortunately fictional. It is a magical hourglass that allows its owner, in this case, Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), to travel through time. We can’t even imagine what the value of an object as impressive as this would be, but to the delight of fans, it is possible to find replicas being sold from 15.99 dollars (about 80 reais).

The ring was the work of Italy Malkin, and had the collaboration of Sarah Jessica Parker herself. It is a white gold piece with a large 5-carat black diamond in the middle and 43 pavé diamonds, small inlays completely covering the piece. In the scene where Mr. Big hands Carrie the ring as a form of punishment, so that she remembers the fact of being married daily, the girl asks: “Why black?”

This particular brooch had an important meaning for Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), as the character receives it from her younger sister’s hands as a lucky charm during the games. In the piece, we can see the silhouette of a “thrush”, a fictional bird, with an arrow in its beak. The jewel ended up becoming a symbol of the franchise, so much so that fans can easily guarantee a replica to call their own: on the Internet, it is possible to find models from 9.50 dollars (less than 50 reais).

The spectacular yellow diamond necklace worn by Kate Hudson in the hilarious romantic comedy is one of the most expensive pieces of jewelry ever worn in a movie. It is the Isadora diamond, a unique 128-carat gemstone designed by Tiffany & Co. and valued at 30 million dollars (almost 150 million reais). The last celebrity who had the chance to wear the piece was singer Lady Gaga, who performed with it around her neck at the Oscar ceremony in 2019.

Do you own any jewelry that you consider a real treasure, regardless of commercial value? Leave your comment!