The most iconic jewellery moments from film

Diamonds. It’s said they’re a girl’s best friend – and that they’re forever.

From Tiffany & Co. looks on the red carpet to the enduring love affair with Cartier, the lives of the rich and famous always shine extra bright thanks to the enviable jewellery they get to wear.

But when they’re not posing on the red carpet decked out, sometimes a piece of jewellery is so impressive that a celebrity’s own star power is dulled in comparison.

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Let’s take a look at some of the times the jewellery took the top billing in the movies…

The Moulin Rouge necklace that required its own bodyguard

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In 2001’s musical spectacular, Moulin Rouge!, Nicole Kidman plays an aspiring actress who must choose between a loveless life with a rich Duke or her true heart’s desire in a penniless poet.

Of course, romantics would suggest the latter. But the former made some points with a most scintillating necklace.

The real-life necklace was made by Stefano Canturi specifically to fit actress Nicole Kidman’s neck and decolletage. The necklace was made out of 18K white gold and 134 carats of diamonds, with a 5-carat emerald-cut diamond and a 2.5-carat cabochon-cut Sri Lankan blue sapphire on the clasp.

Reports suggest it was worth anything from $1 to $3M, but either way, it’s still one of the most expensive pieces of jewellery specifically made for a movie, and was so valuable that it came with its own bodyguard and they created a fake version to use during more hands-on scenes.

Audrey Hepburn’s world-class diamonds for Breakfast at Tiffany’s

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During the filming and promotion of the iconic classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, screen legend Audrey Hepburn wore some of the most iconic jewels to ever exist.

In the 1961 movie itself, Audrey wears a wide selection of pieces. Most famously, at the opening of the film, she wore a four-string set of pearls with a diamond clasp in the middle. It’s become one of the defining images of cinema.

While she didn’t wear this in the film itself, to promote the movie, Audrey Hepburn also became one of the first women to ever wear the incomparable Tiffany Yellow diamond in person.

The 128.54 yellow-carat diamond was first acquired by Tiffany in 1878. The stone was sold to Tiffany for $18,000 and was cut into a cushion-shaped brilliant diamond with 82 facets. It remains one of the largest yellow diamonds ever discovered.

The Pretty Woman necklace

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Who could forget the moment in Pretty Woman when Richard Gere surprises Julia Roberts with a stunning necklace to complete her transformation for the opera?

Presenting her with the jewellery box, Richard Gere playfully snapped it shut when Julia reached out to touch it. This is a famously unscripted moment, and Julia’s shocked laughter was real.

While her laugh lit up the screen, nothing compared to the reveal of the necklace itself. Made from white gold and featuring 23 pear-shaped rubies, each encircled by natural diamond hearts, the necklace was reportedly made by French jeweller Fred Joaillier and has been estimated to be worth anywhere from $250,000 to $1.3M (approx. $184,000 to £960,000).

Titanic’s Heart of the Ocean, and the real-life diamond that inspired it

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In 1997’s romantic epic Titanic, Kate Winslet‘s Rose is presented with the necklace to end all necklaces – a magnificent sapphire piece that’s referred to as La Coeur de la Mer, or the Heart of the Ocean.

The necklace has been widely reported to be inspired by the real-life Hope Diamond.

A staggering 45.52-carat diamond, the Hope Diamond is one of the largest blue diamonds ever discovered, estimated to be worth approximately £263 million ($350 million), and was once believed to belong to Marie Antoinette.

London jewellers Asprey & Garrard made their own version of the Titanic-inspired jewel following the film’s release. It featured a platinum necklace set with a 171-carat Ceylon sapphire and 103 diamonds, which sold at auction for $1.4M (approx. £1.03M), and Celine Dion would wear it to the 1998 Academy Awards.

Tiffany’s unveil a special collection just for 2013’s The Great Gatsby

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For the filming and release of Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby in 2013, Tiffany & Co released a special collection of vintage and Art Deco-inspired pieces.

Among the most iconic Tiffany pieces used in the film was the diamond and pearl tiara worn by Carey Mulligan’s Daisy Buchanan.

Named the Savoy, the magnificent headpiece carried a reported price tag of $220,000 (approx. £162,000).

Marilyn Monroe’s ‘cursed’ necklace

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Screen icon Marilyn Monroe wasn’t short of deluxe diamonds to wear during the classic comedy, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

One notable jewel worn during the performance of her timeless musical number, Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend, and worn in publicity stills for the film was the Moon of Baroda, a 24.04-carat pear-shaped canary yellow diamond.

For those who believe in such tales, the Moon of Baroda was said to bring misfortune and tragedy to anyone who carried it across the sea, with a provenance dating back to the Maharajas of Baroda, the royal family of Gaekwad, over 500 years earlier.

Jennifer Lopez sparkles for Maid in Manhattan

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Every movie makeover needs touch of sparkle – and in Maid in Manhattan, Jennifer Lopez‘s plucky working-class maid’s Cinderella-style makeover is made complete thanks to the suite of Harry Winston diamonds.

While turning up for her date with Ralph Fiennes’ politician, JLo steals the show in a coral Bob Mackie gown paired with a Harry Winston diamond wreath Cluster necklace and matching earrings.

Chosen by costume designer Albert Wolsky, the necklace was made of 180 marquise, pear-shaped, and round brilliant diamonds totalling more than 48 carats.

Elizabeth Taylor wears her own jewels for Boom!

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For 1968’s Boom!, in which Elizabeth Taylor starred opposite the man she married twice, Richard Burton, the legendary star wore a selection of her own world-class diamonds.

Wearing a selection of her Bvlgari pieces, including diamond brooches and bracelets, one of the most notable pieces was the storied Krupp diamond, a 33.19-carat Asscher-Cut ring that Richard purchased for her that same year for a record price (at the time) of $307,000 (approx. £226,000 in 2025).

Grace Kelly’s real-life engagement ring takes centre stage

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Grace Kelly’s stunning 10.48-carat diamond engagement ring was famously worn in her final ever movie, High Society. In 2025, it went on display at London’s V&A Museum as part of the Cartier exhibition.

The magnificent ring featured an emerald-cut diamond, flanked by two baguette-cut diamonds, set in platinum. When Prince Rainier presented it to her in 1956, reports suggested it was worth around $4 million (£3m) and various sources suggest it could be worth around $38 million (£28.5m) today.

Ocean’s 8 based its necklace on a real Cartier treasure

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2018 crime caper Ocean’s 8 gave the franchise a much-needed dose of girl power, swapping the cast for a star-studded team made up of Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Rihanna, Anne Hathaway and more.

Teaming up to rob the Met Gala – what would Anna Wintour say? – the main target is a necklace worn by Anne Hathaway’s character.

While it wasn’t real in the film, it was based on the real-life Toussaint necklace, originally designed by Jacques Cartier in 1931 for the Maharaja of Nawanagar. The original necklace was described as “the finest cascade of colored diamonds in the world”, showcasing a central 136.25 carat blue-white flawless gem, known as the Queen of Holland diamond, as well as a 12 carat green diamond and several large white and pink diamonds.

Sharon Stone briefcase full of Bvlgari in Casino

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Martin Scorsese’s 1995 film, Casino, is all about excess. So it’s no surprise that the director turned to Italian jewellers Bvlgari to highlight just how much wealth his characters were dealing with.

Sharon Stone’s tragic heroine, Ginger, is gifted an entire briefcase of Bvlgari pieces in one memorable scene, with the camera lovingly capturing the Italian jeweller’s trademark colorful gems and stones.

Old world glamour for Anna Karenina

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In 2012, the tragic tale of Anna Karenina was adapted once more, this time starring Keira Knightley as the ultimately doomed Russian socialite.

Bringing the sumptuous wealth and finery of Russian aristocracy to life, the film is a feast of grand rooms and even grander fashion. For the jewels, Chanel Joaillerie created a special collection for the film, including the Camelia Poudré necklace, which featured a layered floral design of pearls and over 600 diamonds.

Rita Hayworth in Gilda

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1946’s Gilda is hailed as one of the all-time classic film noirs, and made a legend out of Rita Hayworth.

Famed for the seductive and, for the time, risque musical number where Rita peels off her gloves in a low-cut dress, the scene solidified a new style of vampy glamour.

With a subtle, diamond tennis necklace contrasted with the satin dress, the look helped usher in a feeling of less-is-more.

The tragic story behind Elizabeth Taylor’s understated jewellery

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In the 1958 film Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Elizabeth Taylor starred alongside Paul Newman in one of her most notable roles. And, while we’ve seen the legendary Elizabeth wear much larger, eye-catching jewels before, there’s a reason she wore the understated diamond heart pendant necklace throughout.

The necklace was one of Elizabeth’s own, and it was given to her by her third husband, Mike Todd, not long before he died in a plane crash. Elizabeth wore the pendant throughout the movie as a symbol of her grief and enduring love for him.

Gaga’s Italian glamour in House of Gucci

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With Gucci clothes and Bvlgari jewels, Lady Gaga fully got to live the Italian dream of la dolce vita while filming 2021’s House of Gucci.

In the film, Gaga played Patrizia Reggiani, the woman who married Gucci heir Maurizio Gucci.

Wearing Bvlgari jewels in several scenes, Gaga’s pieces included a platinum necklace and earrings from the High Jewellery Collection, a 1991 gold necklace with mixed gemstones from the Heritage Collection, and matching earrings and gold Serpenti Tubogas bracelets from the 1970s.

Elizabeth Taylor and Cleopatra begins a lifelong love for Bvlgari

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“I introduced her to beer and she introduced me to Bvlgari” – Richard Burton, on how Elizabeth Taylor brought him to a new world of glamour.

Elizabeth Taylor was such a fan of the Italian jewellers, it’s said she visited the boutique every day while filming Cleopatra in Rome, and the boutique even named a room after her, the Salottino Taylor.

This is why many of the pieces used throughout the film became part of Elizabeth’s personal collection.

Kate Hudson’s engagement ring from Bride Wars

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Not to give people false expectations of what to expect from their own engagement ring, Kate Hudson’s character in the 2009 romantic comedy Bride Wars was worth quite a pretty penny.

Playing a lawyer in the movie, Kate’s character, Liv, is surprised by her fiancé with a Tiffany & Co ring said to be worth – wait for it – $896,000 (approx. £660,000).

The ring features a 5-carat Novo cushion-cut diamond.

Nicole Kidman’s replicas of the Grimaldi and Grace Kelly’s jewels

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As well as providing jewellery for the 2014 film, Grace of Monaco, Cartier recreated five pieces of Princess Grace’s collection for Nicole Kidman to wear, with the blessing of the Monegasque royal family.

These included a diamond poodle pin, a hen brooch, a ruby and diamond tiara, a poodle brooch and her revered three-stand diamond necklace.

The emerald ring from Crazy Rich Asians actually belonged to a cast member

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Crazy Rich Asians is widely considered to be a modern classic when it comes to the romantic-comedy genre, and it’s full of sweet moments and awe-inspiring displays of wealth.

One moment that blends the two is when Michelle Yeoh’s character gives her engagement ring to her son, for him to present to his girlfriend.

The emerald green engagement ring actually belonged to Michelle Yeoh in real life.

“The ring in the movie, it belonged to me, yes,” she told The Knot. “It was very important for it to be real. And Eleanor was a character who knew what she wore had to be flawless. Her [own] mother-in-law did not approve and did not give her the family ring at the end of the day… so that ring had to be very special.”

Elizabeth Taylor’s small cameo includes a big jewel

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Elizabeth Taylor was used to top billing when it came to her films, but the acting great had a little-known brief cameo as a courtier in a film that starred her husband at the time, Richard Burton.

For the short cameo, Elizabeth made quite the impression wearing the La Peregrina pearl as part of her costume.

The pearl was the largest in the world when it was discovered in the 1500s and was given to Elizabeth by Richard after he bought it as a Valentine’s Day present in 1969 for $37,000 (£28,000).

Jackie O’s jewels get restored for Natalie Portman

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In the 2016 film Jackie, a fictionalized imagining of Jackie Kennedy’s life immediately after the assassination of President John F Kennedy, Natalie Portman was decked out in jewels from a brand the First Lady was known to love.

Natalie wore a Piaget watch with a jade dial, a faithful replica of Jackie’s. Piaget also loaned other diamond and pearl pieces to the film to authentically replicate her trademark style.

Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady

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Henry Higgins grew accustomed to Eliza Doolittle’s face in My Fair Lady, but viewers didn’t need that time to grow fond of the stylish Audrey Hepburn.

In the 1964 movie adaptation of the classic musical, Audrey Hepburn’s transformation from flower girl to society lady was completed thanks to a suite of vintage diamonds.

In the film, Audrey wore a diamond tiara and a matching openwork diamond choker necklace from Chaumet, a luxury French jeweller dating back to 1780.

Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette featured $4M worth of vintage diamonds

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In 2006, Sofia Coppola reimagined and re-spun the tale of Marie Antoinette with a touch of modern sensibilities.

With frothy pastels, a modern soundtrack and anachronistic fashion choices (like Manolo Blahnik), the film is a delight for the senses. And while a lot of the fashion was from newer generations, the jewels were old.

Kirsten Dunst as the French queen wore a suite of jewels from Fred Leighton – an antique jewel specialist – including diamond feather brooches, bracelets, necklaces, and various pairs of drop earrings.

Carrie’s non-traditional engagement ring in Sex and the City 2

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In the second Sex and the City movie, Carrie Bradshaw gets quite an unusual punishment for her extramarital kiss with her ex-boyfriend. When she returns home to Mr Big, he presents her with a diamond engagement ring.

Making sense in the context of the film, Big reveals he wants Carrie to lean in to more traditional aspects of their marriage. But the ring he gave still has a touch of rebellion – it was a black diamond engagement ring designed by Itay Malkin.

The final design was a 5-carat round-cut black diamond set in 18-carat white gold, accented with a hidden halo of 78 pavé-set natural white diamonds totalling 0.43 carats.

What a Way to Go!

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If you’re looking for a movie with glamour, you can’t go wrong with the sometimes overlooked What a Way to Go!

Originally intended to star Marilyn Monroe, the movie follows Shirley MacLaine, a woman who keeps marrying men hoping for romance, but they all end up becoming filthy rich. Something which Shirley’s character resents.

An odd tale, the film is best known for its incredible costumes (there were 72 looks created by legendary costume designer Edith Head!), which included over $3M worth of Harry Winston jewels lent for the production.

Gone with the Wind

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Vivien Leigh wore many great period costumes and jewels for the controversial classic, Gone With The Wind, and one of the most memorable was the prominent Cameo brooch she wore in the final scene.

As Rhett Butler utters the classic line, ‘Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn’, Vivien’s character is sporting a prominent brooch featuring a young woman riding a bird set in gold.

Many suggest that this boosted a revived interest in Cameo jewellery at the time, and it’s why the old-fashioned look has become a collectable style.

Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday

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Roman Holiday was Audrey Hepburn’s first leading film role, and, at the age of 24, she picked up her first Oscar for her performance in it.

As well as a star being born, fans were treated to sparkling jewels courtesy of Fürst, an Italian design house founded in the 1850s.

One of the most iconic pieces was a pearl, sapphire and diamond choker that was personally chosen by Audrey to wear in the film.

Elizabeth Taylor in The VIPs

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For 1963’s The VIPs, which teamed up Elizabeth Taylor and her two-time husband, Richard Burton, Elizabeth famously wore some of her own pieces. It makes sense. She had better jewellery than most!

For the film, Elizabeth wore pieces including a Bvlgari platinum, emerald and diamond Tremblant brooch worn as a hairpiece.

Downton Abbey’s historic pieces

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From its debut as a TV series to the three films that it’s since spawned, Downton Abbey has included a whole host of noteworthy jewels and fashion.

To keep the film historically accurate, the costume designers sought out some antique pieces for the 2025 movie, Downton Abbey: The Grand Final.

Speaking to Forbes about some standout pieces, the team highlight a late Art Deco statement brooch by Hennell, one of the oldest silversmithing and jewellery manufacturers in London.

The brooch featured a 66.02-carat radiant-cut aquamarine framed within a diamond-set lozenge border. Suspended from this is a secondary brooch element, set with a 14.73-carat emerald-cut aquamarine and trailing five diamond floral drop elements. The old brilliant- and transition-cut diamonds weigh an estimated total of 11.5 carats.

Legally Blonde 2’s pink engagement ring

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If there was ever a fictional character best suited to lead the charge in modern, non-traditional engagement rings, it’s Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods.

In the second movie from the franchise, Reese Witherspoon‘s character showcased her oval-shaped, pink Harry Winston diamond with two side-stone accents.

Fun fact: Reese Witherspoon actually contributed to the design of the pink sparkler.

Gloria Swanson’s Old Hollywood treasure

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Gloria Swanson’s diamond wing choker was worn prominently throughout the classic film noir, Sunset Boulevard.

What’s quite meta about the necklace is that, like the film itself, the necklace has a connection to Hollywood’s past. While Gloria plays a fading film star, the necklace had also appeared in previous Old Hollywood films, including The Lady Eve, starring Barbara Stanwyck in 1941.

Mia Farrow in The Great Gatsby

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In 1974’s The Great Gatsby, Mia Farrow played one of literature’s most famous – or infamous – characters. Daisy Buchanan, the object of Jay Gatsby’s obsession, became synonymous with excess, wealth and the roaring spirit of the 1920s.

To play the part, Mia Farrow was bejewelled in a range of standout pieces for the film, including the marquise diamond engagement ring with diamond tapered baguettes. and the Cartier ‘Love Birds’ brooch made of rubies, onyx, and diamonds.