Quick Links

We all heard her loud and clear when Marilyn Monroe told the whole world that diamonds are a girl's best friend. They are the secret behind flawless elegance and all successful outfits. Assorted accordingly, they have the incredible power to highlight any woman's features, adding a touch of femininity and personality. It was the same blonde who also said that diamonds are forever, and she couldn't have been more right. Worn for centuries by the world's elite, they are more than just a token of wealth, they are a symbol of social status that will never go out of fashion. Moreover, they have become the iconic image of such Hollywood classics like Breakfast at Tiffany's, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Titanic, and Pretty Woman, and they all have a little story of their own story to tell.

It was back in the 1930's that the first outstanding pieces of jewelry made their way on the screen. Later, in the 1950's, Hollywood's beloved fashion icons Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe became pin-up girls for diamond and pearl pendants in many of their films. Ironically, Marilyn Monroe rarely wore diamonds outside the screen, same as Audrey Hepburn, who believed that simplicity equals elegance. Nevertheless, Holly Golightly's necklace and Marilyn's diamond pendant worn while singing Diamonds are a girl's best friend continue to inspire jewelers even to this day and can make women go crazy at the idea of putting even the cheapest replica of their idols' luscious jewelry. Movies tend to advertise certain brands, but in this particular case, the pieces of jewelry worn by the following Hollywood icons became famous thanks to their significance and unmatched beauty, becoming the carriers of timeless profound symbolism.

10. Natalie Portman's “B” Necklace: The Other Boleyn Girl

Nobody imagined a historical movie could stir up such a fuss, all due to the lovely “B” necklace was worn by Natalie Portman in the role of Ann Boleyn in the 2008 movie The Other Boleyn Girl. The pearl necklace is a faithful replica of Ann Boleyn's “B” necklace she can be seen wearing in many of her portraits. A string of rondelle pearls holds the large gold initial with three teardrop pearls hanging below it. In the movie, the necklace appears when formerly disgraced Ann Boleyn returns home to England from France, joining her sister, both fighting for the affection of King Henry VIII. Ann Boleyn's signature mark also drew attention when Ugly Betty fans signaled a striking resemblance with the necklace Betty wore in the TV series, thus raising much controversy.

9. Vivien Leigh's Cameo Brooch: Gone with the Wind

Who would have thought that a mourning dress can become so fashionable? If it wasn't for Scarlett O'Hara's sense of fashion, who knows where we'd be today. Dressed in a velvet mourning dress accessorized with a dazzling oversized cameo brooch, magnificent to say the least, the scene immediately turned Vivien Leigh into a fashion icon of her time. One of those classic movies that will never grow old, the 1938 film Gone with the Wind enters our list thanks to the extremely rare cameo brooch Scarlett O'Hara wore, which belonged to the costume designer's mother, and was lent for the classic Victorian mourning scene. Set in gold, it features a figure riding a bird, uncommon for cameo brooches of that time.

8. Nicole Kidman's Diamond Necklace: Moulin Rouge

Baz Lurhmann's Academy Award wining musical Moulin Rouge is a tale of romance and decadence set in the turn of 19th century Paris. However, it wasn't just the plot, cast, and costume design that caught attention, but also the platinum and diamond necklace Nicole Kidman's character, Satine, wore in the movie. Stefano Canturi is the man behind the splendid creation. Weighing 134 karats, the necklace boasts more than a thousand diamonds, 1,308 to be exact. Estimated at $1 million, it was the most expensive jewelry ever created for a movie at the time, but it was surpassed in 2003 by the yellow diamond pendant in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. Nowadays, it is part of Canturi's personal collection. Inspired by the Louis XVI style, the openwork lace patterns and scrolls diamond necklace is offered to Satine, a beautiful courtesan, by the rich and possessive Duke Monroth, and becomes the symbol of giving up on true love.

7. One Ring: The Lord of the Rings

The most powerful of all rings of power in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic tales series The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit is the One Ring. The central plot in the books and adapted movies, it is an evil object, a symbol of greed, forged in the crater of Mount Doom. The One Ring is made of pure gold and can only be destroyed by throwing it into the same crater that created it. The lines inscribed on the ring are the ones that Sauron uttered when he forged it. The fictional artifact in Lord of the Rings and the adaptation of the prequel novel The Hobbit was handcrafted by Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith in New Zealand in 18-karat gold. There are a total of 15 reproductions of the ring used in the series, which slightly vary in size and weight.

6. Sarah Jessica Parker's Engagement Ring: Sex and the City 2

They may not have turned out such classic as the other films on our list, but the Sex in the City movie series definitely inspired a generation in terms of fashion. In the final scene of Sex and the City 2, Mr. Big presents Carrie Bradshaw with a five carat black diamond ring while uttering the worlds “because we are not like anyone else.” The five-karat black diamond engagement ring is an extravagant fashion-forward piece of jewelry that fits Sarah Jessica Parker's character like a glove. Itay Malkin is the one who anonymously submitted the designs to the production staff. After his ideas were approved, he was the one who handcrafted the diamond ring. He actually worked with Sarah Jessica Parker on the final touches, setting the black diamond in 18-karat gold, enclosed by 80 transparent pave diamonds.

5. Kate Hudson's Yellow Diamond Necklace: How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days

Created by famed jeweler Harry Winston specially for Kate Hudson's character, Andie, in the hilarious 2003 comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the sparkling yellow pendant adorning the beautiful young actress' neck is an 84-karat Isadora necklace. Valued at over $5 million, it is the most expensive piece of jewelry ever created for a movie. Since the diamond wreath necklace turned out to be so glamorous, movie designers had to create a special dress to match it, and a lovely yellow gala dress was designed for the scene played alongside co-star Matthew McConaughey. Besides the 51.94 carat sapphire topping the necklace, and estimated $14 million worth of jewelry were lent for the film.

4. Julia Robert's Ruby and Diamond Necklace: Pretty Woman

The memorable scene of Julia Roberts' infectious laugh in the 1990 classic film Pretty Woman with co-star Richard Gere is perhaps the greatest laughter in movie history. However, few know that the scene in which Richard Gere snaps the jewelry box on Julia Robert's fingers just as she was reaching to grab the extravagant ruby and diamond necklace was actually intended as a prank. The entire scene was a practical joke put together by Gere and the staff, but it was so realistic and adorable that the director decided to keep it in the movie. That's how the famous Pretty Woman laugh was born. Julia Roberts wearing a red dress and the ruby and diamond necklace is one of the most memorable Hollywood images, the one that turned her into a fashion icon. Estimated at $1.35 million, the necklace boasts 23 wonderful pear-cut rubies in the center of diamond hearts, all complemented by Julia's stunning opera dress.

3. Marilyn Monroe's Diamond Necklace: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

“Talk to me Harry Winston, tell me all about it,” the famous line uttered by Hollywood's favorite blonde, Marilyn Monroe, is perhaps the most famous in movie jewelry history. It was enough to make women everywhere go crazy for Harry Winston's prestigious and ridiculously expensive jewelry. Remember Marilyn Monroe singing "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" in a pink satin evening bustier gown with matching gloves in the 1953 classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes? The scene would not have been the same if it weren't for the opulent diamond necklace adorning her generous cleavage. The Moon of Baroda is a 24-karat pear-shaped yellow canary diamond necklace, with an interesting story of its own, one that stretches for centuries before landing in Hollywood. It has been the property of the Maharajah of Baroda, India for more than 500 years until the 18th century, when it adorned Empress Maria Theresa of Austria's neck, and was even worn by Marie Antoinette. Afterward, it was stolen and returned to Baroda, where it remained for another 200 years until it was purchased by Meyer Rosenbaum and lent to Marilyn Monroe for the movie.

2. Audrey Hepburn's Pearl and Diamond Necklace: Breakfast at Tiffany's

“I'm just CRAZY about Tiffany's!” said Holly Golightly in the all-time classic Breakfast at Tiffany's. You might say it's publicity in disguise, but it's merely the adaptation of Truman Capote's novel. Nevertheless, it did draw even more attention on the New York based jeweler. Wearing the memorable little black Givenchy haute couture dress that set new trends at the time, long gloves, and cigarette holder, we all have to admit that Holly Golightly would not be the same without the multi-strand pearl and diamond necklace. The Tiffany strands of pearls adorning her neck and the matching diamante hair ornament will forever be associated with the starlet's impeccable style and taste for fashion, which have ever since 1961 never stopped inspiring jewelers everywhere.

1. Kate Winslet's Heart of the Ocean: Titanic

When it hit the screens in 1997, James Cameron's Titanic immediately became the blockbuster of a generation, and will forever remain one of the most memorable movies of all time. A classic love story set on the background of one of history's greatest tragedies, it was not Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet's flawless performance alone that gathered the laurels, but also the magnificent Heart of the Ocean sapphire pendant worn by the leading actress in the role of Rose. The necklace was a gift from her fiance, who explained that it once belonged to Louis XVI and was cut in the shape of a heart after the French Revolution. However, the pendant used in the movie is not an actual blue diamond. It was merely part of the props, the work of Harry Winston, inspired by the famous Hope Diamond, valued at $250 million. Following the film's great success, the creator of the pendant was commissioned to make a real Heart of the Ocean. What resulted was a 170-karat Ceylon sapphire enclosed by 103 diamonds, valued at $4 million. Gloria Stuart, the actress who played the older Rose, wore the necklace at the 1997 Oscars, making it one of the most expensive jewelry pieces ever worn at the Academy Awards festivities.