English Version | A dazzling love affair

Lights, camera, jewelry... action. There are jewelry pieces that have more notoriety than the scenes of the movies that introduced them to the big screen. It’s the proof that diamonds can be a girl’s best friend, yes, but also that they are very fond of cinema.

When Julia Roberts starred in Pretty Woman (1990), all eyes were on the actress' immaculate performance - until a necklace of succulent red rubies appeared on the big screen. Almost magically, our attention was drawn to the majestic piece of jewelry forged by the French Fred Joaillier, valued at over a million dollars. A similar phenomenon occurs with Carey Mulligan in The Great Gatsby (2013). It is almost impossible to think of her role as Daisy Buchanan without recalling the fantastic 1920s headpiece signed by Tiffany & Co. One cannot live without the other. And this is because cinema may be made of big and small scenes, but also of big and small jewels. Some are of such colossal size that they extend beyond the popularity of the movie that introduced them to the world. Others exist only in the fiction that unfolds on the big screen. This is the case of the notorious necklace Heart of the Ocean, a crucial jewel in the story of Titanic (1997). Kate Winslet never wore a 56-carat diamond belonging to Louis XVI, as the film would have us believe, but Rose DeWitt Bukater, the character she plays, had the opportunity to wear a replica of such a myth, although it did not have a real diamond. If we want to talk about replicas, or, better, inspirations, we can travel to the Ancient Egypt, namely its portrait provided by the megalomaniac version of Cleopatra (1963), by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Elizabeth Taylor, who played the leading role, wore more than 60 outfits in the film, but it was the jewelry that occupied the main role. Eugene Joseph was in charge of designing the jewelry for the film, based on two major references: Cleopatra, or it wouldn't be a biography of herself, and Bulgari, the brand that stole Elizabeth Taylor's heart. Among the innumerous jewelry that appears on the big screen, it stands out the snake-shaped bracelet with which Taylor embellishes her arm, a clear reference to the emblematic Serpenti watch of the Italian brand.

Talking about monarchs and their jewelry without mentioning Grace Kelly would be a big mistake. The actress quit the movies to play the most important role of her life, being Princess of Monaco, but she didn't do it without receiving what must be one of the most expensive engagement rings in History. We are talking about a piece by Cartier (with a 10.47 carat diamond), with an estimated value of 4 million dollars, which Kelly displayed in the movie High Society (1956). In the present century, when Nicole Kidman played the princess in Grace of Monaco (2014), the French maison left its mark again, being in charge of all the jewelry shown in the film. Something similar happened with Diana (2013). Naomi Watts, in the role of the Princess of Wales, wore a set of Chopard signature jewelry from the brand's archive. Julian Day, costume designer for the film, selected the pieces that best reflected Diana's style, finding the best match in the Happy Diamonds collection. However, the one who taught us that diamonds are a girl’s best friend was Marilyn Monroe, even if she was not being true to her word. During her performance of the song Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), the sparkle that embellishes the actress is made of diamonds, but of Swarovski crystals. But who are we to blame Monroe when the most notorious moments in the history of cinema took place in the presence of crystals from the Austrian brand? Since Marlene Dietrich displayed them on the big screen in Blonde Venus (1932), Swarovski crystals have embellished Dorothy's iconic shoes, worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of OZ (1939), and Holly Golightly's tiara, which rests on Audrey Hepburn's head in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Cinema has long been experiencing a beautiful love affair with jewelry, almost as great as the one Daniel Craig's James Bond maintains with his Omega watch.

Translated from the original on "The Velvet Touch" issue of Vogue Portugal, published December 2022.Full stories and credits on the print issue.