Famous Jewellery in Film and TV

Jewellery has always played a starring role on screen. A single necklace can carry a plot, define a character or set a period in a single shot, and some screen jewels have become as famous as the stars who wore them. Here are some of our favourites, and how to find the same look in antique jewellery.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” made diamonds the ultimate symbol of Hollywood glamour, and name-checked Harry Winston. Read the story of the King of Diamonds.

Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes — Marilyn Monroe in the trailer for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, 1953. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Audrey Hepburn’s layered pearls in the opening scene are among the most copied looks in film history. Antique pearl necklaces and chains give the same elegance. See our pearl jewellery.

Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1961. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

To Catch a Thief (1955)

Grace Kelly’s diamonds on the Riviera, in a film about a jewel thief, made her a style icon; her own engagement ring is one of the most famous ever made. Read about Grace Kelly’s engagement ring.

Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief, 1955. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Titanic (1997)

The fictional “Heart of the Ocean” was inspired by the Hope Diamond, the great blue diamond now in the Smithsonian. It made heart-shaped jewellery one of the most requested styles of the late 1990s.

The Great Gatsby (2013)

The film’s glittering 1920s jewellery sent many people looking for genuine Art Deco pieces: geometric platinum, diamonds and pearls. See our Art Deco jewellery.

Dancing the Charleston in the 1920s — Dancing the Charleston, 1920s. Library of Congress. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Poster for The Great Gatsby, 1926 — The poster for the first film of The Great Gatsby, 1926. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

After every big period drama, people come in asking for ‘the ring from the show’. The lovely thing is that the real antique version is usually even better.
Olly Gerrish, AJC Founder

Downton Abbey

The Crawley women’s Edwardian and 1920s jewels, tiaras, pearls and delicate platinum pieces, revived interest in Edwardian jewellery.

Princess Ruspoli, Duchess de Gramont, by Philip de László — Philip de László's portrait of Princess Ruspoli, Duchess de Gramont: Edwardian and 1920s society in its jewels. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Crown

Carefully researched recreations of royal jewels, from the Queen’s pearls to Princess Diana’s sapphire, introduced a new generation to royal jewellery. Read about Princess Diana’s jewellery and the most iconic royal engagement rings.

Queen Elizabeth II on her Coronation Day, 1953. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Bridgerton

The series’ colourful Regency world brought renewed interest in Georgian jewellery: gem-set clusters, cameos and pastes. See our Georgian jewellery.

Georgian 9ct Gold & Silver Cluster Ring set with Old Mine Cut Diamonds & a Rose Cut Diamond

Our view

Screen jewellery is usually a copy of something real. The best way to get the look is to go to the source: a genuine Georgian cluster, an Edwardian pearl or an Art Deco diamond ring, with a history of its own.