Diamonds. They’re bright. Brilliant. Shiny. Dazzling. Intoxicating. Forever.
Maybe that’s why they’re always featured in engagement rings. Celebrated in songs. Grabbing headlines. And sometimes starring as the subject of (or playing a strong supporting role in) feature films.
In this post, we take a closer look at some well-known films that have cast diamonds in the brilliant light they so naturally command. Enjoy!
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (1961)
Renowned as the most iconic role and performance for Hollywood beauty Audrey Hepburn, this film adaptation of the 1958 Truman Capote novella also ranks as one of the most famous movies ever to star…diamonds. The film’s opening scene shows Hepburn’s character, Holly Golightly, standing in front of renowned diamond merchant Tiffany & Co., enjoying a danish-and-coffee breakfast and sporting a brilliant diamond necklace by Chanel. That necklace reportedly featured between 100 and 120 pearls, centered by a diamond brooch — likely valued at more than $50,000 today. Hepburn’s smile? Priceless.
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)
Regarded as a true “camp classic” among many film fans, particularly James Bond aficionados, this 1971 film was the seventh in the Eon Productions “007” series, and the sixth and final run for Sir Sean Connery, who was starting to show his age (and hairpiece) a bit at 41. Made on a $7.2 million budget, the film raked in $116 million at the box office, and it’s easy to see why. Though more “absurdist” in nature than many previous Bond films, it features high-stakes gambling (and sex) in vintage Las Vegas, classic spy drama, a rare moon buggy chase and of course, all kinds of diamond-smuggling adventures. The smuggled diamonds, it turns out, were set to be used by Bond nemesis Blofeld to build a massive laser satellite that would hold the entire world for ransom at his mercy (of course). Dame Shirley Bassey belted out the classic title song, with this 1987 live version showcasing her amazing talent.
INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984)
After the scintillating success of 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas joined forces again to create 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, with Harrison Ford reprising his role of swashbuckling, cynical professor-turned-adventurer Indiana Jones. Featuring a sidekick nicknamed “Short Round,” a nightclub singer called Willie Scott and an endless array of adventures, the film also showcases the five Sankara diamonds — historical and magical stones that are coveted by an evil cult that’s also kidnapped an entire village worth of children. Of course, in the end, Indiana Jones saves the day. Much of the aura of this film has also been represented and recreated in a thrilling and rather bumpy Disneyland ride called Indiana Jones Adventure.
PRETTY WOMAN (1990)
Arguably the highlight of Julia Roberts’ career, this film features the stunning, wide-smiled actress playing Vivian, a high-priced Los Angeles escort who unexpectedly ends up in a budding relationship with a businessman character played by Richard Gere. In the film, Gere’s character Edward presents Vivian with a stunning ruby-and-diamond necklace, and she asks him how much it’s worth. Edward tells Vivian that it’s probably valued at around $250,000 — but now, some 30 years later, there’s a good chance this scintillating piece could fetch somewhere around or even over $1 million. Either way, prime Roberts sports a smile worth many, many millions.
THE AFFAIR OF THE NECKLACE (2001)
Centered around an incident at the court of King Louis XVI in late-eighteenth-century France, this film features Million Dollar Baby star Hillary Swank in a powerful turn as scandal-ridden Queen Marie Antoinette, whose already tarnished reputation takes another hit when it’s implied she played a role in a crime to defraud the crown jewelers by stealing a pricey diamond necklace. The film chronicles a pivotal moment leading up to the class-shattering, world-changing French Revolution — and Marie Antoinette’s diamond necklace was appraised at around 2,800 carats.
THE PINK PANTHER (1963)
As iconic, entertaining and inspiring as a film can get, the original 1963 production The Pink Panther starred British comedic genius Peter Sellers as bumbling French detective Jacques Clouseau, who famously stumbles all over the investigation of a serious jewelry heist. Written and directed by Blake Edwards with a classic theme song composed by Henry Mancini, this film even featured tremendous spin-off success for its titular character, who stars in an unforgettable animated opening sequence — and soon became the star of his own theatrical cartoon series. As for the titular diamond, it was dubbed the Pink Panther due its midpoint flaw, which was said to resemble a leaping pink panther. This film eventually led to an 11-movie series, and the jewel appeared in 6 of those 11 movies.
UNCUT GEMS (2019)
Renowned for (often deeply low-ball) his comedy work, Saturday Night Live alum and seasoned actor/writer/producer Adam Sandler turned many heads in 2019 with this film, which features him in the very serious role of gambling addict and jewelry store owner Howard Ratner. The film also features a strong turn by former NBA star Kevin Garnett, who believes a valuable uncut opal diamond from Ethiopia provides him with magical in-game powers. The film features a memorable scene shot in New York’s famous Diamond District — one of the world’s largest and busiest diamond centers.
NOW STARRING: ZILLION
No matter how you feel about diamonds and their role in society, music, film, life and love, Zillion is ready to help you protect and insure any and all diamond jewelry investments — or other valued jewelry you may own.
With Zillion, there’s no overdramatic, theatrical production to worry about. In fact, we make the entire process — from insurance quote to claims process and everything in-between – as simple and easy as possible. So when you’re ready to protect the jewelry that plays a starring role in your life, connect with us online. We can’t wait to work with you. And make some magic.
