July 5, 2010
Was there really a famous diamond necklace that went down with the Titanic? Goodness, that diamond necklace is probably one of the most beautiful pieces of diamond jewelry that I have ever laid eyes on. It would be just heart breaking to think that such beautiful diamonds are lying at the bottom of the ocean. It makes me want to cry.
July 8, 2010
The diamond necklace featured in the Hollywood blockbuster film The Titanic (1997) is a fictional necklace. There was definitely no such diamond necklace on the original Titanic ship. In the film, the diamond necklace is dubbed the "Heart of the Ocean" and is believed to have sunk with the ship. A treasure-hunter scavenges the ruins of the Titanic, in search of the famous and priceless diamond necklace. In the film, the necklace supposedly features a huge blue diamond that was once worn by Louis XVI in his crown jewels. After his execution, the blue diamond was recut into a heart shape and set in a necklace. The treasure hunter's theory that the diamond was on the ship was boosted when his team finds a drawing, dated the day that the ship sunk, depicting a nude woman wearing only the magnificent blue diamond necklace. The story of the Heart of the Ocean diamond necklace is reminiscent of the legend of the Hope Diamond, a fantastic blue diamond that once belonged to King Louis XVI, although the deceased king wore the stunning diamond in a crown rather than a necklace. The actual Hope Diamond was cursed according to legend, and grave and gruesome misfortunes befell many of the diamond's owners and wearers. The Hope Diamond, however, is by no means at the bottom of the ocean, and is on display at the Smithsonian Institute. As far as is known, no noteworthy jewelry or diamonds were on board the Titanic when it sunk, aside from the typical diamond rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets which were likely among the belongings of the ship's affluent passengers. The blue diamond necklace plays an important role in the original 1940s version of the film, where it also features in a romance between a young couple.
July 6, 2010
Although there was no real "Heart of the Ocean" diamond necklace on the Titanic, high-end jewelery makers Asprey & Garrard were inspired to recreate the fictional necklace after seeing the movie in 1997. They used a 170 carat blue sapphire, encompassed by 65 small round white diamonds, whose total weight was 30 carats. The sapphire and diamond necklace graced the neck of singer Celine Dion at the 1998 Academy Awards ceremony - where she sang the theme song from the Titanic film. The diamond necklace was later auctioned off - and bought by Dion's husband for $2.2 million. At present the diamond and sapphire necklace is at the National Shipwreck Museum in Cornwall, England, although it was supposedly worn by Britney Spears in the music video for "Oops...I did it again!"