The 1997 romantic cult classic, Titanic, directed by James Cameron was recently re-released
into theatres in a 3-D version. The diamond necklace that Cal gave to rose, known as the
Heart of the Ocean, was a stunning necklace that was a heart-shaped sapphire, surrounded
by 103 diamonds in a platinum setting. While the movie prop was valued at only $10,000, the
authentic version is estimated to be valued at as much as $4 million. The sapphire itself was
171 carats and weighed about 34 grams. The movie prop and the authentic version was both
designed by jewelers Asprey & Garrard. At the end of the movie, it was dropped into the ocean
by the elderly Rose as she remembered her time with Cal, played by Leonardo diCaprio.
Since the Titanic 3D has been released back into theatres, it has been breaking records all
over the world. Of all the movies that have ever been re-released, Titanic is making the most
impressive numbers in the box office. In the first 12 days, it has grossed over $200 million.
This is on top of what the original release and subsequent DVD sales added up to, which was
over $1.8 billion. Kate Winslet and Leonardo diCaprio starred in the 1997 film and it helped to
jumpstart both of their careers. The theme song to the movie, “My Heart Will Go On” was sung
by Celine Dion and she actually wore the Asprey & Garrard Heart of the Ocean necklace to the
1998 Academy Awards where she performed the same song during the ceremony. With the
release of the movie back to theatres, a number of jewelers have been creating replicas of the
necklace, using everything from a silver setting to cubic zirconia around the sapphire to keep
costs down. However, Asprey & Garrard only created one authentic necklace and it is unknown
as to who it belongs to.
Asprey & Garrard merged in 1998, being originally Garrard & Company and Asprey. Garrard
was commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1843 as the Crown Jewellers for the Royal Family.
They were responsible for making many of the jewels and silverware found in the palace and
they were responsible for up keeping the Crown Jewels. While they are no longer responsible
for the Crown Jewels, they were responsible for making the sapphire engagement ring that
Prince William presented to Catherine Middleton when he proposed. As for the Heart of the
Ocean necklace that they created for the Titanic, it was donated to Sotheby’s for an auction to
benefit the memorial fund of Princess Diana as well as Aid for AIDS. The person who bought
the necklace paid $2.2 million and the name of the person is undisclosed. Asprey & Garrard
have received a lot of notoriety since their inception in London in 1735. They have dealt with
cutting a number of famous diamonds and their clients have including royalty in England, India
and beyond. They continue to create stunning designs that are available in London, New York,
Tokyo, Dubai, Hong Kong and Moscow.
Archive for the ‘Celine Dion’ Category
Titanic 3D Release Boasts the Heart of the Ocean Necklace
Thursday, April 19th, 2012Not Every Girl’s Best Friend
Friday, January 6th, 2012
Not every celeb is a diehard diamond fan. There are those famous few who are not known for their high-end likes and have to haves. The day when it was all about the diamond or the size of the diamond are long gone. It isn’t that diamonds aren’t wanted, quite the contrary, but they are not every girls favorite. They are not always the defining piece for a jewelry piece. Many celebrities are finding that unique and beautiful pieces are more about the design and the originality than the overall carat of the diamond that is in them. Celebrities like to look unique and to set trends. That is no different when it comes to jewelry pieces. Diamonds are important, but the setting and originality define the style of the person wearing it. Celebs like Celine Dion demonstrate that diamonds are not the only thing that sparkle. In a recent event, she showed of the most gorgeous and classic looking Bulgari piece perfectly placed around the nape of her neck. Not only having diamonds of different colors but emeralds and other jewels are the new trend. The elegance of Celine’s necklace was not about the amount of jewels or carats that it added up to, but the beautiful design and originality of the piece. No costume jewelry for this star of stage. This Bulgari piece was as beautiful and as breath-taking as her voice. It was the kind of beauty that takes your breath away. Not gaudy or overbearing, this piece is the perfect mix of uniqueness and style. The emeralds would make anyone green with envy. Finding a knock off to sparkle the way this one does in costume reproductions is not going to be an easy endeavor. Nothing shines like diamonds and for most of us, they are still a girl’s best friend.
