I am a big fan of fiction. The fictional worlds we can visit through film, books, even video games, are absolutely magical. The attention to detail in fiction is breath-taking, and today I’d like to focus on some of the most famous fictional jewellery.
The Heart of the Ocean
Perhaps the most famous piece of jewellery ever seen on film, the Heart of the Ocean is a stunning blue diamond pendant necklace featured in James Cameron’s record-breaking classic Titanic. In the film, young socialite Rose Dewitt Bukater receives the pendant as a gift from her fiancé, Cal Hockley. Cal explains that the item has a prolific history, once belonging to King Louis XVI of France. While the Heart of the Ocean is a fictional gem, it bears significant resemblance to the infamous Hope Diamond. Both shockingly large and spectacularly blue, these diamonds are also intricately linked with misfortune. Obviously, the Heart of the Ocean is considered a bad luck charm because of its connection to the sinking of the Titanic – although perhaps it is fortunate after all, as Rose makes it out of the sinking with the gemstone in her pocket. The Hope Diamond, however, has no such luck attached to it; with a recorded history of owners that spans from 1666 through to today (with a few hundred years mysteriously missing), every owner of the Hope Diamond seems to have met an unfortunate end. Lucky or unlucky, the Heart of the Ocean and the Hope Diamond are both undeniably stunning gemstones, and so it’s really no surprise that the enormous pendant has found fame beyond the screen.
The One Ring
One of my favourites, the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings is a solid gold band that appears like any other plain ring, until cast into fire; once in flames, elven inscriptions become visible on the ring, glowing brightly. Granting the wearer invisibility, the One Ring is a Ring of Power, forged in the fires of Mount Doom, and used to strengthen the wearer’s power. In The Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring must unite to destroy the One Ring, to destroy the uprising of evil in Middle Earth. The inscription on the One Ring reads:
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
Although the One Ring was destroyed at the close of The Lord of the Rings’ third instalment, The Return of the King, the plainness of the band does strike quite a magical cord, suggesting that the magical powers it possesses could be lurking on any old ring. It certainly makes me cast a more sceptical eye over the plain gold bands out there in the world…
The Time Turner
Another item containing magical properties, the Time Turner features heavily in the third instalment of the Harry Potter book and film series, The Prisoner of Azkaban. Given to Hermione by Professor McGonagall, the Time Turner allows the wearer to travel back in time several hours at a time. Originally, the Time Turner was given to the book-smart student so she could manage a busy schedule of learning. Through the course of the narrative, however, Hermione comes to need the Time Turner to save the lives of several others, including herself. Now, I can’t deny, I have definitely wished for a Time Turner of my own in the past, and I am sure that I will again in the future. Imagine the possibilities presented by such a unique item – missed your train? Not a problem. Forgot to bring your purse with you? Don’t panic. Enjoyed the show so much you want to see it again right now? That can be arranged! Other than its special abilities, something that makes this piece stand out and give it fame beyond its fiction is its wonderfully unique design. A sand timer confined within two golden rings, the twisting and turning of the Tune Turner is mesmerising, and it’s no wonder that it’s become such an iconic piece of jewellery from an iconic series.
Bella Swan’s Engagement Ring
While the Twilight saga of novels and films had a lot of people sighing and rolling their eyes at the teenage angst present throughout, it equally had thousands of people swooning over the brooding immortal, Edward Cullen, and when he proposed to the story’s protagonist, Bella Swan, many were overcome with jealousy. A multi-diamond, oval-shaped ring, Bella Swan’s engagement ring was the focus of some people’s entire worlds, with one super-fan even spending $16,800 at auction for the genuine article, worn by Kristen Stewart during the filming of the Twilight series. More than 1000 people bid on the ring, both online and in person, showing the veracity of fans when they get the opportunity to buy items from a much-loved franchise. There are, of course, a variety of replicas available to fans that aren’t so interested in dropping close to 17 grand to show their commitment to a franchise. Looking at the ring, I couldn’t but notice how it reminded me of a couple of multi-diamond rings we have in stock. Maybe if the love of your life is – or was – a Twihard (as the fanbase fondly refers to themselves) these might be the perfect engagement rings for them, a subtle nod to their favourite fantasy romance that doesn’t break the bank (not as much, anyway).
The Mockingjay Pin
Another one from the Young Adult fiction section, the Mockingjay Pin first saw popularity in Suzanne Collins’ international bestselling book, The Hunger Games. Teenagers of all ages are gathered up and thrown into a grisly death-match each year to remind the populace of a dystopian future that rebellion will continually meet with failure, until protagonist Katniss Everdeen enters the Games to stand in for her young sister. Before leaving her impoverished home of District 12, Katniss receives a pin of the Mockingjay, a biologically engineered bird that acted as a symbol of a bygone revolt against the oligarchy ruling in the Capitol. Through her success in the Games, Katniss herself becomes a Mockingjay-type symbol for the people of Panem, and symbolises a new revolution that overthrows the elitist governing body. Upon reading this series and watching the highly successful film adaptations, girls around the world (myself included) felt an empowerment like never before, and it seemed every household had their own Mockingjay in the form of teenagers eager to rise up and fight the power! As has happened before, I found myself reminded of the numerous bird brooches we have in our supply, and these examples in particular reminded me of the power and majesty of the Mockingjay Pin featured in the film adaptations of Collins’ novels.
The Breakfast at Tiffany’s Necklace
While just about everything from the novella and subsequent film adaptation is considered iconic today, the diamond and pearl necklace worn by Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, the film’s Café Society protagonist, is certainly a sight to behold. Holly Golightly’s life consists of meeting with wealthy older men who pay for her lifestyle, affording her the time and money to drink coffee and eat breakfast whilst wearing opera-length gloves, diamond earrings, a tiara, and a truly stunning necklace. According to Breakfast at Tiffany’s author, Truman Capote, Holly Golightly is more of an ‘American Geisha’ than anything more untoward, though her various relationships do raise eyebrows. However she acquired the famous necklace, it can’t be denied that it is certainly a thing of beauty. A multi-strand pearl necklace leaves the incredibly well-sized stones draping slightly down the back of Holly’s neck, whilst the weight of a prominent diamond clasp toward the front of the necklace prevents it from becoming a choker, making it sit perfectly on the clavicle. I must admit I had never been one for pearls, but seeing the true definition of a timeless classic portrayed through Breakfast at Tiffany’s has me reconsidering our own pearl necklace collection…
The Pink Panther Diamond
Now this one isn’t technically an item of jewellery, and it’s also technically not fictional, as there is an obscenely large pink diamond in existence that is referred to as the Pink Panther Diamond. The genuine artefact wouldn’t be so named if it weren’t for the fame of its fictional forebear, however, and so I am happy to include it in this list. Originally found in the first instalment of the Pink Panther film series, the stone itself is an incredibly large and exceptionally valuable pink diamond, named for the flaw at the centre of the stone which – upon close examination – appears to resemble a panther leaping through the air. Pink diamonds are incredibly rare; 90% of them are mined in the Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia, and only a shocking 0.1% of the diamonds mined there are classified as pink diamonds. If you’re in love with the flowery hue of a pink diamond, don’t worry, your chance may be closer than you think. The use of lab-grown diamonds has increased and improved massively in recent years, and it seems likely that soon enough there will be pink diamonds on the market at more affordable prices for the masses. Until then, however, why not explore pink sapphires or rubies instead? They certainly work a charm for me.
Lara Croft’s Jade Necklace
Fans of the original video games and Angelina Jolie-led films will be unfamiliar with this piece, but in the 2013 game, Rise of the Tomb Raider, fans are taken to Lara’s youth, to discover how she became the tomb raider we all know and love. In this reboot trilogy of games, Lara is often seen sporting a unique jade necklace, given to her by her father before his death. Representing her spirit for adventure, the interesting jade pendant has since become a key feature of her new look. The 2018 film, Tomb Raider, found the role of younger Lara being covered by Alicia Vikander; her look wasn’t complete until she had the jade necklace. The jewellery is even an important plot point within the film, as – in her desperation – she trades it at a pawn shop to have enough money to travel to Hong Kong in pursuit of her father, who she believes may not be dead after all but rather shipwrecked on a long-forgotten island somewhere in the Devil’s Sea. If just reading that tired you out (as it did me), know that here at AC Silver, you can get your hands on some stunning jade and jadeite jewellery at the touch of a button. Simple.
I love jewellery – as I’m sure you do as well; nothing brings me more joy than watching a film, reading a book, or playing a game, and finding a stunning, powerful, or unique item of jewellery within the narrative. There’s something magical about jewellery that adds so much depth to a fictional world, and being able to own a replica – or something similar – brings a bit of that depth and magic to everyday life.
