Diamond necklaces have been used throughout history to represent wealth, status, and excellent craftsmanship. These necklaces are not only valuable and precious, but they also capture significant historical events, merging the worlds of art, politics, and fashion.
1. The Heart of the Ocean Necklace
Making an appearance in the hugely successful film Titanic, Kate Winslet’s character wore a fictional blue diamond necklace known as ‘The Heart of the Ocean’. The design was inspired by the Hope Diamond, although not real, it became an iconic symbol of the film’s romance and luxury. The necklace was later recreated with a 171 Carat Sapphire and 103 diamonds, worth $20 million.
2. Elizabeth II’s Coronation Necklace
The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Necklace originally designed for Queen Victoria in 1858, features 25 large cushion-cut diamonds with a massive 22.48-carat diamond drop known as the Lahore Diamond. It has been worn by successive queens, including Queen Mary and Queen Alexandra, and is considered one of the crown jewels of the United Kingdom.
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3. The Marie Antoinette Diamond Necklace
Though Marie Antoinette never actually wore the necklace, it was a beautiful piece consisting of hundreds of diamonds, created by jewellers Boehmer and Bassenge. However, it was not the stunning diamonds that made this piece is so widely-known, instead a scandal surrounds this necklace involving fraud and deception, contributing to the French Revolution.
4. The Tiffany Diamond Necklace
The garment was originally worn in 1957 by socialite Mary Whitehouse, and it was most notably worn by actress Audrey Hepburn in 1961 during publicity for her film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” In 2012, Tiffany & Co. celebrated its 175th anniversary by resetting the Tiffany Diamond. The stone was set in a necklace adorned with over 100 carats of white diamonds. The necklace, worth an estimated $30 million in 2019, has since been seen on Lady Gaga as well as Beyonce in a Tiffany & Co. campaign, making her the fourth person to wear it.
5. The Cartier Halo Tiara Necklace
Famous for being a wedding gift from King George VI to Queen Elizabeth, the Cartier Halo Tiara, sometimes worn as a necklace, features 739 brilliant-cut diamond and 149 baton-cut diamonds. While Elizabeth was ever pictured wearing the Cartier Halo Tiara, she did often loan it to her sister, Princess Margaret, she even famously wore the tiara at the Coronation of the Queen in 1953. The Tiara Necklace then remained in the vault until the queen loaned it to Kate Middleton for her wedding to Prince William in 2011.
6. The Maharaja of Patiala’s Diamond Necklace
The Maharaja of Patiala’s Diamond Necklace was designed by Cartier after he sent a chest of gems to The House of Cartier in Paris with the request to make his crown jewels. Featuring 2,930 diamonds and a 234-carat yellow octahedral De Beers diamond, the necklace remains one of the most extravagant pieces ever created and the largest single commission that Cartier ever executed. The Patiala Necklace is remembered as one of the most valuable pieces ever day, and remains a symbol of the golden age of royal jewellery in India and the heights of luxury in the early 20th century.
7. The Napoleon Diamond Necklace
A gift from Emperor Napoleon to his second wife, Marie-Louise, the elegant silver and gold necklace consists of 234 diamonds and has an estimated total wight if 263 carats, the largest single diamond weighing approximately 10.4 carats. The necklace is now on display in the Gem gallery at the National Museum of Natural History next to the Marie-Loise Diadem.
8. Princess Grace of Monaco’s Van Cleef & Arpels Necklace
This stunning piece of jewellery symbolises Grace Kelly’s transition from Hollywood royalty to actual royalty after her marriage to Prince Rainier III of Monaco. The necklace was gifted to her by her husband for their wedding in 1956, created by Van Cleef & Arpels, who became the official jewellery of the family after this commission. The necklace was part of a matching set of jewellery, that included a bracelet, earrings and a tiara. Each piece featured diamond set in a motif that echoed the natural beauty of flowers and leaves, themes often used in the brands high jewellery collections.
9. Queen Mary’s Fringe Necklace
A glamourous diamond fringe-style necklace that doubles up as a tiara. Using diamonds Queen Victoria had given her, it was made for Queen Mary in 1919. The necklace, which was worn by Queen Elizabeth II on her wedding day in 1947, was also worn by Princess Anne in 1973 and more recently by Princess Beatrice for her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020. The stunning piece is made of recycled gold, silver and diamonds, making it worth anywhere between 6.8 million and 9 million.
10. A Heritage in Bloom
At around 200 million dollars, ‘A Heritage in Bloom’ is the costliest diamond necklace in the world. The owner of the pure diamond, Chow Tai Fook, a jewellery merchant located in Hong Kong, decided to turn it into an unconventional piece of jewellery after purchasing it from Petra Diamonds for $35.3 million. It took him over 47,000 hours to create the necklace, with an estimated value on $200 million when he displayed it in September 2015. That being said, Chow Tai Fook has no intention of selling it, even at that price.
If these iconic diamond necklaces have sparked your inspiration, be sure to explore our collection of antique and vintage necklaces – it’s a chance to own a timeless piece of history and add your own touch of elegance to the historial story!
