This week's obsession: jewellery in film
We love film because it takes us into another world, most of it is made up illusion but we give in to the well known "movie magic".
However, this does not translate well into the jewellery world. We always want to know that what we purchase is the real deal and not a make-believe gemstone.
The blue sapphire necklace in the movie Titanic, Heart of the Ocean, is one of the most famous pieces of jewellery that was replicated for this movie. However, its history is not as romantic as they painted it in the movie.
The 1997 movie Titanic may have romanticised somewhat on the story of Jack and Rose and the Heart of the Ocean, but there's no doubt that a real love story involving a blue sapphire necklace, now nicknamed 'The Love of the Sea', did exist!
19-year-old Kate Phillips and her fiancé, 40-year-old Henry Morley, were eloping to start a new life together as man and wife in San Francisco. The story is quite scandalous as Henry was leaving his existing wife and 12-year-old daughter behind in England, and the love-struck couple was travelling under the assumed names of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall. Before embarking on their journey Henry had gifted Kate a sapphire and diamond necklace, and when the Titanic struck the iceberg Kate made it into a lifeboat with no other possessions than her trunk key and her beloved sapphire necklace. Henry died that night and Kate spent several months living in New York, where she discovered she was pregnant and returned to her family in England. Just a little insider information regarding the real story of Rose and Jack.
The necklace used on the Titanic set was a 1 ¾ inch long semiprecious sapphire set in white gold that was high-quality costume jewellery. Most believe the blue Hope Diamond was the model of which the necklace was made. However, the jewelers Asprey & Garrard created a real diamond version of the necklace after the movie was released. The Asprey & Garrard necklace is considered the original Heart of the Ocean necklace. Asprey & Garrard created a 170 carat heart-shaped Sri Lankan sapphire surrounded by 103 round white diamonds that totaled 30 carats and hung on an 18-inch white diamond-studded chain. Celine Dion wore the Asprey & Garrard Heart of the Ocean necklace at the 1998 Academy Award ceremony during her performance of the Titanic theme song, "My Heart Will Go On".
In regards to jewellery always buy from a trusted source, if you are buying loose gemstones always get a gem certificate from a reputable gem lab and know that when you are travelling and purchasing gemstomes you need to buy from a reputable dealer.
