Famous Jewelry In The Movies, Vol. 8: Moulin Rouge

 

Ok. We’ll just come out and say it. When it comes to jewelry in the movies, we’ve dreamed about this necklace (and it somehow finding its way into our jewelry box) for YEARS. What’s not to love? One hundred and thirty-four carats. One thousand three hundred and eight diamonds. And at the time the movie was released, it was the most expensive piece of jewelry ever created for a movie, ringing in at over $1 million (it was later beat out by Andi’s necklace at the Frost Yourself Ball in How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days). 

 

 

 

Stefano Canturi, an Australian jeweler, is the genius behind the necklace’s design. We do have to wonder if Nicole Kidman, the actress who played the main character, Satine, had any say in the choice of jeweler to design the piece, as they both share Australian heritage. Canturi has said he was inspired by the Louis XVI style, openwork lace patterns, scrolls and splendorous bodice jewelry, typical of the late 1800’s in France. 

 

The necklace, which had been held in Canturi’s collection since the movie, was set to go under the hammer at auction in NYC by Christie’s in October of 2001 and was to be the crowning jewel (sorry – we couldn’t resist) of the two-day sale. However, it’s said that he told a Christie’s employee that he loved the necklace too much and just could not part with it. And so, at the last minute, it was pulled from the sale and not auctioned off after all. Today, it still remains in his collection. Can you blame him? It’s now an iconic piece of famous jewelry in the movies. We wouldn’t be able to let it go either. Would you have sold it for its estimated $1.2M or would you also have been too attached to part with it? Tell us in the comments below.