From The Big Screen To The Red Carpet: The Most Expensive and Iconic Jewelry Looks

This item on the list might be a bit surprising for some people. It’s one of the most expensive items ever donned by a star, but it wasn’t worn by an actor or actress and didn’t even appear during a film award show. It’s actually Carrie Underwood’s $31 million necklace. The piece was 381 carats of pear, oval, marquis, and white diamonds, according to People magazine. The necklace was made by a jeweler called Johnathon Arndt.

One of the most successful singers of all time, it’s no surprise that Beyonce is on this list. She was spotted wearing a pretty unique diamond necklace at the 2017 Grammy awards. It turned out that necklace was worth around $12 million just by itself and featured some 400 carats in diamonds. The necklace was designed by famed jeweler, Lorraine Schwartz, who has worked with Beyonce on other occasions. 

The stunning Satine necklace worn by Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge was, unlike some other movie pieces, actually made using real diamonds. That’s right, the extravagant necklace pictured in this photo was real, and it was made using a 100-year-old technique, according to the website, Haruni. It also has a slightly odd story surrounding what happened to the necklace after the movie was finished. It was supposed to go up for auction but never made it. 

Sandra Bullock was spotted at the 2014 Oscars wearing a $6.4 million bracelet by Lorraine Schwartz, but this wasn’t the only piece she was wearing by the famous designer. She was also wearing a pair of $1.8 million earrings during the event. These classics paired diamonds and platinum and worked with her dress to create a more traditional Hollywood look. However, there is no denying that there is nothing traditional about the price tag. 

The Great Gatsby is a story about decadence and judgment during a time that largely followed the same themes of the movie and book. So, it’s no surprise that the iconic flapper-style bracelet worn by Carey Mulligan in the movie is still in style some 100 years after the Jazz Age. The art deco-style bracelet is adorned in pearls and is linked to a diamond ring via chain. 

Emilia Clarke’s dragon necklace can be seen worn by her character, Daenerys, during the hit HBO show, Game Of Thrones. And while the series may have sputtered off towards the end, that doesn’t mean Daenerys is any less of an iconic character. And her choker in the shape of a dragon is almost as iconic as the character who donned it. Just take a look at this gorgeous, bold piece!

One of the most legendary actresses in Hollywood showed up to the 2014 Oscars looking the part. Her entire set was estimated to be worth a jaw-dropping $18 million. It included a pair of earrings featuring some 62 opals, along with a bracelet that included brown diamonds weighing around 49 carats set in white gold. Blanchett was also spotted wearing a 4-carat diamond ring, according to The Jewelry Editor publication.

The engagement ring Cameron Diaz’s character wears in My Best Friend’s Wedding wasn’t just sought after by her friend but was a hit with audiences as well. The round engagement went on to become one of, if not the most popular styles of engagement ring decades after the movie was first released. So if we had any doubt about Hollywood’s influence on fashion trends, those have certainly been erased.

There is probably no piece of jewelry that has captured people’s imagination like Kate Winslet’s blue diamond featured in the Titanic. We have already looked at the real-world replica that was worn by Gloria Stuart and estimated to be worth around $20 million. But nothing can replace the on-screen version and the story it represents. We have tears in our eyes just thinking about it. Someone pass the tissues!

The amount of money Jessica Alba spent on her necklace, earrings, and ring might be a lot for most of us, but Madonna actually set the bar for extravagance way back in 1991. The cultural icon’s entire set of diamonds from Harry Winston topped out at around $20 million when she walked the red carpet at the Oscars. She reportedly tossed her earrings into the crowd during the event. However, everything was not as it seemed. 

It was only a matter of time until the name Tiffany & Co showed up on this list. As a matter of fact, the same is true for actress Ane Hathaway. During the 2011 Oscars, the actress was spotted wearing this $10 million necklace from the legendary jeweler. The Lucida Star necklace was reportedly made up of around 94 carats worth of diamonds. However, there was another revelation after the evening settled that might explain the large price tag. 

Though not a frequent visitor to the red carpets of Hollywood, Kate Middleton is perhaps one of the most popular stars in the world. The British royal’s engagement ring is just as storied as her and her husband’s relationship. However, her engagement ring might not cost quite as much as you would think. It originally belonged to Princess Diana and was given to her son after her death and features a 12-carat sapphire surrounded by diamonds. 

Julia Robert’s iconic movie, Pretty Woman, also featured a pretty iconic piece of jewelry. The teardrop necklace she wore in the movie was actually custom-made by jeweler Fred Joaillier. It’s reportedly worth around $3.5 million and features 23 rubies surrounded by sparkling diamonds and set in white gold. Though Julia Robert’s character is told that the necklace is worth around a quarter of a million dollars, the price of rubies has risen since then, and the necklace is worth much more today. 

We’ll continue this list with some of the more extravagant pieces spotted being worn on the red carpet. A necklace worn by Jessica Alba during the 2013 Golden Globes and worth $5.8m is definitely one of the more stunning. The actress finished off the look with a pair of platinum and diamond-studded earrings. This was all complemented by even more diamonds in a pear-shaped ring. That’s seriously a lot of glam. 

Lady Gaga is used to turning some heads, but she may have blinded some when she showed up to the 2019 Oscars wearing the iconic “Tiffany Diamond.” The diamond was last worn by Audrey Hepburn when she was promoting Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961, according to Vogue. The 128-carat diamond is thought to be one of the largest yellow diamonds in the world, and after more than half a century of making its way down the red carpet, it is certainly one of the most iconic. 

Worn by Nicole Kidman during the 2008 Oscars, this diamond necklace is not just one of the most expensive items on this list, but it’s also one of the most storied. The necklace was made by the late designer L’Wren Scott, who was highly private and passed away in 2014, according to GQ. The necklace included more than 7,500 diamonds in total, weighing around a whopping 1,400 carats, making this one of the glitziest pieces to ever be worn on the red carpet. 

Marilyn Monroe was bound to be featured on this list sooner or later. Fans out there might know that she starred in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1953. However, what many might not know is that the necklace she wore in the movie actually has a pretty interesting history. The necklace contained a pear-shaped diamond called The Moon of Baroda, which was made for Maria Theresa of Austria, a ruler of the Hapsburg dynasty. 

Sofia Vergara is known for playing characters that have big personalities, which makes her 2013 Emmy jewelry choices all the more fitting. To start with, the actress chose a pair of earrings featuring massive rubies, sapphires, and Columbian emeralds weighing around 100 carats. The earrings were created by famed jeweler Lorraine Schwartz, who we’ve already seen on this list a time or two. Vergara paired these two different rings. 

Yes, that $4.2 million does not count Salma Hayek’s glittering purple Gucci dress and instead only accounts for the earrings and ring she wore to the 2018 Oscars. And if you’ve been following along, then you might be able to guess what brand put these diamonds altogether. Yep, that’s right, the earrings and ring were another iconic set from the experienced jewelers to the stars at Harry Winston. 

Actress Isla Fisher was spotted at the 2019 Golden Globes sporting around $5.5 million in Harry Winston diamonds. Fisher, who is the wife of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, turned up wearing a necklace, two rings, and a pair of earrings made to dazzle. The pieces ended up totaling around 90 carats. The necklace weighed around 73 carats, the earrings 8 carats, and 2 rings that weighed 6 carats and 2 carats. 

Another set of diamonds created by the team at Harry Winston, Jennifer Lopez rocked these during the 2011 Golden Globes. And no, we’re not talking about the diamonds that adorn her dress. Instead, we’re referring to her diamond-studded earrings worth an estimated $3 million, along with her brooch, cuff, and ring, which totaled out at around $2 million in total. While it might seem like a bit too much to some, we think it complimented the dress perfectly. 

Yet another set of pieces made by the jewelers at Harry Winston, Charlize Theron wore them to the 2014 Oscars. The set included a diamond necklace and pair of earrings. Both of which weighed around 21 carats and featured emerald-cut diamonds. The set was from the jeweler’s Incredible collection, and just by looking at it, we can certainly see the reason for the name. The necklace and earrings are stunning yet subtle. 

Amy Adam’s red carpet jewels during the 2014 Golden Globes perfectly matched her character’s persona in the movie American Hustle. Adam’s necklace, ring, and earrings looked like they’d come straight out of the 1970s. However, they added up to a very modern price tag, costing around $8 million in total. The main piece featured a 30-carat diamond pendant, which was accented by a 12-carat ruby and diamond ring, along with 10-carat diamond earrings. 

This is actress Charlize Theron’s second appearance on this list, the first one being for her 2014 diamond set. However, just a year before, Theron was caught wearing some $4.5 million in diamond earrings, bracelets, and rings during the Oscars. The set came from none other than Harry Winston and featured a couple of vintage bracelets to go along with her more modern pieces. While the entire set is simply stunning, the bracelets here definitely steal the show. 

It might come as a shock to some that one of the most expensive pieces of jewelry ever made for a film was actually made for a romantic comedy. Kate Hudson donned the Isadora necklace for How To Lose A Man In 10 Days. The piece weighed around 84 carats and was reportedly designed by the team at Harry Winston. The company ended up lending the movie around $14 million worth of jewelry. 

Breakfast At Tiffany’s certainly gave the world some iconic pieces of jewelry, one of which has already been featured on this list. However, some of the most iconic pieces can be seen towards the beginning of the movie in the form of the tiara and pearls and diamonds being worn by Hepburn. It is suspected that the necklace was made using between 100 to 120 pearls, but various sites have reported that nobody actually knows if the pearls were real or fake.

Few movies and characters manage to remain in the American psyche quite like Gone With The Wind and Scarlet O’Hara. Though she donned a couple of iconic pieces in the movie, Vivien Leigh’s coral necklace is perhaps one of the more iconic. It was made by a Hollywood Jeweler who would often make custom pieces and later rent them out. This piece ended up being auctioned off in 2017 for around $53,000. 

Sex And The City is popular not just for its characters but also for the engagement rings they don throughout the series. However, there is one that stands out among the rest and has continued to be popular to this day. The 5-carat black diamond given to Sarah Jessica Parker’s character in the movie was actually designed side-by-side with jewelry designer Itay Malkin and featured some pretty impressive specs. 

Actress Cate Blanchett plays a wealthy wife that comes from old money in the movie Blue Jasmine. In the movie, the actress is seen sporting multiple pieces of high-end jewelry, probably none more so than the emerald diamond ring and earrings shown here. Blanchett ended up winning an Academy Award for her portrayal in the movie, but the real award should have gone to the movie’s costume designer.

When Disney’s Aladdin was realized in live-action, a lot of fans of the classic were understandably nervous. However, the movie turned out to be pretty good, and Naomi Scott’s Jasmine quickly became iconic with her topaz-centered jewelry. And it’s not hard to see why: those beautiful, colorful pieces are absolutely stunning, to say the least. One thing’s for sure: we’ll be dreaming of these pieces once we lay our heads down tonight.

While it might just be a simple gold band, the one ring in The Lord Of The Rings series is perhaps the most iconic piece of jewelry in any movie ever. And most people don’t really think of it like they would some of the other pieces on this list. However, with the series’ popularity being what it is, even before the movie adaptations, this simple piece is actually worth a ton of money.

While it might not be the most subtle or luxurious item on this list, Margot Robbie’s charm necklace worn by her character Harley Quinn is certainly fitting. The necklace is just as chaotic as Quinn herself. The necklace is actually a combination of a bunch of different chains, charms, and seemingly random items. It features a fishhook, pill charm, and dog tag with the name Bruce on it, among other things, of course. 

Actress Gloria Stuart wore this $20 million necklace when she walked across the red carpet at the 1998 Oscars. And, if you think the necklace looks like a certain similar one that gained its fame from the movie Titanic, then you’d be right. However, the one Stuart wore at the Oscars is just a reproduction, albeit an expensive reproduction. It was commissioned and made by none other than the jewelers at Harry Winston. 

We’ve already looked at another iconic piece from Sex And The City, now we’ll take a look at Sarah Jessica Parker’s namesake necklace she wears throughout the series. It’s relatively simple and sure to set fans back much less than some of the engagement rings seen throughout the movie. And the best thing about the necklace? It doesn’t require that one get married in order to wear it. 

The pendant worn by Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange ends up causing quite a lot of trouble in Marvel’s Avengers movies. The pendant contains a stone that can control time in the movies and ends up being part of the reason half the galaxy is put in danger, but we won’t get into any spoilers here. The point is that it’s iconic, beautiful, and, most important of all, for this list, very expensive.

The late 1990s classic cartoon Anastasia not only inspired a generation of children, but it apparently inspired some jewelers as well. Today, fans can search out and buy numerous pieces inspired by the original movie. However, there are some offering a replica of the main emerald necklace from the film, only using less expensive material. These are going for around $40 a couple of decades after the animated film was released.