Diamond VIPs – the celebrities with that extra sparkle
We take a look at some of the famous names who have taken their love of diamonds and other precious stones to another level with some truly show-stopping jewellery.
Dame Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren has dazzled in Boodles jewellery on a number of occasions, including on the big screen in 2021’s Fast & Furious 9 where she stole the show in the stunning emerald necklace Greenfire.
Described by Boodles Director Jody Wainwright as “The most beautiful piece of jewellery that we at Boodles have ever seen, let alone made”, the necklace was already a celebrity in its own right. Greenfire was featured in the Channel 4 documentary The Million Pound Necklace: Inside Boodles (its origin story, for the geeks out there) before becoming Hollywood royalty.
You can see the necklace, along with other designs worn by Helen Mirren, in the exhibition Pure Brilliance: The Boodles Story at the Lady Lever Art Gallery until 5 March 2023.
Kendrick Lamar
Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar had a diamond-encrusted crown of thorns custom made by Tiffany’s as the signature look for his fifth studio album Mr Morale and the Big Steppers. The glittering headpiece was first revealed on the cover of the album before making some memorable public appearances at Paris Fashion Week and Glastonbury Festival in summer 2022.
Dave Free, Kendrick’s creative partner who collaborated on the design of the crown, described it as “a godly representation of hood philosophies told from a digestible youthful lens”. Kendrick has said that he wears the crown to pay tribute to the artists who came before him, as well as a representation of his Christian faith.
Closing Glastonbury, Kendrick wore the crown with blood pouring down his face as he made a powerful plea for women’s rights, in response the US Supreme Court overturning Roe vs Wade and removing the right to abortion just days before. A truly iconic and striking performance.
Jodie Comer
One Liverpool legend wearing another! Jodie Comer sparkled in Boodles Wisteria earrings at the 2017 Royal Television Awards. The actor has become a fashion icon, largely through the eccentric dress sense on her best known on-screen persona, Villanelle. Here she shows a more refined but still effortlessly stylish side.
Rihanna
Diamonds, the lead single from Rihanna’s seventh album, surprised and wowed fans with its unusually hopeful and positive tones. The video, like the song, revealed a softer and more vulnerable side to the singer, who wears a pair of eye-catching diamond earrings throughout.
A decade after its release, the video for Diamonds has had more than 2 billion views on YouTube, highlighting Rihanna as one of the most successful female singers of all time. Undoubtedly one of her most popular songs, Diamonds has a timeless, enduring appeal – much like the gems that inspired it.
Shine bright like a diamond, Rihanna.
Elizabeth Taylor
"I’ve never thought of my jewelry as trophies. I’m here to take care of it and to love it, for we are only temporary custodians of beauty."
In the introduction to her book, My Love Affair with Jewelry, Elizabeth Taylor explained just how important her incredible collection of rings, necklaces and earrings were to her. Perhaps none more so than the Krupp Diamond, a 33.19 carat diamond ring which was a gift from Richard Burton in 1968. Elizabeth was so fond of the giant dazzling diamond, which was often seen sparkling on her finger, it was renamed the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond after her death.
Images, unless stated, courtesy of Alamy Stock Photo