CANNES, France - Yellow, white, pink, orange, brown and even black. This 58th international film fest at Cannes is awash with multi-coloured diamonds, underlining the return to glamour and glitz after the more streetwise look of the past few years.
Dark-haired Mexican beauty and jury member, Salma Hayek, French screen icon Catherine Deneuve and Canadian actress Rachel Blanchard are amongst the many stars who are choosing rainbows of fancy coloured diamonds to set-off their designer evening gowns at the 12-day annual French Riviera film extravaganza that kicked off last Wednesday.
The latest trend is for "very fine and feminine jewellery," Muriel Grehan, spokeswoman for the festival`s official partner Chopard, told AFP.
Famed for its high-class watches and spectacular jewellery, Chopard has brought a staggering 400 top-of-the range sets to Cannes. Grehan declined to reveal the total value of the gems, which are guarded around the clock in one of the palatial seafront hotels by a reportedly 30-strong security force.
But the jewels must be worth a king`s ransom as they include such pieces as a 17-carat chocolate brown heart-shaped diamond pendent worn by super-model Eva Herzigova and the whopping 74-carat white and fancy yellow diamond cuff that graced Deneuve`s wrist.
Pendant drop earrings would appear to be the newest must-have fashion accessory. Just about every celebrity stepping up the fabled Cannes red carpet, both newcomers and established stars sporting cascading earrings.
Yellow gold is also making a comeback whilst vintage jewels and fun pieces such as a waterfall of ball-shaped stones are particularly popular at the moment, according to Cartier`s Paolina Raja Ofera.
"Vintage is the new big look," stressed Raja Ofera, who heads up Cartier`s store here in Cannes.
Cartier`s exotic signature panther collection will be prowling up the bodies of a number of well-known actresses this week, including Italian movie bombshell Monica Bellucci. She will be wearring a one-off onyx and platinum panther head pendant worth 110,000 euros. Strung on a satin string rather than a string of precious stones, the pendant is "high-class jewellery but not difficult to wear," Raja Ofera pointed out.
Panthers will not be the only exotic wild beasts out on the loose here in Cannes this week. Boucheron`s trademark jewel encrusted snake will also be putting in an appearance, a company spokeswoman confirmed. The serpents might well be spotted encircling the limbs of actresses Kirstin Scott-Thomas and Spanish-born Victoria Abril, to name just two.
The welter of dazzling gemstones on show this festival has overshadowed the delicate, luminous pearl.
A simple classic strand of pearls featured in Woody Allen`s new London-based dark drama "Match Point" that won rave reviews here last week.
But Allan`s latest muse and star Scarlett Johansson shunned the pure but "unshowy" pearl, instead opting to wear dazzling white diamond and ruby drop earrings to the film`s preview.
Pearl jewellery designer, London-based Chrissie Coleman Douglas, whose pearls were used in "Match Point", said he wasn`t disheartened by Johansson`s choice.
There were lots of pearls in evidence at the recent British Bafta awards ceremony and at the TV Emmys awards, explained Coleman Douglas in a telephone interview. "I believe pearls are coming in again a lot of the big designer names are showing pearls with their clothes."
Actresses and celebrities have a big say in which pieces they will wear for the twice-daily Cannes film screenings and have their choice of the numerous pieces brought here by some of the world`s leading jewellers, eager to gain from the resulting publicity.
But whilst the festival is already at the halfway stage, some of the most impressive "show-stopping" jewels are still to come, the jewellery experts promise.
Chopard`s Grehan revealed to AFP that Catherine Deneuve will wear a sapphire and diamond necklace and matching earrings to the fest`s climax Saturday.
Many stars, however, still have to select the stones they hope will help make them stand out from the glittering crowd who will congregate here for the awards ceremony.
But whatever they choose, the gems are unlikely to be copied by ordinary retailers and will almost certainly be too expensive for anyone other than the extremely rich.
The jewels we lend to the stars are out-of-reach of most people, commented Chopard`s Grehan. "We supply dreams, even to movie stars."
05/17/2005 12:08 GMT