< Historic Diamonds / Famous Diamonds
Does Nicola Peltz Beckham’s Family Own the Star of the East Diamond?
After passing through the hands of Cartier, Evalyn Walsh McLean, the King of Egypt, and Harry Winston, the legendary 94.78-carat pear-shaped Star of the East Diamond has shown up around the necks of Nicola Peltz Beckham and her mother, Claudia Heffner Peltz.
Nicola Peltz Beckham arrives for the 2023 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023, in New York. (Getty Images)
When Nicola Peltz Beckham rolled up to the 2023 Met Gala, her gob-smacking and surprising natural diamonds had jewelry historians salivating. The starlet wore her brunette tresses pulled back into a half-up, half-down hairstyle to better show off her massive diamond stud earrings, and a strapless ivory Valentino gown to best display her diamond-covered décolletage.
Wedged between a black velvet choker and a large diamond cross pendant sat what appeared to be the Star of the East diamond necklace, previously owned by socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean, who also owned the Hope Diamond before Harry Winston purchased her jewelry collection in 1949.
Meet the Expert
Rafael Gluz is a historic jewelry expert and content creator of @z.ulg. His work focuses on the jewels of the British Royal Family, the Greek Royal Jewels, the Royal Jewels of India, as well as the collections of historic socialites and cultural icons.
“As the diamond had disappeared from the public eye for quite some time, I was thrilled to see it again when Nicola Peltz wore it to the Met Gala,” jewelry historian Rafael Gluz tells Only Natural Diamonds. “I love that the younger generation has an appreciation for historic and magnificent jewels. The beauty of these gemstones lies in their long histories — each new chapter only adding to their enduring magic.”
Nicola Peltz Borrowed the Legendary Jewel From Her Mother
The daughter of American billionaire investor Nelson Peltz and former model Claudia Heffner Peltz, Nicola borrowed the exceptional diamond necklace from her mother.
Her mom even wore the storied piece to attend Nicola’s wedding to Brooklyn Beckham in 2022, exemplifying the family’s incredible wealth. “I was completely amazed when I saw the photos of Claudia Peltz at the wedding of Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham,” says Gluz. “I instantly recognized the Harry Winston design, set with the large pear-shaped diamond. While there was no official confirmation that she was wearing the Star of the East, the necklace and diamond were an exact match to the historic Harry Winston piece.”
All About the Star of the East Diamond
“The Star of the East diamond is truly remarkable. This 94.78-carat, pear-shaped, D-color diamond was once owned by Evalyn Walsh McLean, who is also known for her ownership of the Hope Diamond,” explains Gluz.
The Washington mining heiress was quite fond of lavish parties and luxury, and nothing embodies extraordinary luxury like her sparkling collection of epic diamonds.
Though the Hope Diamond gets all the attention for its association with the avid jewelry collector, McLean’s fascination with jewels of the Ottoman Empire began when she bought the Star of the East Diamond on her honeymoon, after marrying Edward “Ned” Beale McLean, the publisher and owner of The Washington Post newspaper. “The history of the diamond is much longer,” says Gluz. “But it came into Evalyn’s possession when she bought it from Cartier during her Paris honeymoon in 1908.”
I’ll never get away from the spell of this.
– Evalyn Walsh McLean on the Star of the East Diamond
The three-month honeymoon took the couple all over Europe, including Turkey, where she first encountered the Hope Diamond. While she was galavanting across Paris, Pierre Cartier presented her with the Star of the East Diamond, positioned on a chain below a 34-carat hexagonal emerald and a pearl weighing 32 grains. “By then, the diamond was the central part of a necklace set with a large pearl and a beautiful hexagonal emerald,” Gluz says. “Evalyn wore the Star of the East set as the pendant of a necklace and even set in an aigrette, often combining it with the Hope Diamond.”
Experts believe it to have belonged to Sultan Abd al-Hamid II. According to reports, McLean told her husband, “Ned, it’s got me. I’ll never get away from the spell of this.” She used the $100,000 wedding gift from her father to put towards the purchase and bought it for $120,000, qualifying it as an investment.
The Star of the East diamond remained with McLean for the next 40 years before she died at the age of 60 after losing a battle with pneumonia in 1947. Harry Winston then acquired her jewelry collection, selling the Star of the East diamond to King Farouk of Egypt.
According to Gluz, “After McLean’s death, Harry Winston purchased her entire collection.” He says, “The jeweler later sold the diamond to King Farouk of Egypt just a year before he was overthrown. The diamond had not yet been paid for, and it took Mr. Winston many years of litigation before he was able to reclaim the diamond, afterwards selling it, reacquiring it, and selling again.”
He adds, “All those later transactions were private, meaning the whereabouts of the diamond were not publicly known.”
Nicola Peltz Has a Thing for Massive Pear-Shaped Diamonds
Nicola Peltz attended her first Met Gala back in 2015, wearing a crisp white bespoke Jason Wu for Hugo Boss gown, featuring a pluning v-cut neckline to best showcase the juicy pear-shaped diamond, dangling beneath her sternum from a delicate chain.
Similar in size and proportion, who is to say whether this diamond might be the Star of the East pendant, removed from its Harry Winston setting? Or, perhaps the Peltz family just so happens to have a wealth of gargantuan pear-shaped diamonds.
