The Story Behind Jennifer Aniston’s Rare Diamond Necklace From the 2020 Golden Globes Red Carpet

While Hollywood’s finest sparkled in drool-worthy diamonds on the 2020 Golden Globes red carpet, nominee and presenter Jennifer Aniston stole the show with a sumptuous and storied 68-carat double swag diamond necklace handmade by Cartier London in the late 1950s.

The important piece is owned by Fred Leighton, an exclusive Madison Avenue, New York boutique catering to jewelry collectors and A-listers seeking significant diamond pieces from the past to wear during awards season. Nominated for Best Actress in a Television series Drama for her role in The Morning Show, of which she is also an executive producer, Aniston was also a Golden Globes presenter; to celebrate this momentous accomplishment, only natural diamonds— and the symbolism behind them —would do.

Emitting flashes of bright light like icy fireworks, this rare and extraordinary piece also told a compelling story while on display at the 77th annual Golden Globe awards. During an ebullient interview yesterday after the 2020 Golden Globes broadcast, Rebecca Selva, Chief Creative Officer of Fred Leighton explained, “I have been at Fred Leighton for 26 years.” Selva confided, “It’s exceedingly rare to find vintage Cartier necklaces of this nature, as there were so very few of them made. In terms of design and carat weight, I have never handled a necklace that compares to this one. Jennifer Aniston’s elegantly belted black full-length Dior gown showcased it perfectly,” she noted.

“That was a major dress and the ensemble worked out magically. Because Aniston exudes a relaxed, confident and natural type of beauty,” Selva ventured, the Cartier natural diamond necklace perfectly suited her personality and looks.

Featuring alternating round brilliant and baguette cuts in the central part of the jewel, Aniston’s dual-stranded, vintage diamond stunner contains two oval-shaped design elements on either side of the neck. Comprised of baguette diamonds, these oval elements effectively advance the design into single strands of open, square-shaped links of baguette diamonds that alternate with small clusters of baguette diamonds which terminate at the necklace’s clasp.

“We are beyond thrilled that Jennifer Aniston chose to wear this outstanding vintage piece from Cartier London,” Selva said. “Fred Leighton specializes in jewels with a story,” she continued, “and this diamond necklace from the past echoes the style, substance and spirit of the Cartier triple swag diamond, ‘Festoon’ necklace that Academy Award-winning actress Grace Kelly received from Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956, before her royal wedding.”

Princess Grace wore the necklace in her official wedding portraits and at various state occasions before her untimely death in 1982. The sparkling strands of Hollywood, royal and jewelry history that link these two diamond necklaces illustrate how and why vintage natural diamond designs from heritage houses such as Cartier beguile Hollywood A-listers like Aniston, who has long been an international style setter due to her stardom and popular appeal. The actress/producer was doubtless happy to learn that the necklace she wore contains a dazzling ten more carats than the vintage, three-stranded stunner now owned by the late Princess Grace’s son, Prince Albert of Monaco.

At Fred Leighton, Selva explained, “We treasure jewels that embody a timeless quality, whatever century they happened to have been made in. While we don’t know the exact date that this particular Cartier necklace was made, we can say that this festoon diamond necklace is a classic of late 1950s high jewelry design,” Selva continued. “This one contains slightly graduated diamonds in different shapes that make it a graceful and elegant piece which pairs perfectly with formal attire. At Fred Leighton, we seek and find the most beautiful examples of jewelry that transcend time.” Fortunately for Selva, Aniston and her stylist think along parallel natural diamond lines.