Grace Kelly exhibiting the ruby and diamond eternity band Prince Rainier proposed with to photographers at her mother and father house in Philadelphia. Picture Getty
Hitchcock additionally inadvertently performed matchmaker for Kelly when he forged her within the position of Frances Stevens in his 1955 manufacturing To Catch A Thief. Throughout the filming, the actress was launched to the ruler of the tiny principality of Monaco, Prince Rainer III. The monarch was enchanted by the refined 28-year outdated Hollywood star who was the daughter of a mannequin and a well-known American athlete, rowing champion Jack Kelly of Philadelphia. Not solely was Kelly beautiful, she was additionally an achieved actress. She had been nominated for a Greatest Supporting Actress Oscar for Mogambo (1953) and gained the Greatest Actress Award for her position in The Nation Lady (1954).
Grace Kelly’s 10.48-carat emerald reduce diamond and platinum engagement ring by Cartier Picture courtesy
Quickly after Grace met Prince Rainier, he proposed with a jewel from Cartier. It was a fragile eternity band set with rubies and diamonds for the colours of Monaco. On January 5, 1956, at a press convention at her mother and father’ house in Philadelphia, the blissful couple introduced their engagement for newspapers, magazines, radio and newsreel cameras and let photographers take close-up footage of the ring.
One other Cartier ring appeared on the third finger of Grace Kelly’s left hand shortly after the press convention. This jewel didn’t require any close-ups to be seen. It was an epic ring that includes a surprising 10.48-emerald reduce diamond flanked by two baguettes set in platinum. Kelly wore it in MGM publicity pictures and her ultimate movie Excessive Society quickly making it some of the well-known engagement rings on the earth.
A musical revamp of the traditional Philadelphia Story, the ring was excellent for Kelly’s half as Tracy Lord, a socialite on the eve of her wedding ceremony. It’s given a Technicolor close-up when Kelly’s ex-husband within the movie, performed by Bing Crosby, remarks to her new fiancé, “Some stone George. Did you mine it your self?” At one level within the manufacturing, Kelly relatively hilariously polishes the ring on her gown and admires it.
Grace Kelly on the Cartier Fifth Avenue Mansion in New York Picture Time Life Footage/Getty Pictures
When the actress acquired right down to the intense enterprise of making ready for her royal wedding ceremony and packing up her New York condominium, her each transfer was recorded by the press. The engagement ring sparkled when Kelly posed in entrance of her condominium constructing, 988 Fifth Avenue, holding lengthy stem roses (picture above). Earlier than she set sail to Monaco on the posh liner Structure along with her massive wedding ceremony entourage, Kelly was documented making one ultimate cease on the Cartier Fifth Avenue Mansion.
Whereas it has by no means been revealed by the discreet jeweler what the longer term princess was doing on the Mansion on that day, it’s clear there was a detailed relationship. When the primary Cartier artwork deco exhibition anyplace was staged on the Mansion in 1976, Kelly wrote within the introduction to {the catalogue} “I’m positive this exhibition will show to be an incredible success in bringing enjoyment to those that love nice design and who respect nice genius each of which Louis Cartier epitomized by means of his lengthy and prolific profession.”
In homage to Grace Kelly and the romance of her most well-known Cartier design, a surprising room stuffed with engagement rings within the newly renovated Cartier Mansion is devoted to the actress. Some of the elegant areas within the constructing, the spherical room has a pale colour scheme and is accented by pictures of Princess Grace. A number of have been sourced by the esteemed Cartier Heritage division straight from the palace in Monaco. The royal household additionally graciously loaned the engagement ring and different Cartier jewels to be placed on show within the landmarked constructing for one month after the historic two and half yr renovation. It’s a presentation Kelly’s outdated good friend, director Alfred Hitchcock, would have beloved.
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