What Is Rose Throwing the Heart of the Ocean
Rose Throwing the Heart of the Ocean refers to the fictional character Rose DeWitt Bukater from the 1997 film Titanic, portrayed by Kate Winslet, who receives the Heart of the Ocean, a blue diamond necklace inspired by the Hope Diamond. The necklace is a central plot device symbolizing love and sacrifice, and it has become one of the most recognizable movie props in cinema history. The film Titanic, directed by James Cameron and produced by 20th Century Fox, grossed over $2.2 billion worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of all time. The Heart of the Ocean necklace was designed by costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott and prop maker J. Michael Riva for the production. The prop used in the film is a cubic zirconia set in white gold, not a real blue diamond, and its estimated insured value during production was around $10,000. The necklace has since been replicated multiple times for exhibitions and auctions, with one notable replica sold at auction for charity. The original film prop is held in a private collection, though exact ownership details are not publicly disclosed. The cultural impact of the necklace has made it a frequent reference in discussions of iconic movie jewelry and auction trends.
While the Heart of the Ocean is fictional, its design draws inspiration from real blue diamonds, such as the Hope Diamond, a 45.52-carat deep-blue diamond housed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. The Hope Diamond is estimated to be worth over $250 million, though it is not for sale and is insured by the Smithsonian. Blue diamonds are among the rarest and most valuable colored diamonds, with prices per carat reaching millions at auction. The Gemological Institute of America classifies blue diamonds as Type IIb, a rare category of natural diamonds with trace amounts of boron. The largest blue diamond ever sold at auction is the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond, a 31.06-carat deep-blue diamond purchased by Laurence Graff in 2008 for $24.3 million. The fictional Heart of the Ocean is often compared to these real stones in media coverage, especially around anniversaries of the film and high-profile diamond auctions. The necklace's design features a heart-shaped pendant surrounded by smaller white diamonds, a style that has influenced jewelry trends since the film's release. Auction houses such as Sotheby's and Christie's have referenced the necklace in discussions of movie memorabilia and celebrity jewelry collections.
Ownership, Auctions, and Value of the Heart of the Ocean
There is no verified public record of the original Heart of the Ocean necklace from the film Titanic being sold at auction or owned by a publicly traded company. The film's production company, 20th Century Studios, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, retains ownership of the original prop as part of its film archive. Disney's film library, including Titanic, is a significant asset, with the company reporting total entertainment content segment revenue of $15.0 billion in fiscal year 2024. The Heart of the Ocean necklace has been recreated for museum exhibitions, including displays at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, which opened in September 2021. Replicas of the necklace have appeared in auction catalogs for movie memorabilia, with prices varying based on materials and provenance. The film Titanic itself has generated substantial revenue from home video, streaming, and merchandise, with digital sales continuing to contribute to its lifetime earnings. The necklace's value as a cultural artifact is considered significant by film historians and collectors, even though it is not a rare gemstone. Public interest in the Heart of the Ocean spikes around the anniversary of the film's release and during major auction seasons for celebrity memorabilia.
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