Titanic not only introduced two memorable lead characters but also a very special object that was the reason for a lot of conflict in the movie: the Heart of the Ocean, a large diamond in a necklace, and here’s the real inspiration behind Rose’s iconic necklace. Although James Cameron’s name is often associated with the sci-fi genre thanks to movies like The Terminator, Aliens, and Avatar, he has explored other genres as well, and one of his biggest projects was actually a disaster drama movie: Titanic, released in 1997.

Based on the accounts of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, Titanic tells the (fictional) story of Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) and Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), two passengers from opposite social classes who fall in love aboard the ship during its ill-fated maiden voyage. Over the course of four days, Rose and Jack found each other, got to know each other, fell in love, and defended their relationship from everyone who tried to keep them apart, mostly Rose’s fiancé, Cal Hockley (Billy Zane), and her mother, Ruth (Frances Fisher). Cal serves as the main antagonist of the movie, and it’s through him that a very important object is introduced: the Heart of the Ocean.

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The Heart of the Ocean was given to Rose on board the Titanic by Cal as a symbol of his love and commitment to her, but as the story developed, it was very clear that Cal’s intentions weren’t as sincere as he wanted everything to think. The Heart of the Ocean was the only thing Rose was wearing when Jack made a sketch of her, which she used to let Cal know that she was running away with Jack. The Heart of the Ocean was what set the plot of Titanic into motion as it’s Brock Lovett’s (Bill Paxton) expedition to find the necklace what brings Rose into the mix to share her story, and in the end, it’s revealed that Rose had had the necklace all this time, and finally got rid of it by throwing it into the ocean. While the story of Rose and Jack is fictional, many elements in Titanic were based on real-life people, events, and more, and the Heart of the Ocean might have been inspired by two different diamonds.

First off, there are reports of a real diamond and sapphire necklace on board the Titanic, but with a completely different story than the one in the movie. The necklace was reportedly owned by Kate Florence Phillips and was given to her by her lover, Henry Samuel Morley. The pair were secretly sailing on the Titanic with the purpose of starting a new life together in America after Morley sold two of his shops and gave the money to his wife and daughter. Kate was wearing the necklace when the Titanic sank, and she made it to Lifeboat No. 11 while Morley, who couldn’t swim, died in the ocean. It’s also widely believed that the Heart of the Ocean is based on the Hope Diamond, a blue diamond of exceptional size. The Hope Diamond is said to be cursed, as it supposedly brought unhappy fates to those who owned it or wore it, and it’s now on exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History in the United States.

Although the Heart of the Ocean wasn’t cursed and its presence in the Titanic had nothing to do with the ship sinking, it was a key object in Jack and Rose’s story and the movie in general, so it can even be seen as a character in itself. Titanic is a mix of real-life elements and fiction, and at times these blend so perfectly that the audience is surprised to learn that some of them, like the Heart of the Ocean, don’t exist.

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Adrienne Tyler
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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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