Everyone who has seen the movie Titanic knows about the fabulous pendant, La Coeur de la Mer (The Heart of the Ocean), but few people know about the real jewels that were carried aboard the doomed vessel. In fact, there was an actual jeweler aboard named Englehart C. Ostby, who was returning to America from Europe after a gem-buying trip.
The 65-year-old Ostby was among the more than 1,500 passengers and crew members who died when the ship struck an iceberg and sank during its maiden voyage in 1912. A satchel of jewels found among the wreckage of Titanic during a salvage and recovery expedition near Newfoundland in 1985 might have been his. A blue sapphire ring mounted in a setting surrounded by 14 diamonds, and a gold locket were just two pieces found among the wreckage.
Engelhardt Cornelius Christensen Østby
Image Credit Providence Evening Tribune - Gavin Bell
As for the famous La Coeur de la Mer...
The stone in the movie was modeled after the even more famous Hope Diamond. However, the actual stone in the movie pendant was not a diamond at all, but a cubic zirconium (CZ) in a white gold setting created by London jeweler Asprey & Garrad. In 1998, Gloria Stuart, the Academy Award nominated actress who played the elderly Rose in the movie, wore a pendant with a 170 carat blue sapphire surrounded by more than 100 diamonds to the awards show. The pendant, valued at more than $4 million, was specially created by celebrated jeweler Harry Winston.
CBC Fine Jewelers only uses a design created for a custom piece once.
This means that you can be assured that you will never see another piece quite like it. Best of all, the entire process takes place in-house, allowing us to create your custom piece in as little as two weeks.
The appraised value of items from the Titanic wreckage exceeds $200 million. Individual items have fetched five-figure and six-figure sums at auction. However, it’s possible to own a replica of La Coeur de la Mer or other pieces of jewelry from the movie or the actual wreckage for a much more affordable price.
CBC Fine Jewelers can create a beautiful replica that you would be proud to pass on to future generations.
To learn more about our custom jewelry creating process, give us a call today.