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Beyonce and the story of the iconic Tiffany Diamond she wears in a new campaign

Appearing with husband Jay-Z, the singer wears a sophisticated black dress and one of the most famous yellow diamonds in the world.

Prudence Wade
Monday 23 August 2021 10:44 BST
Beyonce (Ian West/PA)
Beyonce (Ian West/PA)

Power couple Beyonce and Jay-Z are the new faces of heritage jewellery brand Tiffany & Co.

Despite frequently collaborating on musical projects, this is the first time the husband and wife duo have appeared in the same advertising campaign – and they’ve done so in suitable style.

Beyonce posted a series of pictures on Instagram where the couple wear sleek black eveningwear, sparkling Tiffany jewels and pose in front of a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting.

Alexandre Arnault, executive vice president of product and communications at Tiffany, said of the ABOUT LOVE campaign: “Beyonce and Jay-Z are the epitome of the modern love story. As a brand that has always stood for love, strength and self-expression, we could not think of a more iconic couple that better represents Tiffany’s values. We are honoured to have the Carters as a part of the Tiffany family.”

The campaign launches on September 2, and will feature an accompanying film with Beyonce singing Moon River from Breakfast At Tiffany’s.

Perhaps even more eye-catching than the Basquiat on the wall behind them is the giant stone Beyonce is wearing. This is one of the most famous pieces of jewellery in the world – the Tiffany Yellow Diamond.

Coming in at a casual 128.54 carats, this large yellow stone was first discovered in South Africa in 1877. The 287.42-carat rough diamond was bought in 1878 by Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of Tiffany & Co, and has stayed with the brand ever since.

The Tiffany Diamond went on display in London in 1986 (PA)

It has gone on display in various exhibitions, from the 1939-40 World’s Fair in New York to a 2006 exhibition at Somerset House in London. It has only rarely been worn – most notably by Audrey Hepburn in the press pictures for Breakfast At Tiffany’s.

However, the diamond has increasingly been taken out of the vault. To mark Tiffany’s 175th birthday in 2012, the stone was reset into a new necklace of white diamonds clocking in at 100 carats. Lady Gaga wore this necklace to the 2019 Oscars, making sure the sparkling rock was the star of the show by pairing it with a simple black gown by Brandon Maxwell.

Lady Gaga at the 2019 Academy Awards (Ian West/PA)

In the promotional pictures for Death On The Nile – an all-star adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel set to be released in 2022 – actor Gal Gadot wears a bright yellow diamond necklace that looks familiar.

While it’s just a recreation of the real Tiffany Diamond, it shows just how iconic the stone is. Gadot told Harper’s Bazaar: “I was absolutely thrilled when costume designer Paco Delgado told me it would be a recreation of the Tiffany Diamond, one of the world’s most important diamonds. It was such a fun experience to have all of the glittering Tiffany jewellery on set.”

Beyonce gives the diamond yet another outing, perhaps showing how Tiffany is keen on having its most precious jewels worn and admired – rather than just sitting in a vault.

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