Bridget Jones Opens her heart again to Elsa Peretti and Tiffany & Co.
I am a Bridget Jones Fan. I admit it. Always have been since I read Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary as soon as it came out in 1996 and devoured the second Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason in 1999 even more quickly. I saw the films in between and although Bridget Jones: Mad about The Boy was not my favorite of the books and the story was changed completely for the film, as was the name—to Bridget Jones’s Baby—I still read it and saw it as quickly as the others. I am loyal to the lovable, relatable heroine Bridget and her adventures and mishaps in love, careers and life.
I am both a vivacious reader and a film geek of most genres. But when it comes to the movies I am also a keen observer of jewelry worn as part of character development, a plot line or creating a time frame in a period film.
Elsa Peretti for Tiffany Co. open heart pendant in sterling silver
When Bridget (Renee Zellweger) wore the Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. open heart necklace in the first film in 2001, I thought it was a cameo appearance along with huge panties and barely there mini-skirts. It showed up again in 2004—an iconic pendant that every female I have ever known has owned or wanted, and it seemed to fit perfectly into Bridget’s wardrobe and lifestyle in both productions—a simple, perfect necklace standing out amongst over-the-top fashions and questionable choices in life, career and men.
- Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones’s Diary 2001, Photo by Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock
- Renee Zellweger &Colin Firth In Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason ,2004[Universal/Studio Canal/Miramax / The Kobal Collection / Sparham, Laurie/Art Resource]
Twelve years later, we see Bridget at the beginning of the new film, advanced in her career; she has quit smoking, won the battle over her weight and lost Mark Darcy. And she wears the pendant for the third time. It continues to be her go-to piece and a symbolic talisman reflecting her ability to keeps her heart open to love amid the chaos of her romantic life.
The pendant isn’t the only Tiffany & Co. piece in the film. As the title would suggest, Bridget becomes pregnant. She has no idea who the father is after spending a night with Patrick Dempsey’s character, Jack, and falling back into bed a week later with Mark (Colin Firth). When the baby is born, all is revealed. The wedding band is the platinum Tiffany Lucida and the engagement ring is the traditional Tiffany-set prong solitaire.
Tiffany Set Engagement Ring and Platinum Lucinda Wedding band
The timing of the engagement in the 2016 film also marks the 130th anniversary of theTiffany setting, introduced in 1886 by founder Charles Lewis Tiffany. The prongs elevate the stone above the band, maximizing the sparkle and light of the exquisitely cut diamond.
It’s interesting to note that in a time when alternative engagement rings are making jewelry headlines and considered the new norm, Bridget Jones, contemporary and quirky, always did strive for a more conventional yet modern life—true love, a satisfying career and a baby, which would go hand in hand with the ring chosen for her marriage. What does it all prove? Mark Darcy, Colin Firth and Tiffany never go out of style.
Top Photo: Photo by Beretta/Sims/REX/Shutterstock
Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones’s Baby
