When it comes to dressing in diamonds, few contemporary Hollywood stars can rival Italian actor Monica Bellucci. Since she made her cinematic debut in the early ’90s, following a successful modelling career, the actor has displayed an unwavering commitment to dazzling treasures from the likes of Cartier, Chopard and Boucheron.
Necklaces are Bellucci’s preference: she uses them to decorate her décolletage to dramatic effect. And the Bond girl leaves no stone unturned, switching between emeralds, diamonds, rubies and sapphires to accessorise her red-carpet looks.
Bellucci has a specific style – she tends to stick to form-fitting ensembles in a muted palette by Dolce & Gabbana and Christian Dior – so jewellery is how she breathes personality into her ensembles. Her role as a Cartier ambassador has made her privy to the storied jewellery house’s most precious — and exuberant — gems, like the signature crocodile pieces first made for Maria Félix in the ’70s. More recently, the actor has used her new shorter hair to frame large hoop earrings for a bohemian take on statement jewellery.
Here, British Vogue revisits just 31 of the Italian siren’s magnificent haute joaillerie moments.
1/31
19 November 1996
In London, Bellucci walked the red carpet in a black plunging neckline decorated with a small crucifix necklace.
STEPHANE CARDINALE – CORBIS2/31
6 August 1999
The actor wore a baby blue dress styled with a necklace made up of gold strands dotted with diamonds to match her earrings at a ball in Monaco.
SERGE ARNAL3/31
30 November 1999
At the centenary celebration of Cartier in Paris, Monica wore a ruby and diamond parure.
JACK GUEZ4/31
11 May 2000
The actor wore a pearl choker necklace with pendant detail at the Under Suspicion premiere.
POOL BENAINOUS/DUCLOS5/31
21 May 2000
Bellucci attended the closing ceremony of the 2000 Cannes Film Festival wearing a pink corseted Dolce & Gabbana gown with a fringe-trim diamond choker necklace.
POOL BENAINOUS/SCORCELLETTI6/31
25 May 2000
The actor wore a pearl and diamond set with a strappy black dress at an awards ceremony.
ALAIN BENAINOUS7/31
3 September 2000
The actor paired a figure-hugging off-white dress with a collar of diamonds.
GREGG DEGUIRE8/31
21 January 2001
At the Golden Globes, Bellucci wore a magenta halter-neck dress complete with elaborate diamond drop earrings.
POOL RAT/SCORCELLETTI9/31
24 February 2001
The Italian actor teamed a leather-trim dress with a diamond choker necklace and loose hair.
PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN10/31
1 September 2002
She wore Dolce & Gabbana at the Venice Film Festival. Her slicked-back bun placed the focus squarely on her pearl pendant necklace.
POOL BENAINOUS/CATARINA11/31
14 May 2003
Monica wore earrings that matched her gobstopper cocktail ring with a baby blue floor-length gown at Cannes.
TONI ANNE BARSON ARCHIVE12/31
25 May 2003
Later on in the festival, Monica wore a festoon necklace made up in coloured stones.
MICHEL DUFOUR13/31
7 April 2004
Monica wore a classic Panthère de Cartier choker at a party for the jewellery house held in Paris.
ERIC CATARINA14/31
4 September 2005
Arriving in Venice, the actor wore sparkling diamond pendant earrings with a choppy blunt fringe.
J. VESPA15/31
4 September 2005
Later that day, Monica wore a necklace from the same parure to the The Brothers Grimm premiere.
PASCAL GUYOT16/31
25 May 2006
The actor wore one of Cartier’s original crocodile emerald and diamond necklaces, first commissioned by Maria Félix in 1975, to a premiere at Cannes.
TONI ANNE BARSON ARCHIVE17/31
28 May 2006
Walking the red carpet at Cannes, Monica decorated a nude evening gown with a diamond and ruby necklace.
DANIELE VENTURELLI18/31
19 May 2008
With her hair styled in Veronica Lake-inspired waves, the actor wore a delicate diamond choker.
CHRIS JACKSON19/31
26 March 2009
In Dubai, the actor attended the opening of Cartier’s boutique in the city’s mega mall wearing multiple stands of necklaces by the French jeweller.
BERTRAND RINDOFF PETROFF20/31
12 September 2010
At the opera in Paris, Monica decorated a strapless dress with an elaborate tassel-detail necklace and matching emerald and diamond cocktail ring.
DANIELE VENTURELLI21/31
16 May 2009
She wore a vintage diamond Cartier necklace with a striking red off-the-shoulder gown by Dior.
ANDREAS RENTZ22/31
18 May 2014
She wore dainty gold heart-shaped earrings with black diamond detailing alongside a polka dot Dolce & Gabbana dress.
FRED DUVAL23/31
8 February 2015
At the 2015 Baftas, she wore Boucheron diamond earrings with an Azzedine Alaïa dress.
DAVID FISHER/SHUTTERSTOCK24/31
26 October 2015
For the premiere of Spectre held at the Royal Albert Hall in London, she paired an elegant green velvet dress by Ralph & Russo with triangle-cut diamond Chopard earrings.
REBECCA BLACKWELL/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK25/31
2 November 2015
At the Mexico City premiere of the Spectre movie, Monica wore an Azzedine Alaïa gown with dangling diamond Chopard earrings.
STEPHANE CARDINALE – CORBIS26/31
17 May 2017
A twinkling diamond brooch was pinned at the neckline of her black Stella McCartney jumpsuit.
PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN27/31
17 May 2017
With a navy tulle Dior Couture gown, Bellucci wore a platinum, sapphire and diamond necklace by Cartier.
PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN28/31
17 September 2017
Monica wore a dramatic diamond and emerald necklace for a Cartier launch in Rome.
JB LACROIX29/31
31 January 2018
With her hair in a tousled bob, the actor wore a Cartier Panthère pendant necklace.
PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN30/31
18 May 2019
In Cannes, she wore another emerald and diamond necklace from Cartier’s Maria Félix crocodile suite.
CHRISTIAN VIERIG31/31
24 September 2019
Bellucci attended the Dior show during Paris Fashion Week, and finished her belted black gown with a pair of large hoop earrings.
