Agatha Christie’s Case of the 128-Carat Tiffany Diamond

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Prolific mystery writer Dame Agatha Christie, who was born on this day in 1890, always displayed a particular affinity for stories surrounding murder, conspiracy, stolen trinkets, baubles, and priceless relics. From swiped family heirlooms and rare antiquities to hijacked riches and rubies, the most extravagant and exquisite stones have been the center of her stories for decades. As one of the world’s best-selling authors, with 66 mystery novels and 14 short story collections, her tales of detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple earned her the title of the Queen of Crime. Although her last piece of literature was published posthumously in the 1970s, her work continues to resonate with modern readers and through cinematic renditions of the suspenseful dramas.

After 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express feature film, the upcoming Christie adaptation sees Sir Kenneth Branagh as Poirot once again. This time, he investigates a murder aboard a cruise ship in Death on the Nile, based on the 1937 literary classic.

Christie’s Poirot is a world-renowned private detective who sniffs out the most convoluted of schemes and crimes with neurotic precision. The obsessive compulsive and fantastically mustached Belgian meticulously gathers evidence without the smallest, singular detail escaping his notice. While reading between the lines to crack the code and unearth the truth, Poirot makes his predictions while consulting on international cases with titillating and tantalizing twists and turns to solve the mystery at hand.

In the upcoming film, we revisit the esteemed investigator and embark on a riveting new journey following a fresh set of characters played by a starry cast including Annette Bening, Letitia Wright, Armie Hammer, and Gal Gadot. Yet, there is another star featured we’ve not yet named–Tiffany’s illustrious Fancy Yellow Diamond. Only publicly worn on three separate occasions, the archival treasure has now been replicated for the latest Christie installment. The film’s trailer offers a glimpse of the gem around the neck of Gadot’s character, Linnet Ridgeway Doyle, as she traipses down the stairs arm-in-arm with her betrothed, played by Hammer. The story revolves around a hodge-podge of people on a luxurious Eqyptian steamboat where a murder takes place, bringing a thick fog of suspicion aboard.

The stand-out clone of the historic diamond holds a significant amount of cultural influence that permeates time or trend. Tiffany & Co. founder Charles Lewis Tiffany acquired the stone as a 287-carat discovery a year after the raw and rough treasure was identified in the Kimberly mines of South Africa in 1877. By placing the diamond in the good hands of supreme gemologist George Frederic Kunz, it was carved down to the 128.54 carat cushion piece it is today. After showcasing the canary yellow sparkler at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, the press dubbed Charles Tiffany the King of Diamonds.

More recently, the gemstone made its red carpet debut in 2019 as the most expensive bauble to ever be worn to the Oscars, leaving viewers ogling far and wide. At the 91st Academy Awards ceremony, Lady Gaga donned the Tiffany’s cushion-cut, canary yellow diamond to accompany her two classic black gowns. It is said to be worth million. The rare 128.54-carat diamond is one of the largest and finest Fancy Yellow diamonds in the world and it was released from the Tiffany & Co. vault specifically for Gaga. Prior to the Oscars, the last time this priceless 141 year old gemstone had been worn was in 1961 by Audrey Hepburn while promoting Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The legendary stone was placed on a Jean Schlumberger diamond ribbon necklace for the promotional shots, imbuing the piece as a staple in film and fashion history. Before that, it was only donned on one other occasion by British conservative Mary Whitehouse.

Lending the artistic rights of the distinguished diamond, Tiffany & Co. will promote Death on the Nile in its retail locations and digital platforms. Aligning with the movie’s October 23 release date, the luxury jewelry brand will also unveil glistening curations of jewelry inspired by looks in the upcoming adaptation and have pieces from the film on display at shops in New York, Los Angeles, and London.

The diamond’s appearance in the film speaks to the prestige of Christie’s legacy in literature and beyond. Just as Christie’s tale wraps around a mysterious and glitzy plot, the Fancy Yellow Diamond captivates with its rarely-seen mystique.

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