The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills newbie Jennifer Tilly looks absolutely fabulous in her Hollywood glam-style cast photo for Season 14. Her stunning look includes a piece of jewelry – from her personal collection – with a story of its own.
First designed by Fulco di Verdura for Paul Flato in 1935, the dazzling piece features aquamarine diamonds, rubies, and a belt-like design with red ruby buckles.
Jennifer had her eye on the necklace for “about 20 years” before finally making the purchase in 2019. “I love Flato and this is one of the most beautiful pieces he ever created. [It’s] a truly iconic work of art,” she shared.
Jennifer Tilly reveals why the necklace in her RHOBH Season 14 cast photo is “iconic”
According to an interview Jennifer did with Town & Country magazine at the time she bought the necklace, the piece is “a landmark in jewelry history.” The piece features on the cover of the book “Paul Flato: Jeweler to the Stars” by Elizabeth Irvine Bray,
“Originally commissioned by [American composer and songwriter] Cole Porter for his wife Linda Lee Porter, they bequeathed the necklace to Fred Astaire’s daughter Ava,” Town & Country shared. “It [was later] owned by New York’s Fred Leighton and most recently by dealer Lee Siegelson. It was Siegelson who sold it to Tilly.”
“When I first tried it on, I was stunned at how beautiful it was in person,” gushed Sutton Stracke’s BFF. “It has all the insouciance and wit of a Cole Porter song. The fact that it’s made with semi-precious stones [and] aquamarines and accented with rubies gives it a sort of careless throwaway glamour. The unusual color combination, along with the trompe l’oiel wrapped belt design, is a masterpiece of understated sophistication.”
The Bride of Chucky actress is something of a fine jewelry aficionado. With her accumulated wealth, she can afford to be. I’m looking forward to seeing some of her beautiful and unusual pieces when she joins the drama on RHOBH. She and co-star Erika Jayne will surely have a lot to talk about.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 14 premieres Tuesday, November 19 at 8/7c on Bravo.
