A 12-necklace collection known as the “A Diamond is Forever” collection was the sparkling centerpiece for a high-profile charity event during the Cannes film festival in May. “A Diamond Is Forever: Cinema Against Aids 2001” was held to benefit the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR).

Hosted by actress Elizabeth Taylor, AmFAR’s founding national chairman, the event featured some of the world’s most stunning diamonds set in innovative designs and marked the occasion of De Beers’ first sponsorship of the star-studded AmFAR benefit. The dozen necklaces comprise a total of 2,000 carats of diamonds valued at $25 million. Among the highlights is an 11.98-ct. internally flawless pear-shaped center-stone necklace by Kwiat, a rare 5-ct. radiant fancy vivid purplish-pink diamond necklace by Steinmetz for Diamond.com, and the Ashoka Necklace by William Goldberg, which features a pair of internally flawless D color Ashoka diamonds of 22.78 cts. and 22.16 cts.

The other participants were Chopard, Chow Tai Fook, Escada, Graff, Louis Glick, Mohit with Dia Bombay, Flanders with Moti Ganz, Moussaieff with Diarough, and Tasaki.

The opportunity for such high-profile exposure prompted not only the use of rare and enormous gems but also unprecedented energies by the manufacturers. Louis Glick, for example, spent nearly three years collecting and matching the yellow and white diamonds on display.

The AmFAR event, held since 1993, has been a celebrity magnet since its inception and has drawn stars such as Sharon Stone, Elton John, and Demi Moore. According to the Diamond Information Center, De Beers’ Diamond Trading Company supported the event as part of its commitment to fight HIV/AIDS in southern Africa.