Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn Monroe), with her legendary and short life, left us with many memories and mysteries—a familiar name and image. Almost everyone around the world has seen her iconic photos growing up: the black-and-white shot of her in a white dress, blown up by a street vent on a New York sidewalk; the one where she faces the camera with her eyes half-closed and lips slightly parted; or the one showing her bare legs while lounging on a sofa. These photos are no longer just images; they have become an emotional expression, a snapshot of pure sensuality.
Monroe’s life was one of both triumphs and tribulations. As an actress, she worked hard but was constantly overshadowed by her glamorous looks, forever unable to shed the "pretty face" label. As a woman, she believed in and pursued true love, longing for a perfect marriage and family, yet she experienced three failed marriages.
On June 19, 1942, at just 16 years old, an unknown Marilyn Monroe married James E. Dougherty, who was serving in the military. In the early days of her marriage, Monroe worked in an aircraft factory. One day, a photographer approached her and took several pictures. Seeing how captivating she looked in those photos, Monroe was filled with dreams of becoming a star. However, agencies at the time did not sign married women. Determined to pursue her movie star ambitions, Monroe filed for divorce, ending her first marriage after four years.
On January 14, 1954, Monroe married legendary baseball player Joe DiMaggio in a civil ceremony in San Francisco. DiMaggio presented her with a wedding ring set with 35 diamonds. However, their marriage lasted only nine months. DiMaggio could not tolerate the way Monroe flirted with her audience. On the day Monroe filmed the famous subway grate scene for "The Seven Year Itch," DiMaggio witnessed her skirt being blown up, revealing her underwear to the cheering crowd. His face bore a "deathly" expression. Soon after, they began to drift apart, and Monroe started taking more sleeping pills. Two weeks later, Monroe handed DiMaggio divorce papers, marking the end of their nine-month marriage.
In 1956, Monroe married her third husband, playwright Arthur Miller. Miller, who had won the Pulitzer Prize for "Death of a Salesman," attracted Monroe, who longed to be taken seriously as an actress. She believed she had finally found her soulmate. However, she later discovered that Miller had criticized her as "stupid and incompetent" in his writings. Miller even wrote a script for her that reflected her real-life image as a "dumb blonde." Disillusioned and hurt, Monroe divorced him in 1961, suffering a mental breakdown afterward, echoing the struggles her mother had faced.
Despite her turbulent personal life, Monroe's career flourished. In 1999, she was ranked the 6th greatest female screen legend by the American Film Institute. About love, she once confided in a friend: "I need a man, a marriage, a family, and children."
Marilyn Monroe's Jewelry
This iconic American superstar once performed the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" in the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The song playfully sings, "And we all lose our charms in the end, But square-cut or pear-shaped, These rocks don’t lose their shape, Diamonds are a girl’s best friend..." Whether square or pear-shaped, diamonds remain forever, adorning your beauty.
Moon of Baroda
In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the 24.04-carat yellow diamond known as the "Moon of Baroda" gleamed on Monroe’s shoulder. This pear-shaped diamond originally belonged to the Maharajas of Baroda and had been passed down in the Indian royal family for 500 years. It was later owned by an American jeweler, Meyer Rosenbaum, who loaned it to Monroe for the film.
Eternity Band
In 1952, Monroe’s relationship with baseball star Joe DiMaggio became public. When DiMaggio proposed in 1954, he gave her a diamond ring set with 35 baguette-cut diamonds.
Though one diamond eventually fell out, the ring still fetched $772,500 at auction in 1999. This style of ring is called an "eternity band," and thanks to Monroe, it remains popular today for its simple yet profound significance.
Pearls
Marilyn Monroe's association with pearls is often seen as the perfect blend of sensuality and allure. Monroe’s figure, with its 90-60-90 proportions, was considered the epitome of femininity. Monroe once wore a cream-colored classic pearl necklace, a gift from Emperor Hirohito of Japan during her honeymoon with DiMaggio. Monroe also favored earrings made of three pearls in a row, which she believed made her face look longer.
The Famous "Nude" Dress
In 1962, Monroe performed at President John F. Kennedy's birthday celebration wearing a now-iconic sheer, crystal-encrusted dress designed by Jean Louis. The dress was adorned with 2,500 crystals and sold for $4.81 million at auction in 2016. Monroe famously said, "A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl's best friend." Jewelry, for many women, symbolizes beauty, desire, and ultimate happiness.
