Cannes 2009: Couture, Cinema and Chopard

Cannes you dig it? The yachts are docked, the champagne is flowing and the jewelry is already incroyable as the 62nd annual Cannes Film Festival gets underway in the south of France this week.

I just love this film festival. Known for booing crowds and unmatched extravagance, it’s no wonder the fashion police are on high alert as the world’s biggest stars put their best 'pied' forward.

And while many fashion sponsors like Fendi and Swarovski have bowed out this year due to that pesky economy, thank the skies above that Chopard has hung in there. Why? Because they designed 62 couture pieces of jewelry this year to be worn by The Croisette’s biggest stars.










































Pixar’s latest entry, UP, already premiered and Chopard made big jewelry statements on co-President, Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele and model du jour Eugenia Silva.

Cannes juror and Sean Penn ex, Robin Wright Penn, is quite simply always a stunner and tonight was no exception as she appeared in a silvery gown with diamond spray earrings. Who knows how much she had to put up with all these years, but it certainly doesn’t show. Bravo.

Fellow juror, Shu Qi, upped the ante with a vintage diamond statement piece, and gemstone earrings dusted the shoulders of beauties Alessia Piovan and Jaydy Michel.




























And this is just the beginning, jewelry hounds. Cannes darling, Quentin Tarrantino, is here with his Brad Pitt starrer, Inglorious Basterds, and everyone is scrambling to make an appearance.

So stick with the old 'JI' here to see all the crazy Croisette fashion carnage as the week progresses, and be sure to visit the Jewelry.com Facebook page to gawk at an album full of more drool-worthy Cannes jewels.

Diamonds and spray-tans and yachts! Mon Dieu!