Since it moved to California and set up shop in the arid area that became Hollywood, the movie industry - and its stars - have had a love affair with diamonds.

The cynical may think all on-screen gems are fakes but many movie scenes have been shot using the real thing, a reflection of how the camera loves diamonds as much as actresses do.

In the 1932 film "Night After Night", the hat-check girl remarks to the character played by screen legend Mae West, "Goodness! What diamonds!", to which Mae West responds, "Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie."

Diamonds in movies have often been the subject of heists, or attempted robberies, often with female stars who reflect the ice-and-fire nature of the diamond itself. Grace Kelly in "To Catch a Thief" (1955) and Claudia Cardinale in "The Pink Panther" (1963) are classic examples.

"A Fish Called Wanda" (1988), starring John Cleese, and "Topkapi" (1964) with Peter Ustinov, reflect another popular scenario - the sap drawn into the heist, while in Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" (1990) and Guy Ritchie's "Snatch" (2001) movie-goers see what happens when jewelry robberies go wrong.

Although some of the "gems" in movies were paste, in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953) Marilyn Monroe, who sang "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" in the film, wore the Moon of Barada, a 25.95ct pear-shaped canary diamond. And in the 1952 flick "Tarzan's Savage Fury", Dorothy Hart who played Jane, wore the Transvaal diamond, a 68ct champagne stone.