Did you know that IMDb, the online movie database, lists over 200 titles with the words DIAMOND or DIAMONDS appearing in them. This is without even counting the movies in which the plot or subplot is based upon diamond-related themes.

Whether we're talking about an action-packed adventure flick, a touching love story, a hard-hitting documentary or a popular TV series, diamonds have played leading and co-starring roles in almost every film genre, made for big or small screens.

Need we mention Blood Diamond, the Leonardo DiCaprio feature that made the headlines last year for more than just its entertainment value? And who can forget Diamonds Are Forever - the 1971 Sean Connery-as-James Bond classic which brought our hero all the way to Las Vegas in hot pursuit of a diamond smuggling operation?

But even when they do not get clear credit in the title, diamonds' star position remains intact. Our readers surely remember Snatch, the 2000 Guy Ritchie comedy/crime thriller which portrayed a group of gangsters, followed by a group of Orthodox Jews, followed by another group of Pikeys/Gypsies (and that's not even the half of it) - all trying to put their hands on a huge 80-something karat diamond.

Going back almost 100 years we still find movies about diamonds. But what about the future? Will mankind's fascination with diamonds ever go away? The answer is, clearly not.

A peek at projects still in pre-production stages includes the film, The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, a feature scheduled to be shot during spring 2007. Starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Evans, David Strathairn and Ellen Burstyn, the film is based on a Tennessee Williams screenplay. Directed by Jodie Markell, the plot is a romantic drama, with turmoil and conflict fueled by the loss of a precious diamond.

The appeal of diamonds, be they white diamonds, colored diamonds, or any other type - is everlasting. There will always be stories swirling around these valuable stones, and a large audience who eagerly tunes in for a good tale about love, passion, hate or jealousy, motivated by a precious diamond.

Movies About Diamonds - Jewelry in Culture