The 69^th Cannes Film Festival in France got off to a glittering start yesterday with actors, directors, producers and celebrities taking to the red carpet bedecked with bling from some of the world’s most prestigious brands.

The epitome of glamour, Jessica Chastain paired her show-stopping gown with an audacious Piaget necklace in white gold set with diamonds as well as a ring featuring a stunning yellow diamond from the Swiss watch and jewellery house’s new ‘Sunny Side of Life’ high jewellery collection.

Chastain, who is Piaget’s international brand ambassador, had recently returned from a world tour to promote the release of her latest movie The Huntsman: Winter’s War.

Chinese star Gong Li added a touch of flamboyance to her outfit, choosing to wear a radiant Piaget necklace in white gold set with a central blue sapphire and diamonds as well as earrings set with blue sapphires and diamonds from the Sunny Side of Life and two high jewellery rings with a full set of diamonds.

Also a Piaget brand ambassador, the award-wining Li is admired for her powerful on-screen roles and has played a key role in promoting Chinese cinema to an international audience.

Heartbeat star Melissa George, meanwhile, delighted fans and photographers in an elegant gown that she accessorized with a Sunny Side of Life ear cuff set with a pink sapphire centre stone, pink tourmalines and diamonds as well as a Piaget Limelight ring set with a pink tourmaline and diamonds and a Limelight diamond watch. 

Meanwhile, American fashion model Bella Hadid lit up the red carpet with a ‘nude’ dress made by Roberto Cavalli embellished by a de Grisogono high jewellery necklace and Florinda bracelet. 

Accompanying her down the red carpet was the founder of the Swiss luxury jeweller Fawaz Gruosi, sporting a classy a new de Grisogono watch called New Retro. 

Caryl Steel, the Entertainment Tonight host, television presenter, actress, and producer, slipped into a Georges Hobeika purple gown. The British beauty styled her purple gown with de Grisogono jewellery, teaming some gorgeous Boule white diamond earrings and a Vortice white gold bracelet with a Matassa white gold diamond ring.

And French film, TV and stage actress Elsa Zylberstein looked stunning in her bordeaux dress which she adorned with de Grisogono’s Melody of Colours earrings and ring.

And in another highlight, Oscar-winning British-American actress Julianne Moore debuted the Gemfields emerald and diamond earrings from the Green Carpet Collection by Swiss watch and jewellery house Chopard at the opening ceremony of the festival.

Other stars wearing Chopard jewellery included Araya A Hargate who wore a white gold, diamond and conch pearl necklace from the Red Carpet Collection along with diamond stud earrings and a white gold and diamond ring, Bianca Balti with sapphire and diamond from the High Jewellery collection, and Victoria Beckham, who wore a white gold and diamond bracelet and an 8.88-carat cushion-cut diamond ring. 

Bulgari beauties included British actress Naomi Watts who wore a glittering Bulgari high jewellery necklace.

And Blake Lively, the star of the Café Society, the opening night’s movie, wore diamond earrings and rings by Lorraine Schwartz.