Fans of opulent jewelry will love Keira Knightley in the title role of Anna Karenina, which officially opens this Friday. Knightley told Starpulse.com that she used her Chanel connections to secure a treasure trove of period jewelry for her film, which takes place in Russia in the late 19th century. The actress had been the focus of a number of high-profile campaigns for the fashion house, so when she learned that her character in the latest adaptation of the classic Leo Tolstoy novel would be showered in beautiful baubles, she instantly called on her Chanel friends for assistance. Stills from the movie confirm that Chanel came through in a big way. A single brooch provided for the movie, for instance, was worth more than $2.5 million. "All of the jewels that I'm wearing in the film are real, so [there were] a lot of diamonds and pearls and a couple of rubies in there, as well," Knightley told Starpulse.com. "I didn't get to take any of them home with me, unfortunately; they had to all go back to Chanel, but it was very nice getting dressed in the morning." Knightley wears a number of opulent items of jewelry, including a multi-strand pearl necklace and bracelet that beautifully complements an extravagant plum ballgown. In another scene, the 27-year-old's neckline is embellished by a sparking diamond necklace arranged in three tiers at the front and joining together at the back, with a large diamond flower motif at the side. An outdoor shot shows Knightley donning stunning diamond drop earrings, comprised of a cascade of small diamonds ending in a large pear-shaped bauble. The earrings are set against a grey fur collar and black embroidered hat. Knightley told the Daily Mail that the gems helped to define her character. "They represent that cut-glass perfection Anna displays that's too perfect," she explained. "A big part of the book focuses on Anna's vanity, and as it all crumbles around her, the vanity increases." Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is the tragedy of a married aristocrat and her affair with the affluent Count Vronsky. The 864-page masterwork was published in 1877 and has been called "the greatest novel ever written." Previews of the movie, Anna Karenina, have generated mixed reviews, but most critics agree that the film will earn a boatload of Oscar nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Knightley in the title role. Visit Ben David Jewelers on Facebook Visit BenDavidJewelers.com Find us on Pinterest.