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In Titanic, the elderly Rose throws the Heart of the Ocean off a boat; that has been discussed in similar question here:

Why did Rose throw the diamond necklace overboard?

But why did she keep the diamond with her this long, even when she never used it during her bad days? Why did she keep the reminder of Cal this long? She could have thrown it away a long time ago.

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  • Cal wasn't the only person who was linked to that diamond. It was presented by him, that's true, but Jack was also related to it when its theft was pinned on him.
    – Sudip Biswas
    Mar 6, 2017 at 10:57
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    It seems as though James Cameron would use the diamond to represent "Rose's story", which she had kept to herself until now. Once she told her story, she was able to let it go. She held onto the diamond as a physical reminder of her experience on Titanic and of Jack. (This is just my impression, not based on anything I read, so I'm not including it as an answer.)
    – BrettFromLA
    Mar 6, 2017 at 21:18

2 Answers 2

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It's not stated anywhere in the movie or on the internet why she kept that diamond for long.

Why she kept the diamond this long with her, even when she never used it during her bad days.

She could, but it wouldn't be very easy.

Right before old Rose starts to tell the story, Brock Lovett says that a claim was made against insurance for the loss of the diamond by Nathan Hartley, Cal's father. Now since that insurance company paid for it, it is the legal owner of the diamond. If she did donate it or sell it, it would automatically be subject to claim by that insurance company.

Why did she keep the reminder of Cal this long?

Well, this diamond is not the reminder of Cal only. It is also reminder of Jack. She got her portrait drawn wearing the Heart of the Ocean. It is the only thing that reminds her of Jack. So, this could be the reason why she kept that diamond for long.

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  • Possibly, but Rose could argue that she salvaged the gemstone. When a ship sinks, the Law of Salvage generally says whatever you recover is yours. I don’t know if there is a case where a passenger accidentally entrusts personal personal property to another passenger (without the knowledge of either).
    – Michael Lorton
    Nov 6, 2020 at 21:32
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I don't think there is an answer in the film or anything else that is remotely canon but -- wouldn't you?

It was the only physical remembrance she had of her Great Love. Jack was dead, the drawings were at the bottom of the ocean, she had nothing like a letter or a ring, there was no grave to visit.

Incidentally, only on second viewing did I realize we were meant to think that Rose was planning to throw herself into the sea at the end. It was filmed to recall the first suicide attempt, in particular, her bare foot stepping on the lowest rail (Cameron, like Tarantino, has a little foot-fetish going on). I think we were supposed to be surprised that she even had the diamond, even though Cal tells Livejoy (and us) she does some 30 minutes ahead of time.

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