Elizabeth Taylor and Her Timeless Jewelry
The beloved actress Elizabeth Taylor was a great jewelry lover and possessed one of the most prominent collections in the world, which was eventually sold through the famous Christie auction house after she left us. About 950 unique jewelry pieces were sent to buyers from all the corners of the world, collectors but also simple jewelry lovers who could afford the less expensive items.
The beautiful purple-eyed actress of British origin has an impressive number of jewelry items, many of which were offered to her by the men she married.
Of all the exquisite pieces she owned, Elizabeth Taylor had a special fondness for the ones bought by Michael Todd and Richard Burton because they were, according to the actress, two of "the three great loves of my life," the third love being the love for jewelry.
And that love also materialized in the form of a book entitled "My Love Story with Jewelry", in which she describes her adoration for jewelry. The acres revealed that the treasures she came to possess had a special importance and significance for her, all being related to certain important events in her life.
Through this book, the actress wanted to share with the rest of the world the wonder of her private jewelry collection. She considered the pieces small works of art, which she looked at and preserved with great care.
A collection of timeless jewelry
Liz’s famous collection included diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls, sapphires that could be found in necklaces, earrings, bracelets, earrings, pendants, rings, etc., hundreds and hundreds of unique jewelry pieces that mesmerized the world.
In 1956, Elizabeth Taylor was divorcing her second husband, Michael Wilding, when producer Michael Todd - who was to become her third husband - surprised her with a huge 29.4-carat diamond engagement ring, a gesture that impressed the actress deeply. She fondly called the emerald-cut diamond ring her "ice skating rink".
Her marriage with Michael Todd lasted only 13 months because he tragically died in a plane crash.
Even after Todd’s death, Elizabeth Taylor continued to wear the ring, as well as many other jewels he bought her during their brief marriage. Among them was the famous ruby and diamond necklace, earrings and bracelet by Cartier, a diamond tiara, as well as a pair of costume earrings that Todd had reset in diamonds.
The treasures from Liz's marriage to Richard Burton
When she married Richard Burton in 1964, she wore a spectacular brooch from Bulgari, made of an 18.61-carat emerald surrounded by diamonds. For this ceremony, the actress turned to the famous designer Irene Sharaff, the same one who made the costumes for the movie Cleopatra, who dressed her in a yellow chiffon dress: on this dress the brooch stood out in a magnificent way, making a big impression on the public.
Richard Burton bought Taylor during his marriage some jewelry that became famous not only for their great value but also for the fact that they came from princely houses.
In 1969, on Valentine's Day, Richard Barton surprised Liz with the famous 50-carat "La Peregrina" pearl, a perfect pear-shaped pearl which was once owned by several Spanish monarchs, after it was found in the Gulf of Panama in 1513 by a slave who bought his freedom with it. At the auction that took place at Christie's in New York after her passing away, "La Peregrina" was sold mounted on the diamond Cartier necklace for 11 million dollars.
When the actress turned 40, Richard Burton gave her a diamond pendant called "Taj Mahal", which had belonged to the Indian royal house in the 17th century. The diamond was fixed on a Cartier gold chain with many rubies.
Among the stars of her collection was the "Taylor-Burton" diamond, a necklace with a cascade of pear-shaped diamonds, with a huge 69.42 carat diamond in the center.
Another spectacular piece Liz came to possess is the 33-carat diamond ring from Burton, known as the Krupp diamond, which the actress wore daily.
The famous actress which we all loved passed away in March 2011 leaving behind her spectacular jewelry collection, which came to complete her beauty and talent.
