Not many Hollywood personalities have had the distinction of having their own diamond jewelry collection.  Among those who do, Elizabeth Taylor’s name stands out because her use of them were highly publicized.  Each piece has a story to tell, a memory to remember.

1. The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond Ring

This was the 33.19 carat Asscher cut diamond ring most frequently worn by Elizabeth Taylor.  It was given by her former husband Richard Burton.  Prior to its auction sale, its estimated selling price was placed at $2,500,000 to $ 3,500,000.  It was sold for a record price of $ 8.8 million.

2. The Taylor-Burton Diamond

This was 69.42 carat pear-shaped diamond originally set on  a ring when purchased by Richard Burton for  $ 1,050,000 million in an auction.  Burton was outbidded by Cartier but prevailed after further negotiations.  Since the ring was too big for Taylor, the couple had it mounted as a pendant on a necklace designed by Harry Winston.  Taylor eventually sold it for the purpose of helping build a hospital in Botswana, Africa.

3. La Peregrina Pearl

Richard Burton again bidded for this pear-shaped pearl and won against Prince Alfonso de Bourbon Asturias.  The occasion this time was the 37th birthday of Elizabeth Taylor.  Burton purchased it for $37,000.  This piece of jewelry has a long history which dates back to the engagement of Mary Tudor of England to Phillip II of Spain in 1554.

4.  Bulgari Sapphire Necklace

Richard Burton once again gifted Elizabeth Taylor with this diamond and sapphire sautoir necklace which featured a 321-carat Burmese sapphire pendant.  The occasion was Taylor’s 40th birthday.  Burton is remembered to have said that the only Italian word Taylor knows is Bulgari.

5. The Michael Jackson Diamond Bracelet and the Mike Todd Diamond Tiara

This was a gift by Michael Jackson to Taylor which featured five rectangular-cut diamonds and a three-row circular-cut diamond band.  It sold for $194,500 in the auction far beyond the expected price of $30,000 to $50,000.  The diamond tiara which was a gift from Mike Todd also fetched an incredible price of $4,200,000, setting a record for tiara selling in the auction venue.

In the recent auction, auctioneers were at awe with the unbelievable interest of individuals to purchase an item or items from the Elizabeth Taylor Jewelry Collection.    It was almost as if the price didn’t matter as final bidding prices literally rocketed to the roofs.  There is no doubt that the jewelries’ history of ownership is largely responsible for this as sounded off by Denise of DiamondJewelry.org.

 

Originally posted on October 13, 2012 @ 12:19 am