Update: the jewellery auction has now taken place. The results are here.
By now we've all heard that Christie's Auction House will be selling Elizabeth Taylor's jewellery collection.
Elizabeth's engagement ring from Mike Todd. A magnificent 29.4-carat diamond she called her skating rink.
The Cartier ruby and diamond necklace she received from Mike Todd while expecting their daughter, Liza. A bracelet and pair of earrings completed the set.
The original pair of these earrings were purchased on the Place Vendome-the famous Paris jewellery street. They were actually "paste" but Elizabeth loved them. A few months later Mike Todd surprised Elizabeth by having the pair made up with real diamonds.
The Bulgari Emerald and Diamond necklace Richard Burton gave her while they were working on the movie "Cleopatra". The pendant is actually a brooch and was an engagement gift from Richard Burton in 1962.
Richard Burton later purchased this matching ring. The set also included earrings and a bracelet.
Richard Burton purchased The Taj Mahal from Cartier for Elizabeth's 40th birthday. It is set with an engraved heart-shaped diamond within a mount of red stones and jade and suspended from a woven-gold chain enhanced by cabochon rubies.
The Krupp Diamond - a 33.19-carat diamond purchased from Harry Winston. Richard Burton paid $305,000. for it in May 1968.
Red is for Wales. Richard Burton kept telling Elizabeth he was going to buy her a ruby-the most perfect ruby in the world. Elizabeth received this for Christmas one year.
La Peregrina. One of the world's finest examples of a pear-shaped pearl. It had been discovered by a slave in the 1500's. Richard Burton gave this to Elizabeth in 1969.
Just a few months after giving Elizabeth the Peregrina, this 69.42-carat diamond came up for auction. Cartier won it by paying $1,050,000. (that's one million fifty thousand). Richard purchased it from Cartier before the ink was dry on the cheque for- are you ready- $2million. The diamond was orginally set in a ring but it was "too big" so they had Cartier design a necklace. The necklace part are pear- shaped diamonds. In this picture Elizabeth is wearing her largest diamonds -the Krupp and Taylor-Burton - and her smallest diamond, the ping-pong ring. She won this playing ping-pong with Richard Burton.
These are just a few of the wonderful pieces Elizabeth owned. Lucky Lady!
all pictures from the InStyle excerpt from the book Elzabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry
Next time - The Royal Jewels
I'm drooling over the photos and all this information! I am a real jewellery LOVER as was, obviously, Ms. Taylor! But of course, my collection pales in comparison to hers!
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