Elizabeth Taylor and Her Necklace Collection: Jewels Worth Over 30 Million Dollars

Elizabeth Taylor was not only a legendary actress we all know as Cleopatra, but a fashion icon with her exquisite taste in jewelry, particularly her collection of stunning necklaces. Her love for necklaces was evident in the way she wore them, making bold statements and turning heads wherever she went. In contrast to today's celebrities, who borrow expensive pieces to wear on the red carpet, she owned all of her expensive jewelry collection, and Bvlgari was by far one of her favorite designers. Richard Burton, her fifth husband, loved to indulge her passion for the Italian brand by giving her unique items like the Art Deco style, Bvlgari sapphire and diamond sautoir, and an emerald necklace set. Moreover, just look at the so-called Taylor-Burton diamond necklace, which actually was a compound of a diamond first mounted in the ring. However, Elizabeth made a statement with wearing it as a pendant on the diamond necklace. If you are intrigued, we want to say only one thing. We promise only facts and interesting jewelry descriptions. You won't feel disappointed by these statement pieces and can discover even more information about Elizabeth Taylor. But before we indulge in Bvlgari's necklaces, one piece should get its separate stage. Let's have a look. Cartier Ruby Necklace For the world of auctions, the December 2011 sale of the collection of Elizabeth Taylor was a landmark event. A collection of Cartier ruby and diamond jewelry was up for auction in three separate lots at the close of the evening session, which saw the sale of several of the movie star's most recognizable gems. These Cartier pieces, which were given to the actress by her ex-husband, Mike Todd, all had diamonds and rubies that were mined in Burma and didn't exhibit any signs of heat. A friend captured the late actress's endearing response to the gems on tape. Wearing the necklace and earrings, Taylor smiles in the 20-second silent film before kissing Todd. The design of a ruby and diamond necklace is a circular bib with baguette-cut diamond latticework, with seven oval and cushion settings at the front-cut rubies, to the round and baguette-cut diamond neck chain set in 18-carat gold and platinum and connected by a cushion-cut ruby and shield-shaped diamond clasp. One of the most well-known ruby necklaces ever and a testament to Taylor's impeccable taste in jewelry, the necklace became one of her signature pieces and was frequently spotted on the red carpet at various events. Following Elizabeth Taylor's death in 2011, her cherished rubies, including the necklace worth $3.7 million, were sold at Christie's in a historic auction that brought in $137.2 million for her AIDS foundation. The Bulgari Emerald Necklace The large emerald and diamond necklace is probably the second of the prominent jewels Taylor received from one of her husbands, this time from her legendary lover and occasional husband, Richard Burton. Reportedly, he bought it in Italy while filming Cleopatra. The necklace is a part of an emerald suite consisting of coordinating earrings, a ring, a bracelet, and a pendant brooch, which Elizabeth Moore used as a pendant for necklace. While every item from the set is spectacular, the necklace caught our attention even more. Designed by Bulgari in 1962, the necklace is set with a graduated series of 16 rectangular-cut and square-cut emeralds, each within a circular-cut diamond surround, spaced by graduated circular-cut marquise-cut and pear-shaped diamond quatrefoils. However, did you know that an emerald floral brooch she first received from her husband, Eddie Fisher, is part of the Bulgari Emerald and Diamond set? Ironically, Ellis was the beloved woman who got all parts of the perure from two husbands. Was it a coincidence? At the famed auction, the necklace alone was sold for close to $6 million, and the pendant itself sold as a separate lot for $6.5 million. But it was not the end of this emerald story, as in February 2013, Julianne Moore had a chance to wear the necklace at the show arranged at an Italian jeweler's rodeo drive boutique in LA. While Julianne Moore wore Elizabeth Taylor's diamonds with style, she didn't go as far as the late actress, who made them even more aspirational and association-rich by wearing them in her movies on the red carpet and in the swimming pool. Taylor Burton Diamond Necklace When Burton presented Taylor a 69.42-carat pear-shaped diamond in 1969, the gift storyline surpassed all previous gems. According to reports, Aristotle Onassis planned to buy the diamond for his wife, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, but Cartier was the one to win the auction. Just $50,000 more than Burton had budgeted, the jeweler paid $1,050,000 for the diamond. Burton quickly chased down Cartier and finally bought the diamond for Taylor. Prior to being transformed into a necklace, the jewel was placed in a ring. However, it is now referred to as the Taylor Burton Diamond. The bauble had a $1 million insurance policy while it was still owned by Taylor. According to the policy, Taylor had to be escorted by armed guards when wearing it in public, and it could only be worn in public for only 30 days out of the year. A $2,800 copy was eventually designed for the actress. Taylor sold the Taylor Burton Diamond to jeweler Henry Lambert for almost $5 million in 1978, following her second divorce from Burton. And guess what? A portion of the revenues were donated to construct a hospital in Botswana, a place where Taylor and Burton remarried in 1975. La Peregrina Pearl Necklace One of Elizabeth Taylor's most famous necklaces was the La Peregrina Pearl Necklace, with the important gem that was one more gift to her by her then-husband Richard Burton. For more than 250 years, the enormous pear-shaped pendant, weighing 55.95 carats, was owned by the Spanish royal family. When the pearl was discovered in the 16th century, it was the largest in the world and was worn by the French Bonapartists and various Spanish queens. Burton was the one buyer of the sea stone when it was sold at Sotheby's in 1969 for $37,000. Elizabeth then asked Cartier to design a complex two-strand setting that included eight platinum and gold-set diamond and ruby plaques, four cultured pearls, and 56 natural pearls. Because the pendant is removable, it can also be worn as a brooch. Fortunately for us, the pearl appears on screen in the 1969 motion picture Anne of the Thousand Days, and hence we can re-watch its beauty a hundred times. Taylor loved the necklace so much that she wore it often, both on and off the red carpet, cementing its status as one of her most iconic pieces. The Bulgari Sautoir Elizabeth was presented the Bulgari Sapphire Sautoir necklace as a 40th birthday gift from Richard on February 27, 1972 in Budapest, Hungary while he was on location filming Bluebeard. To commemorate the milestone birthday, the Burtons invited their relatives and well-known acquaintances. Princess Grace of Monaco, Michael Caine, Ringo Starr, Susanna York, and Raquel Welch were among the guests. Elizabeth was undoubtedly the main attraction, but her Bulgari Sapphire came in second. To highlight the pendant's prominence and structure, she wore the lengthy chain doubled over when she made the piece's Budapest debut. The remarkable stone weighs about 52.72 carats and has an octagonal pendant set with a sugarloaf cabochon sapphire and a pavé-cut diamond. The pendant is framed by four bullet-shaped diamonds and exquisite calibre-cut sapphires. With additional calibre-cut sapphires and pavé-set diamond links, the necklace replicates the pendant's design. Taylor was so happy with the necklace that she wore to several occasions, including Burton's 50th birthday party. As of now, the Sapphire and Diamond Satoire is back in the hands of Bulgari after the brand repurchased it from Christie's sale for a massive $5.9 million in 2011. A couple of years later, the jewel resurfaced in the limelight at yet another high-profile outing, the red carpet of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Actress Jessica Chastain paired it with a chunky Bulgari Trombino ring, which featured a sugarloaf sapphire of over 25 carats. What's interesting, this particular ring also belonged to Taylor who bought it for herself and, as you already guessed, was also repurchased by Bulgari. The Daisy Necklace Taylor was renowned for purchasing her own jewels. However, one time she borrowed the earrings and necklace from Van Cleef and Arpels that she wore to the 1993 Oscars. It was a special award, hence she chose the special piece. Elizabeth Taylor accepted the Jean Herscholt Humanitarian Award at the Oscars for the challenging work she had done on behalf of AIDS awareness and research standing in a sunshine yellow Valentino gown, matching it with Reine Marguerite's suite, which translated Queen Daisy. The suite composed of a necklace and earrings with pavé-set white diamond petals, pavé-set yellow pistils, and chrysophrase leaves. The necklace itself is designed as a graduated series of circular-cut diamond daisies, each set with a circular-cut yellow diamond Bombay pistil, spaced by chrysophrase leaves with circular-cut diamond trim. But why daisies? The flowers conveyed happy symbolism for the event. Daisies are representative of warmth, brightness, and love. They also symbolize optimism, which is a trait that every activist needs to have in order to persevere in the face of hardship. Was it a good choice? We believe yes. Eventually, she still bought it with a matching brooch, as she immediately fell in love with this piece. Finally, at the Christie's auction of the star's estate, the Van Cleef and Arpels daisy set went for $746,500, with a portion of the proceeding going to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Taj Mahal Pendant Necklace Now we would like to pay your attention to a rather impressive and controversial piece. If you wonder why, keep watching. Richard Burton once again showed his love and appreciation to Ellie's for her 40th birthday by presenting a unique pendant on a necklace named Taj Mahal. The jewel is set with an inscribed heart-shaped table-cut diamond, within a red stone and jade mount set with table-cut diamonds, with the reverse decorated with an enamel latticework motif, from a gold neck chain set with cabochon rubies, and old mine-cut diamonds, mounted in gold. The diamond is inscribed with the name Nur Jahan, the wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahangir. It is believed to eventually have been a gift from the ruler to his son, who became Emperor Shah Jahan. But was it indeed so? At the record-setting auction of Taylor's Massive Jewelry Collection, in 2011, Christie's sold it to an anonymous buyer for $8.8 million. Months after the auction ended, the buyer asked Christie's to cancel the sale of the stone and give him back his money because he believed that the diamond did not actually belong to Emperor Shah Jahan. But in its lawsuit, the trust claims that Christie's never guaranteed the age of the diamond in its pre-auction materials, instead only saying it was an Indian diamond, a fact which the buyer couldn't dispute, since the occasion, the necklace, has become a controversial one. The Missoni Monkey Necklace Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, was one of Taylor's closest pals. The Baron and Baroness de Portanova once owned an extravagant set of Missoni jewels, which the singer lavished upon Taylor as gifts. The diamond, emerald, and ruby-encrusted set, which includes earrings and a necklace, has gold banana pendants and monkey patterns. But the patterns look indeed complicated. The necklace centers upon a pair of pavé set, diamond yellow and white gold monkeys, enhanced by circular-cut ruby eyes, perched atop a bunch of bananas, joined to a series of similarly set frolicking monkeys, enhanced by circular-cut diamond and gold stylized foliate motifs, accented by carved emerald leaves and twisted gold rope, and finally joined to a gold pineapple clasp. Only judging by the description, this necklace required remarkable craftsmanship. Don't you think this way? Jackson is thought to have bought the gem set at a Christie's auction in 2000, the same year a legendary actress was spotted wearing the necklace and earrings sitting next to Michael Jackson. Taylor's collection of necklaces also included more understated pieces, such as the amethyst and corals, and Belle Epoque chokers she often wore with her elegant evening gowns. These delicate necklaces added a touch of sophistication to her outfits, showcasing her versatility and ability to effortlessly transition from extravagant to elegant in her jewelry choices. Elizabeth Taylor's famous necklaces were not only valuable and luxurious, but they also held sentimental value for her. After watching this video, we want you to write down the piece that you liked and the reason why. Have you ever been interested in Taylor's jewelry before? Don't be shy and let us know all your thoughts and impressions. Thank you for watching.