A Look At Liz Taylor's Jewels

By Jenny Peters

There are few who would disagree that Elizabeth Taylor possessed such a rare beauty that her like may never be seen again. From the violet-eyed girl in "National Velvet" to the stunning 16-year-old captured in "Life" magazine to the woman wowing audiences in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "A Place in the Sun," "Giant," "Cleopatra" and her Oscar-winning turns in "Butterfield 8" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Liz Taylor was a force of nature. With her beauty and talent came adoration, both from fans and from rich and successful men who loved her and who showered her with jewels.

Now that Dame Elizabeth is no longer with us, her astonishing collection (also including clothes, costume jewelry and film memorabilia) is going up for auction, with proceeds going to her estate. But before that happens at Christie’s in New York and online on December 13-16, fans are getting the chance to see it, as the collection travels the world. It will make stops in Dubai, Geneva, Paris, Hong Kong and New York (December 3-12) before the big event. Here’s a look at just a few treasures and for even more gossip, click here:

The Ring Her fifth husband, Richard Burton, gave Elizabeth this 33.19-carat diamond ring in 1968. Back then it was called the Krupp Diamond, and it is a flawless white diamond set in platinum. Taylor wore it constantly throughout the rest of her life; who wouldn't? It's priced at $2,500,000 to $3,500,000, but expectations are for it to go for much more than that.

The Tiara Third husband Mike Todd, like Burton, loved to shower Liz with jewels. In 1957, he bought her this antique diamond-encrusted tiara, which she promptly wore to the Academy Awards that year. No one else was wearing tiaras, but that never stopped La Liz from doing exactly what she liked. She set the fashion in jewels, rather than followed it. Asking price today is $60,000 to $80,000.

The Pearl Burton was a seriously generous and doting husband; perhaps that's why Taylor married him twice. During their first marriage (1964-1974), Burton bought her La Peregrina, a perfectly symmetrical (and huge) pear-shaped pearl that had once been part of the Crown Jewels of Spain, as a Valentine's Day gift. Taylor enlisted Cartier to bling it up a bit; the necklace it hangs from is an incredible piece highlighted by natural pearls, cultured pearls, diamonds and rubies. Christie's is expecting to see bids of at least $3 million for this historical piece.

The Taj Mahal Necklace Another history-filled piece came from Burton as well, purchased in 1972 and given to Liz on her 40th birthday. That's the legendary Taj Mahal diamond pendant necklace, originally given by India's Emperor Shah Jahangir to his wife Nur Jahan. He even had her name engraved on the heart-shaped diamond itself. Passed along to his son Shah Jahan, the necklace adorned his wife Mumtaz until she died in childbirth. He then built the Taj Mahal in her memory. Taylor had Cartier ramp up the piece, replacing the original silk cord with a solid-gold rope necklace studded with diamonds and rubies. Asking price is $300,000 to $500,000.

The Emeralds Seeing the Bvlgari emerald and diamond "suite" of matching jewels that Burton gave Taylor up close would make your head spin. The necklace alone is chockablock with massive brilliant green emeralds; those are adorned with diamonds bigger than most women's engagement rings. The bracelet features graduated emeralds surrounded by more diamonds. The breathtaking ring is a huge emerald sprinkled with diamonds, and the brooch echoes that same design. Drop earrings featuring oval emeralds complete the set, which is going to be sold individually. Necklace: $1,500,000; bracelet: $500,000; ring: $800,000; brooch: $700,000; earrings: $200,000.

The Sapphires Sometimes a gal just has to buy her own baubles, and La Liz didn't have a problem with that, especially when it came to sapphires. Her most famous blue-stoned piece is the Bvlgari "Sautoir," a heavy necklace of sapphire and diamonds anchored by a gigantic sugarloaf cabochon sapphire. Later, she added a "Trombino" pinky ring with a large cabochon sapphire that went perfectly, as Bvlgari also made it. But her love of sapphires didn't stop there, as the sale also includes her Van Cleef & Arpels earrings, Tiffany & Co. brooch and even a pair of multicolored sapphire earrings by Jar. Sautoir: $800,000; ring: $200,000; earrings: $200,000; brooch: $100,000; multicolored earrings: $150,000.

The Rubies Legend has it that when Mike Todd gave Elizabeth Taylor a Cartier-created "parure" (matching set) of ruby-and-diamond necklace, earrings and bracelet, the couple was vacationing in the South of France. She was swimming in their pool while wearing the tiara he had given her earlier, when he offered up the latest sparkly bits. "I shrieked with joy," she recalled in "Elizabeth Taylor: A to Z," the souvenir publication created to go with the auction. "I just shrieked with joy, put my arms around Mike's neck and pulled him into the pool after me." Necklace: $300,000; earrings: $12,000; bracelet: $200,000.