Jewels are expected to net 20 Million
Elizabeth Taylor didn’t do things by halves. And even in death, that is still true, as proved by the auction of the Hollywood icon’s world-renowned collection of jewelry, recently announced
The two-day sale in December, expected to raise more than £20million, will be preceded by a three-month global tour that will also display couture, fine art and memorabilia belonging to the actress, who died aged 79 from heart failure in March.
A total of 269 diamonds, pearls, rubies, rings, necklaces and a tiara will be sold, with several of the most valuable pieces related to Miss Taylor’s lengthy and complicated relationship with Richard Burton, whom she married and divorced twice.
‘This is without a doubt the greatest private collection of jewellery ever assembled in one place,’ said Christie’s Americas chairman and president Marc Porter.
The collection includes everything ‘from her most jaw-dropping diamonds, gems and one-of-a-kind historic jewels to ... never-before-seen keepsakes’, he said.
Leading the gala evening sale of 89 top lots on December 13 and 14 is Taylor’s iconic, 33.19-carat white diamond ring, a 1968 gift from Burton after the actor purchased it at auction for $300,000.
The trustees of Taylor’s estate have renamed it The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, and it is estimated to fetch £1.57million to £2.19million.
But previous auctions of memorabilia belonging to celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Onassis have soared to many times their pre-sale estimates.
‘It is her depth of knowledge about fine jewellery that truly impresses,’ Francois Curiel, international jewellery director for Christie’s, said of Miss Taylor.
‘It was clear that she possessed an expert’s eye for craftsmanship, rarity, quality and history. She collected the best pieces from the best periods.’
Among the pieces is a 203-grain (equivalent to 55 carat) pear-shaped 14th-century pearl known as La Peregrina, once owned by England’s Queen Mary I and later passed on to Spanish queens Margarita and Isabel.
Burton bought it in 1969 at auction for £23,000, and Miss Taylor commissioned Cartier to design a new ruby-and-diamond necklace mount. It is estimated to sell for £1.25million to £1.88million.
At the other end of the spectrum, bidders will have a chance to buy Miss Taylor’s two, diamond-set wedding bands from her marriages to Burton, estimated to fetch only £4,000 to £6,000.
All that glitters: Along with her raven-haired beauty, Elizabeth Taylor was well -known for the fabulous collection of jewels
From Mike Todd, another of Miss Taylor’s seven husbands, there is an antique diamond tiara, which the star wore to the 1957 Academy Awards, that is estimated to fetch £40,000 to £60,000.
In keeping with the actress’s humanitarian work, a portion of the proceeds from exhibitions, events and publications related to the auction will be donated to The Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation, which the actress founded in 1991.
