Elizabeth Taylor’s Impressive Jewelry Collection
“Along with her talent and beauty, when we think of Elizabeth Taylor, we can’t help but be reminded of her incredible collection of jewelry. Married a remarkable eight times – and twice to the same man – there’s no doubt she led an interesting life. It’s her passion for sparkling diamonds that we at Ritani, of course, find most appealing. While over the years she added to her collection herself, it’s her engagement rings that have fueled the most fascination; perhaps because of what they represented. Whether Taylor really was a hopeless romantic or not, she wore some simply stunning pieces and was emblematic of how women in diamonds are timelessly exquisite, whatever their age.”– Ritani
A pair of emerald-and-diamond ear pendants, by Bulgari, 1960, gift from Richard Burton
She wore them at the Paris premiere of Lawrence of Arabia in 1962; she wore them to greet Queen Elizabeth in Washington, in 1976; and they were part of her costume in the V.I.P.s. They were, if such a thing can be said of emerald-and-diamond earrings, ubiquitous.
A gold-and-multi-gem charm bracelet
Nothing combines girlhood and jewelry like a charm bracelet, and as she got older and more successful, Elizabeth’s charm bracelets became more star-worthy. Everybody was always gifting her with golden mementos—Zeffirelli, for Taming of the Shrew; Burton, for Cleopatra; there was even a Henry VIII gold half-sovereign of 1544. Sweetest yet: a gold ball-shaped locket engraved with the names of Elizabeth’s children.
A pair of diamond-and-ruby ear pendants, by Cartier, gift from Mike Todd
Producer Mike Todd was a smitten new husband when he gifted his pregnant wife with a suite of Cartier diamond-and-Burmese-ruby jewelry. The setting was Cap-Ferrat’s Villa Fiorentina, where the Todds were vacationing with Evie and Van Johnson. Elizabeth happened to be swimming when Todd joined her in the pool, jewels in hand. She kissed him, he hugged her, and Evie Johnson, an amateur shutterbug, recorded the bauble-filled moment for posterity.
An emerald-and-diamond ring, by Bulgari, 1962, gift from Richard Burton
They sizzled on-screen as Anthony and Cleopatra, and offscreen they were the scourges of the Vatican, but that didn’t stop them from some serious shopping at Bulgari, which included the purchase of this ring for Elizabeth.
The Granny necklace, by Van Cleef & Arpels, c. 1971, gift from Richard Burton
The Granny necklace, by Van Cleef & Arpels, c. 1971, gift from Richard Burton
She was a child bride at 18 (short-lived marriage No. 1 to Nicky Hilton) and a grandmother at the age of 38. Burton saw fit to honor the occasion with this gold-and-diamond set, which made Elizabeth’s heart start “clicking like a castanet.”
An emerald-and-diamond pendant brooch, by Bulgari, 1958, gift from Richard Burton
This brooch never met a dress it didn’t fancy, whether it was as part of an over-the-top costume for a Save Venice ball or on a yellow chiffon dress when she and Burton married in Montreal in 1964.
The Taj Mahal, ruby-and-gold chain by Cartier, 1972, gift from Richard Burton
It was a helluva romantic 40th-birthday gift—a heart-shaped diamond from the 17th century, once given by Shah Jahan to his wife, Mumtaz-i-Mahal, later the inspiration for India’s Taj Mahal.
A retro costume-jewelry brooch, c. 1945
By the time Elizabeth Taylor saw this brooch and wanted to give it to her mother, she was already a working actress at the young age of 13, having endeared herself to the public with Lassie Come Home in 1943. So she did what every kid does: she scraped together all her pennies and bought this little pin as a Mother’s Day gift. It was her first purchase and, in hindsight, the beginning of a lifelong passion.
The Prince of Wales brooch, c. 1935
Elizabeth and the Duchess of Windsor were old friends, going back to the days when the Burtons would visit the duke and duchess when they were both in Paris. Sentiment mixed with sport when the brooch came up for auction: it was the star’s first time bidding at an auction and she was nervous as hell. But her kids rallied around her, urged her on, and as the gavel came down, Elizabeth’s heart soared: she won!
The Night of the Iguana brooch, by Schlumberger, Tiffany & Co., 1964, gift from Richard Burton
Elizabeth stayed with Burton in Puerto Vallarta, where he was starring in John Huston’s Night of the Iguana. They were famously in love, and to commemorate that time and for the film’s opening, Burton gave Elizabeth this bejeweled brooch.
A coral-diamond-and-emerald bangle bracelet, by David Webb, 1967
Elizabeth Taylor and David Webb were both at the height of their fame when the actress purchased the bracelet from the jeweler, who had already received a Coty Award for his animal jewelry. When Elizabeth and Richard Burton gave a press conference in New York for the premiere of Doctor Faustus, Elizabeth was decked out in Webb: a coral-and-white-enamel Maltese cross, a coral ring, and, of course, the carved lion bracelet.
The Dame ear pendants, by Van Cleef & Arpels, c. 1999
For Elizabeth, who was English born though mostly American raised, being made a Dame was an honor of the highest degree—even if she did lean on fellow honoree Julie Andrews to remind her when to curtsey and other matters of protocol. As Elizabeth later gushed, “First a broad, now a dame!”
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