Margot Robbie turned heads at the premiere of Wuthering Heights on Wednesday, accessorizing with a famous piece of jewelry once owned by Elizabeth Taylor.
Oh my gosh, did you SEE Taylor at the Oscars?! She looked absolutely incredible in that Schiaparelli gown, but honestly, it was her necklace that I couldn’t take my eyes off of! I immediately started researching it and found out it’s the Taj Mahal diamond necklace – can you believe it’s worth around $8 million?! It completely outshone everything else, seriously!
Taylor received the necklace as a gift from her fifth husband, Richard Burton, 54 years ago on her 40th birthday. It’s one of the most famous pieces in her incredible jewelry collection.
However, this wasn’t the only stunning piece of jewelry Elizabeth Taylor possessed. After she passed away, her entire collection sold for an amazing $137 million at auction.
So where did her jewels end up?
Some pieces were repurchased by famous jewelry houses like Cartier and Bulgari, while others found their way into private collections and were loaned to celebrities for red carpet appearances.
It’s fitting that Taylor’s jewellery is still on display, given she loved seeing her gems.
‘Her jewelry wasn’t locked away,’ photographer Catherine Opie told People in 2015.
When Elizabeth couldn’t sleep, she would often rearrange the jewelry in her closet, finding comfort in creating new displays.
Certainly, the Taj Mahal necklace elevated Robbie’s red carpet look this week.
The Taj Mahal diamond is named after Shah Jahan, the emperor who built the Taj Mahal in India. Legend says he once owned the gem.
When Burton gave it to Taylor in 1972, he playfully remarked that he’d have preferred to buy her the Taj Mahal, but shipping it would have been too expensive.
The gem sold for $8.8 million in December 2011 at an auction in New York.
However, the buyer later requested their money back, claiming the jewelry wasn’t originally owned by a Mughal emperor.
Christie’s cancelled the auction because the buyer asked them to, and then requested the $7.2 million that had already been paid to Taylor’s estate. However, the estate refused to return the money.
Legal papers revealed that both sides ultimately agreed to drop all claims against each other, and the Taj Mahal diamond will be put up for auction again.
The Taj Mahal diamond was just one of many gems Burton bought his wife.
The Taylor-Burton diamond, weighing 69.4 carats, was originally purchased by Richard Burton in 1969. Today, it belongs to Robert Mouawad, but hasn’t been displayed publicly since 1979.
He also bought her an emerald Bulgari necklace, which Bulgari bought back at the 2011 auction.
Julianne Moore famously wore the piece two years after its creation, and the jewelry house has since lent it to other celebrities as well.
Richard Burton gave Elizabeth Taylor another extravagant gift: the La Peregrina Pearl. This remarkable pearl was first discovered in 1516 and had a fascinating history, even belonging to the Spanish Crown Jewels and being worn by queens like Mary I of England.
The 56-carat gem was sold for $11.8 million in 2011 and is currently part of a private collection, owned by an anonymous individual.
In 2011, Cartier repurchased a ruby and diamond necklace at a Christie’s auction for $3.8 million.
Taylor originally received the necklace as a gift from her third husband, Mike Todd. She famously described it as radiant and fiery, comparing it to ‘the sun, lit up and made of red fire.’
As a lifestyle expert, I’m always fascinated by iconic jewelry, and one piece that truly stands out is the Krupp diamond. It later became famously known as the Elizabeth Taylor diamond, a testament to her incredible style and the stone’s breathtaking beauty. It’s a piece with a real story, and I love sharing details about these glamorous treasures!
The Korean E-Land Group bought it for $8.8 million, which was a record price per carat for a diamond without any color.
Kim Kardashian borrowed a piece of jewelry from Taylor Swift and wore it to the Balenciaga fashion show in Paris last year.
The reality star was covered in diamonds, and she was even wearing large, eye-catching chandelier earrings borrowed from jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz.
Todd gave the earrings to the Academy Award-winning actress in 1957, just before he passed away in March 1958. Experts estimate their worth to be around $400,000.
Kardashian’s outfit included a cream-colored satin slip dress, reminiscent of the one Taylor wore in the classic 1958 film, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
I’ve been a fan of Elizabeth Taylor since I was little! It’s amazing to think she started as a child star way back in the 1940s, and then really blossomed into a huge name with some incredible roles in the 50s and 60s – playing Cleopatra was just iconic, of course!
The British-born actress successfully transitioned into humanitarian work and remained a prominent figure in Hollywood throughout the 1990s. In fact, the American Film Institute ranked her as one of the greatest female movie stars of all time, placing her at number seven on their list.
She then died in 2011 at the age of 79 from congestive heart failure.
Throughout her life, Taylor collected a vast array of items, including designer clothes, accessories, wigs, furniture, and personal keepsakes.
In 2019, Julien’s Auctions and House of Taylor held a three-day event to honor the late actress by auctioning off her memorable clothes, jewelry, and personal items.
Over three days, shoppers could buy items like movie costumes and high-end clothing from designers including Christian Dior, Edith Head, Gucci, and Oscar de la Renta.
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2026-01-31 15:07