Elizabeth Taylor’s Superstar Diamonds!

by Misty Sidell

An emerald and diamond necklace by BULGARI, Christie's

Yesterday, in anticipation of their upcoming auction, Christie’s hosted a luncheon preview of Elizabeth Taylor’s shiniest treasures. The 60 or so high-profile attendees— all of whom have seen their fair share of diamonds, were left awestruck. The collection, which will go on sale this month, is publicly on view for ten days starting this Saturday—a final chance to see the series before the pieces find themselves scattered across well-heeled homes.
Each of Christie’s two floors are engulfed in Taylor’s relics, the first with magnificent gemstone trophies, and the second filled-to-the-brim with couture—an enviable stockpile of clothing and accessories from Dior, YSL, Chanel, and every great maison in-between.  “She loved fashion just as much as she the loved the jewelry.  She would never leave the grounds of her house in Bel Air without looking completely immaculate,” explained curator Meredith Etherington-Smith.  Mind blowing in both its content and range, “it shows one woman dressing to go to work, dressing to go to work as a superstar.  You can’t say it’s ordinary.”
The exhibit was an enormous effort to curate as all of its lots were initially kept in an art-housing warehouse in Atlantic City.  “It was full of racks in no particular order that stretched as far as the eye could see. I thought, start at one end and work your way to the other—you’ll keep finding wonderful surprises along the way.  I ended up with 210 handbags and over 1,000 pieces,” explained Etherington-Smith.
Tickets for the exhibit must be ordered online to ensure arrival during specific time slots; a similar exhibit in Los Angeles sold out within days.  Not surprising given the presence of Taylor’s 32 carat diamond—a geologic feat in itself.  There’s also the “La Peregrina” pearl that was so highly valued upon its discovery in the 16th century that the slave who found it was granted his freedom.  Additional wonders include her charm bracelet, sapphire, emerald, and ruby collections—the latter of which prompted Taylor to jump in a swimming pool after she was mirror-less and used it’s cerulean water as a looking glass to glance at her gemstone-swathed reflection.  The collection has been estimated to fetch over $50 million dollars, and a portion will be donated to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.