“I adore wearing gems, but not because they are mine. You can’t possess radiance; you can only admire it.” – Elizabeth Taylor
The world-known luxury brand BVLGARI is currently taking over the Moscow Kremlin Museums to hold a retrospective exhibition, Tribute to Femininity. Displaying over 500 pieces of sparkling high-end jewels from both the Bulgari Heritage Collection and private collections, it will explore the evolution of the taste and style of women through decades. Among the collections is one of the greatest ever assembled, Elizabeth Taylor’s collection, a star known for her passion for diamond.
One of the displayed in the exhibition is the astonishing emeralds and diamond necklace – a marriage gift from Taylor’s fiancé Richard Burton in 1964. The eye-catching pendant was given as an engagement present two years earlier and was worn by her to accept her Academy Award in 1966. This iconic lady once said that Richard was so romantic that he’d use any excuse to give her a piece of jewelry.
Not only that, Burton also gave Taylor another lavish engagement gift during the filming of Cleopatra way back in 1962. It is an emerald engagement ring with a 7.4 carat square emerald surrounded by 12 diamonds, totaling 5.3 carats. Since then, Taylor was spotted wearing the precious green ring almost all the time.
Another worth-noticed jewelry is the sugar loaf sapphire, also given by Burton for Taylor’s 40th birthday. The special stone was chosen as a gift as because it has an intense blue color with a touch of violet; which reminds him of Taylor’s mesmerizing eyes. This is the most expensive jewel BVLGARI has owned by Elizabeth Taylor: worth $6 million.
Proving that she can also buy jewelries on her own, the Trombino cabochon sapphire ring was a present from Taylor to herself. It is made in the 1930s and was purchased in 1970. Although it was not originally created as a set, she purposely bought it to match the sapphire necklace given by Burton.
PHOTOS Courtesy of Theglassmagazine, Pinterest, Thejewelleryeditor
