How to Buy Liz Taylor’s Jewelry
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They all thought they’d at least bid on the charm bracelets. When Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry collection was offered at auction at Christie’s in 2011, collectors with an eye for heritage—if not the budget for the legendary La Peregrina pearl—focused in on the actress’s charm bracelets. Opening bid: $12,000. Final bid? $158,500.
Dreams were dashed. But, hope springs eternal.
M.S. Rau, a New Orleans institution founded in 1912 that offers rare antique and vintage jewelry and fine art, has several pieces of Taylor’s jewelry on sale right now. A Lalique Medusa brooch, circa 1895, of blue-green pate de cristal, gold, and baroque pearl is a strong example of Art Nouveau and was a gift from Richard Burton received sometime between the late 1960s and early ’70s.
“Richard loved this because it is a rare antique and has a hypnotic quality,” Taylor wrote in My Love Affair with Jewelry. The brooch, thought to have been from an original sketch created for Sarah Bernhardt in the 19th century, was sold at the Christie’s sale in 2011 for $566,500. Eleven years later it’s being sold at M.S. Rau for $985,000, a testament to jewelry’s powers of appreciation, the increased market demand for Art Nouveau’s revolutionary spirit, and the eternal allure of Liz Taylor.
My Love Affair with Jewelry
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$66.16
No to Art Nouveau? There is also her diamond koala bear brooch ($74,500), an Edwardian opal pendant ($98,500), a pair of blue enamel and diamond earrings ($64,500), a Victorian amethyst bracelet ($64,500) and other pieces, all belonging to the famed actress, philanthropist, and collector. These pieces were not part of the Christie’s sale but have an interesting provenance of their own: They are being sold by model and entrepreneur Kathy Ireland. The two women shared a friendship Ireland has spoken about publicly, describing Taylor as mentor. The jewels being sold were all gifts from Taylor to Ireland, and they have all been certified as belonging to Taylor. Ireland has continued Taylor’s legacy as a philanthropist raising funds for AIDS research.
Taylor’s collection is one that is revered because of her own legend and celebrity but it is also highly valued by jewelry connoisseurs. Many are on record noting her expertise in jewelry history. The 2011 auction appraisal described it as being based on awe, sentiment, and memory. And, we might add, love and friendship.
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