Elizabeth Taylor’s Jewelry Valued at $150 Million
Her fragrance may be called White Diamonds, but the late Elizabeth Taylor wasn’t picky when it came to her gems: Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds all had a place in her famed collection—which has been valued at $150 million, according to a Good Morning America report.
The news segment includes a clip from Taylor’s 2002 appearance on 20/20 in which Barbara Walters asks what fascinates her so much about the gems.
“The beauty, the perfection, God’s workmanship—they’re all from the ground!” she says.
Of the massive collection accumulated over the years (mostly from her seven husbands), standouts include the 29-carat diamond ring given to her by Mike Todd, the—not to be outdone—33-carat Krupp diamond ring given to her by Richard Burton, and the 70-carat diamond necklace also given to her by Burton, the man she married twice. It’s now known as the Taylor-Burton diamond.
In the 20/20 segment, Walters asks how Taylor deals with the current men in her life being jealous of the jewelry from her former lovers. Her answer? “Encourage them to give me more!” she says with laugh.
In addition to Taylor’s incredible personal collection, the actress launched her own jewelry line called House of Taylor.
“One of the things that I love that Dame Elizabeth always said is that with beautiful gems and jewelry, we never own them,” an employee of her company tells GMA in the segment. “We’re just temporary custodians. We basically just take care of them until they’re passed down to the next generation.”
It remains to be seen whether Taylor’s collection will be passed on to her four children or if it will see a different fate. (We hear that the auction houses have had their eyes on the collection for years.) Elizabeth Taylor Diamond Museum, anyone?
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