There was some sad news this week with the death of legend Elizabeth Taylor. She was a phenomenal actress, a generous human being, and an all around talent. She was beautiful, admired by so many for decades and decades. At the height of her fame, there was truly no one like Elizabeth Taylor. She won two Academy Awards and had her hand in many a humanitarian cause. Her life was both interesting and complex, topped off by numerous loves. One of her greatest love affairs of all was with diamonds.
Elizabeth Taylor was famous for her beautiful diamond collection. Probably the most famous diamond was the one presented to her by Richard Burton back in 1968. It’s an incredible 33.19 carat Asscher cut Krupp diamond. It was purchased by Burton to give to his one true love, Elizabeth Taylor. Even after their split, Taylor wore the ring proudly.
Perhaps even more famous than the Asscher cut diamond is the diamond known simply as the Taylor-Burton diamond. It’s a pear-shaped diamond, weighing an enormous 69.42 carats, and was carved from a diamond weighing more than 240 carats. Harry Winston first purchased the diamond and cleaved it into some incredible diamond pieces, including the Taylor Burton diamond.
In the fall of 1969, the diamond, originally owned by a woman named Harriet Annenberg Ames who lived in London, was up for auction. The bidding finally stopped at just over $1 million. Burton, who was desperate to buy the diamond for Taylor, was outbid, but he was determined to get the stone. He began negotiating with the owner, a man named Robert Kenmore, and eventually bought the diamond for Elizabeth Taylor. She wore the gorgeous stone for Princess Grace’s 40th birthday in Monaco.
When Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton divorced, the world-famous diamond was being prepared to be sold with the proceeds going to a Botswana hospital. The diamond was eventually purchased in the summer of 1979 by a New York jeweler. The jeweler, Henry Lambert, purchased the diamond for an incredible $5 million.
Today, the current owner, Robert Mouawad, decided to change the diamond a bit. The diamond was cut smaller down to 68.09 carats and the girdle was changed slightly. It’s a shame that the beautiful diamond was altered, but when it was worn by Elizabeth Taylor, it was the stunning centerpiece in a necklace, surrounded by smaller cut pear-shaped diamonds.
Elizabeth Taylor was an amazing woman, who lived a truly remarkable life. She was a woman who personified beauty and class, and this was done magnificently with her love of diamonds.
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