THIS DECEMBER, ELIZABETH TAYLOR’S STAGGERING JEWELRY COLLECTION HITS THE AUCTION BLOCK AT CHRISTIE’S, WHISPERING STORIES OF GLAMOUR AND SEDUCTION— AND CEMENTING THE ACTRESS’S OWN MEGA-CARAT LEGEND

Photography Richard Burbridge   Styling Catherine Newell-Hanson

In a 1993 guest appearance on The Simpsons, “Elizabeth Taylor” scrubs a jaw-dropping diamond with a toothbrush, her blinking eyes reflected in the stone’s many facets. Of course, the cartoon rendering is no match for the real-life Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, which is practically flawless. Practically, because of a tiny bruise it may have sustained from being worn nearly every day for the last four decades. Weighing in at 33.19 carats and set in a platinum ring, the bauble formerly known as the Krupp Diamond was recently rechristened by Christie’s in homage to its late owner. In mid December, the gem will figure prominently at the auction house’s epic two-day sale of Taylor’s jewelry collection, valued at over $30 million. (A portion of ticket sales will benefit the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.) Purchased by Taylor’s two-time husband, Richard Burton, for $300,000 in 1968, the aforementioned Asscher-cut diamond is expected to fetch between $2.5 and $3.5 million.

Ever fond of historical pieces, Burton also bought (jointly, with Taylor) what promises to be another auction standout: an unsigned, platinum-mounted, circa-1925 Art Deco Egyptian Revival diamond bracelet. Articulated to bend to the shape of the wrist—Taylor’s wrists were small—the bracelet tells a story in hieroglyphics of rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, and is expected to fetch between $500,000 and $700,000. Big rocks are, of course, a theme of this collection, particularly in a dazzling suite of Bulgari jewels, which includes a brooch of pear-shaped diamonds surrounding a massive, rectangular-cut emerald that is rumored to have once belonged to the Russian Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. It is also estimated to sell for anywhere from $500,000 to $700,000. Burton purchased the suite over the course of many trips to Rome’s Via Condotti, during the filming of Cleopatra. There, during their downtime, he and Taylor would sit and relax with Gianni Bulgari himself. Recalling the emerald suite, Taylor once wrote that Burton “would give me ‘It’s a beautiful day’ presents, or ‘Let’s go for a walk’ presents. Over the years, I’ve come to think of these as my ‘It’s Tuesday, I love you’ jewelry.” Sarah Fones

The Legendary Jewels, from the Collection of Elizabeth Taylor, will be auctioned on December 13, 2011, at Christie’s, New York

Digital capture Dtouch  Photo assistants Kim Reenberg and Jeff Henrikson
Production Jessica Daly (Art + Commerce)  Printing Box  Special thanks Erin McAndrew