Elizabeth Taylor owned the most famous private jewellery collection of the twentieth century, and when Christie’s sold it in December 2011 the results proved it: the La Peregrina pearl necklace made $11,842,500 — a world record for a pearl jewel — and the whole collection brought in around $116 million. She bought and wore her jewels with a collector’s eye and an actress’s flair, and the stories behind the pieces are as good as the stones.
What were her most famous pieces?
Three jewels defined the collection. The La Peregrina is a pear-shaped natural pearl found in the sixteenth century and worn by Spanish and English royalty for three hundred years before Richard Burton bought it for Taylor in 1969; Cartier later reset it into a pearl, ruby and diamond necklace to her own design. The Krupp Diamond — a 33.19-carat Asscher-cut stone Burton gave her in 1968, renamed the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond — became the ring she wore almost daily. And the Taylor-Burton Diamond, a 69.42-carat pear shape from 1969, was so large she wore it as a necklace because it overwhelmed a ring; she sold it in 1978 to help build a hospital in Botswana.
She also loved bold coloured stones, especially the Bulgari emerald and diamond suite Burton gave her during the filming of Cleopatra — the pieces that started her lifelong affair with the Roman house. “I introduced Elizabeth to beer,” Burton said, “and she introduced me to Bulgari.”
What did the collection sell for?
The Christie’s sale in New York, December 2011, remains the benchmark for a private jewellery collection.
| Piece | What it was | Christie’s 2011 result |
|---|---|---|
| La Peregrina necklace | 16th-century natural pearl, Cartier-mounted (1969 gift) | $11,842,500 |
| The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond | 33.19ct Krupp diamond ring (1968) | $8,818,500 |
| The full jewellery collection | Around 80 lots | ~$116 million |
Auction results reported by Christie’s and contemporary press, December 2011. La Peregrina’s price set a world record for a pearl jewel. Source: The Jewellery Editor.
What can her taste teach a collector today?
Taylor bought what she loved and wore it hard — the opposite of treating jewellery as a locked-away asset. Her instincts translate directly to the pre-owned market now: choose natural pearls and strong coloured stones with real presence, favour houses with deep archives like Cartier and Bulgari, and keep the papers. You will not find a La Peregrina, but the spirit — a signed piece with a story, worn often — is exactly what holds interest and value over time. That is a description of how good jewellery has behaved, not a forecast; values can fall as well as rise, and this is not investment advice.
If her taste appeals, browse signed coloured-stone and pearl pieces in our Chrono6538 fine jewellery selection →
Last updated: July 2026.