Elizabeth Taylor's Legendary Jewelry

Today I'll do a roundup of 5 pieces of the late actress Elizabeth Taylor's legendary jewelry, excluding her gorgeous emerald suite linked here in a previous blog. She loved jewelry as much as I do but unlike me, had the jet-set lifestyle to amass an exquisite collection. Hers was one of the most expensive private collections in the world. To be sure, the late film star loved jewelry for the all right reasons, not for its bloated monetary value but for the sparkle and beauty of the gemstones enhanced by the master craftsmanship of Cartier, Harry Winston, and Bulgari. During her lifetime, sometimes she invited people she was fond of into her bedroom to show and play with her jewelry. How fun ... and what a woman! So let's take a look at the 5 items I've selected to feature: 

1. The Taylor Burton Diamond (See first 3 images above👆) - At 69.42 carats, originally named the Cartier diamond by the jeweler who cut a massive white diamond into 2 magnificent diamonds, then sold the largest one to 5th and 6th husband, Richard Burton. Cartier said it was one of the most flawless pear-shaped diamonds in the world. The actress asked Cartier to create a necklace (as it was too big to wear as a ring) with smaller pear-shaped diamonds to showcase the large stone. After divorcing Richard Burton twice, Elizabeth sold the diamond in 1979 for $3 million, half of which she gave to charity. I wish I could say, it's in my jewelry box, but its whereabouts are unknown today.

 2) Cartier Ruby and Diamond Necklace, Bracelet, and Earrings - We're looking at unheated red pigeon blood Burmese rubies set with circular and baguette-cut diamond latticework. Given to her by one of the 2 loves of her life, 3rd husband, Mike Todd, and sold by Taylor's 4 children in 2011. The necklace fetched $3,778,500 at auction. The bracelet sold for $842,500, and the earrings for $782,500. 

3) The Mike Todd Diamond Tiara - A late 19th-century antique, the diamond tiara was another gift from Taylor's 3rd husband, movie producer Mike Todd in 1957. Old mine cut diamonds are set in platinum and gold with latticework. The family sold the tiara in 2011 at auction for $4,226,500.

4) - The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond Ring - Formally known as the Krupp diamond, the 33.19-carat Asscher-cut diamond is flanked by 2 tapered baguette-cut diamonds mounted in platinum. Another gift from husband and 2nd love of her life, Richard Burton, the diamond is D color, VS1 clarity, and is said to be Elizabeth's favorite piece of jewelry which considering her collection is really saying something! In 1968 Richard Burton paid $307,000 for the ring, and the family sold it in 2011 for $8,818,500.

5. The La Peregrina Pearl - The La Peregrina is the most symmetrical natural pear-shaped pearl ever discovered. Its original weight was 55.95 carats but in 2013 the pearl had to be drilled and cleaned to secure it to its setting which reduced its weight to 50.56 carats still making it one of the largest perfectly symmetrical pear-shaped pearls known to exist in the world. The pear-shaped pearl measures approximately 17.35 - 17.90 x 25.50 mm. The gem is steeped in history, legend, and allure. It was found by an African slave in the Gulf of Panama in 1513 (who is said to have earned his freedom for finding it) and sent to Philip II {Habsburg} who elevated the pearl to a Crown Jewel of Spain. The La Peregrina became a favorite of Spanish Queens starting with Philip II's 2nd wife Queen Mary I {Tudor} of England. In 1808 Emperor Napolean {of France} made his older brother, Joseph Bonaparte the King of Spain, but 5 years later after Napolean was defeated and Joseph kicked out of Spain, Older Brother took some of the Spanish Crown Jewels, including the La Peregrina pearl into exile, which he left in his will to his nephew, the future Napolean III of France. Later after Napoleon III lost his throne, he sold the pearl to an English aristocrat, James Hamilton, in whose family it stayed until 1969. Actor Richard Burton bought the pearl at the Sotheby's auction for $37,000. Elizabeth Taylor commissioned Cartier to re-design the necklace, setting the La Peregrina with additional pearls, diamonds, and rubies. As I said above, what a woman! It was sold in 2011 by Christie's in the Taylor estate sale for a record-breaking $11,400,000 to an anonymous buyer. The Elizabeth Taylor jewelry auctioned realised a total of $115, 932,000, much more than anticipated.

Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Mary I of England and Queen (Consort) Marie-Louise (d'Orleans) of Spain

As a jewelry lover and regular person, I hope these majestic pieces come up for auction again and find their way into a museum for all of us to enjoy for the price of admission. It's the only way any of us will ever get close to these sparklers! However, if you lived close to Christie's in 2011 you could've stepped into the auction house for a viewing before the auction.

Do you have a favorite?

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Blue Diamonds Hold The Earth's Secrets

Photo: IFLScience

Full disclosure: I'm not a scientist and I don't want to take credit for the work of others. All I can do is read a bunch of sources, then put some of the facts together so you don't have to read all those sources yourself. The following is a paraphrasing -- the Turner "CliffsNotes" -- from several sources on a subject I love covering ... gemstones and jewelry! In today's blog, let's learn more about blue diamonds!

Photo: The Hope Diamond - Smithsonian

Only 1 out of 200,000 diamonds are blue. Like all other diamonds blue diamonds were formed billions of years ago when the element carbon was exposed to extreme heat and pressure deep in the earth's mantle. Clear (a/k/a white) diamonds are pure carbon. If traces of boron contaminate the carbon during its growth, a blue diamond is created. The industry calls all colored diamonds fancy diamonds.

Photo: MID: Okavango Blue

Scientists are intrigued by the origin of blue diamonds because they hold many of the earth's secrets. Once an enchanting mystery, gemologists now think they understand how these extremely rare blue gemstones came about. It also gives us clues about the evolution of the earth, itself. After the Gemological Institute of America conducted studies using lasers to uncover impurities (minerals) that got trapped inside blue diamonds, the experts started to assemble a picture of how and where blue diamonds were formed.

Photo: Getty - The Blue

Based on their discoveries, scientists know that blue diamonds were formed much deeper in the earth (below 410 miles) than other diamonds (formed between 90 miles - 125 miles below the earth's surface). It is believed that boron in the ocean floor "was pushed down when plates that make up the Earth's crust collided," making the diamonds appear blue. (According to researchers, boron lets the diamonds "absorb some red light, so the diamonds look blue.")

Getty - The Oppenheimer

Diamond deposits formed very deep within the earth eventually reach the surface by volcanic eruptions.

Now we know how some of the big rare blue gemstones such as the Hope Diamond and Oppenheimer Diamond were born. Billions of years ago Mother Nature had to come together in just the right way to produce them and for humans to find and have them all these years later.

Heart of Eternity

Both blue and white diamonds are graded using the 4 Cs: cut, clarity, color, and carat. But! Blue diamonds are so rare and in demand for their beauty, that they tend to cost more per carat than white diamonds. The blue diamonds that become well-known and fetch millions of dollars at auctions invoke excitement and fame because their unique size, color, and clarity are so rare.

Mouawad Blue

As it happens I don't have any blue diamond jewelry. Diamonds are valued for their sparkle and brilliance. Colored gemstones will have less sparkle than white diamonds. Their value is determined by the vividness, tone, and saturation of their color. Vivid blue diamonds are so rare and expensive that we get less for the money than if we buy white (a/k/a clear) diamonds. I have never been tempted to buy blue diamonds because blue diamonds aren't very budget-friendly, and I don't want to spend a lot of money on faint or tiny blue diamonds! I'd rather compromise by buying a commercial-grade sapphire.

The good news is scientists can make blue diamonds in a lab. Laboratory diamonds are grown in an artificial setting that mimics how diamonds grow naturally below the earth's mantle. Lab-grown diamonds are getting better and more plentiful all the time, which is lowering the prices per carat of all diamonds! 

The color of these blue diamond earrings looks enhanced. You never see such dazzling blue diamonds in jewelry display cases! They did, however, inspire me to write the blog. Wouldn't we love to own real blue diamond earrings just like them? Of course we would!:)💙🔵  

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Diamond Prices Are Crashing

Photo: istock

As much as I love jewelry I've always known the price of gemstones is arbitrary to a great extent. Jewelry is as much of an overpriced luxury item as Hermes handbags, Manolo Blahnik shoes, or Dior pants and coats. They cost what consumers are willing to pay for them. Never think of luxury items as investments but to be enjoyed as things of beauty only. The value of luxury goods is driven by want not need. If you covet investments, take your money to an investment firm to buy stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, where you'll earn returns on your portfolio. You're lucky to break even by reselling luxury goods after you subtract a 15% - 20% commission.

Photo: That Guy Osiris - I'll take them!

So I'm happy to report an exciting development in the diamond market! In 2023 diamond prices are tumbling down -- about 23% for 1-carat stones and about 15% for 3-carat stones -- according to experts who watch diamond prices such as That Guy Osiris, an ex-diamond trader who has a YouTube channel. 

The reasons for the decline in diamond prices are several: 

(1) Monopoly diamond sellers such as DeBeer aren't as powerful as they once were in setting diamond prices high combined with limiting the supply of gemstones on the market. 

Photo: istock

(2) Nowadays the demand for diamonds is less. Not every bride in 2023 desires an engagement ring. Some wish to put their $7,000 - $15,000 earnings elsewhere such as for a downpayment on a house or car. Millennials are more interested in spending on travel and experiences than buying diamond rings.

(3) A main reason why the price of diamonds is sinking is the greater acceptance by the public of lab-grown diamonds which cost about 1/3 less than diamonds mined in nature. Diamonds created in a lab are chemically and optically identical to natural diamonds.

(4) The process of making laboratory diamonds is getting better and cheaper all the time, and more companies including jeweler James Allan are offering them. According to Liberum Capital Markets, about 25% to 35% of diamonds sold to customers today are lab-grown diamonds.

Photo: That Guy Osiris

5) That Guy Osiris says that industry leader DeBeers is responding by discounting its prices for 2 - 4 carat rough natural diamonds. Recently prices for uncut natural diamonds have dropped from $1,400 a carat to $850 per carat to be competitive with lab-grown diamonds.

All of this is a win, win, win for customers! If diamond prices keep falling, one day I'll be able to afford my fantasy 4-carat stud diamond earrings (that's 2-carats each ear, sister!!), my 20-carat diamond blingy tennis bracelet, and my 5-carat diamond solitaire ring ... no engagement needed!

Diamonds By Bonnie - has an Instagram and a YouTube Channel

I don't care one iota about the lesser monetary value of lab or natural stones as long as I'm not charged for it. Just give this glitter-loving girl her diamonds! I'll start with that big brilliant round diamond at the top of the blog and the pear-shaped diamond ring at the bottom! We can add my fantasy diamonds to my collection later.😉😂

If in the future diamonds cost less, would you value them less?

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The Regent Diamond Sits In the Louvre

Photo: go here  - Note the size of the diamond when holding it and look at the perfectly manicured nails! Both are amazing!

The Regent Diamond is the 7th largest of the D-grade colorless diamonds in the world. It is also one of the purest and most brilliant of the known large diamonds. Gemologists think it was mined in Golconda, India between 1698 and 1701. In 1701 an Indian diamond merchant named Jamchand sold the 410-carat uncut diamond to Thomas Pitt, the Governor of Madras, who sent it to England hidden in the shoe of his son, Robert Pitt, where it was perfectly cut by a diamond cutter called Harris, into an internally flawless 140.64-carat brilliant cushion-shaped diamond.

Eventually, Pitt sold the diamond to Philippe d’Orléans, regent for Louis XV, the 5-year-old grandson of Louis XIV of France, which is how it acquired its name. In 1723 the Regent Diamond was set in the coronation crown of King Louis XV. It was reset in 1775 in a new coronation crown for the ill-fated Louis XVI. His wife Queen Marie Antoinette also wore the diamond attached to a black velvet hat. During the French Revolution, the Regent Diamond was stolen (along with the Crown Jewels) but it was later found in a Paris attic.

In 1812 Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte took possession and had the diamond mounted in his sword. After he was defeated at Waterloo and exiled from France, his 2nd wife, Archduchess Marie Louise smuggled the diamond to her native Austria, but her father, Emperor Francis I, returned it to the French Crown Jewels where the Regent Diamond was set in the crowns of France's Louis XVIII, Charles X, Napoleon III, and a Greek style diadem of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napolean III. After France once again dethroned and expelled its royal family, the Regent Diamond ended up at the Louvre Museum in 1887. During the Nazi occupation, the Regent Diamond was sent (along with the Mona Lisa)  to the Loire Vally where it was hidden in the plaster sealing the marble of a fireplace at the Chateau de Chambord, returning to the Louvre after the liberation of Paris and the unconditional surrender of Germany in 1945. The gem is now owned by the French state. 

Cushion cuts have more fire (i.e., colored light) than other diamond cuts. Today the Regent Diamond, an ideal cut, bluish-tinted stone, is on display at the Louvre for public viewing. What an adventurous journey ... with a happy ending. Home sweet home!

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India’s Famed Koh-i-Noor Diamond

Photo: Baunat

India's famed Koh-i-Noor (meaning "Mountain of Light") Diamond is one of the most extraordinary diamonds in the world. First mentioned in history in the 14th century, it was owned by the ruling maharajahs of India, but after bloody battles, the diamond became a spoil of war to various Sikh, Mogul, and Persian rulers.

Prince Duleep Singh

It was given as a gift to Queen Victoria during the colonial era when the powerful British East India Tea Company annexed Punjab (then in India, today also in Pakistan) in 1849 forcing its 11-year-old ruler, Prince Sir Duleep Singh, into abdicating and surrendering his lands and prized diamond via the Treaty of Lahore. The legendary diamond was singled out as a symbol of conquest.* The British authorities also separated the boy from his mother, refusing to let him see her for 13 years. They brought him to England where he was educated, given estates, a palace, and the privileges that reflected his rank as a Prince and Maharaja, plus a yearly pension (of $3,145,248 in today's value) as long as he pledged obedience to the Crown and British government, which is the rub of colonialism. Except for 2 controlled visits to India, Maharaja Duleep Singh spent the rest of his life in exile. (His ... is a fascinating life and family. His daughter Princess Sophia Duleep Singh was a prominent Indian British suffragette who was instrumental in helping women win the right to vote in Great Britain. It's admirable how the family balanced retaining their Indian heritage with assimilating into high English society. The Maharaja longed to return to his throne and wrestled with a measure of regret in adulthood; still, he remained respectful and a close friend of Queen Victoria.)

Replica of Kohinoor Diamond before recut

The earliest recorded weight of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond is 186 carats. Cut in the style of Mughal-era diamonds, it resembled the diamonds in the modern Iranian Crown Jewels. This was disappointing to Western eyes, so Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, had it recut by a leading mineralogist, James Tennant, (removing some discovered internal flaws) into a more dazzling brilliant cut stone. The colorless D-grade diamond was cut into a cushion shape with excellent clarity. Unfortunately, it also reduced the size of the diamond from 186 carats (or 191 modern carats) down to 105.6 carats. Diamond experts all agree it enhanced the beauty of the diamond and yet, at the loss of its size and history.

Queen Victoria (and Prince Albert) were quite taken with and became lifelong friends of Maharaja Duleep Singh (and later on with his daughters). The British Queen showed Prince Duleep Singh his lost diamond. Reportedly the 16-year-old Maharaja grew silent with emotion while holding and twirling it for 1/4 hour in his hands ... surely recalling how it belonged to his family and was later seized from him at a tender age.

After Queen Victoria's death, the Koh-i-Noor was added to the Crown Jewels. It was mounted in the crown of Queen Alexandra, the wife of Edward VII to use during her coronation in 1902. Queen Mary (wife of George V) and Queen Elizabeth (wife of George VI) also used the Koh-i-Noor Diamond in their coronation crowns. Due to its enduring controversy, the diamond was removed from the crown for Queen Camilia's coronation in 2023. 

Ever since India gained its independence in 1947, there have been cries to return the Koh-i-Noor Diamond to India. Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan also claim ownership resulting from the diamond exchanging hands as a spoil of war by the victors of those countries over the years.

Photo: Baunat - how the Kohinoor compares in size to other well-known gems

I realize how hair-splittingly difficult it is to determine what is the right thing to do after centuries of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond's complex history, however IMHO, India has the strongest argument for ownership. As a Westerner, I'm biased towards wanting the diamond to stay in the Tower of London, but there's no doubt the diamond was acquired as the spoil of war under the strongarm of colonialism coupled with the coercion of a powerless 11-year-old boy ruler to sign it away. In the 21st century, an 11-year-old cannot sign legally binding contracts or treaties.

3rd daughter Sophia Duleep Singh with her mother, Bamba Muller and with her elder sisters, Catherine and Bamba

I also recognize the fear of opening a Pandora's Box by returning the Koh-i-Noor Diamond to India. Granted, not everything in history can be made right because time makes it convoluted and impossible to correct every wrong. I think we must go on a case-by-case basis. Just because righting a wrong is challenging doesn't mean it should not be attempted.

Click here for this photo credit: Duleep is seated, left of the future King Edward VII, at the time of the photo, still Prince of Wales.

Today there are no living Duleep Singh direct descendants, but India understandably still feels the sting of how the Koh-i-Noor Diamond was taken from its country. What a magnanimous diplomatic gesture it would be for the British royal family to return the diamond to India. They would likely not even miss it (having so many other jewels), and it would loudly honor India and the last owner of the diamond, Maharaja Sir Duleep Singh.  

Yikes, now Pakistan will dislike me for thinking that India has the strongest suit ... as it also has a logical claim. In modern times before 1947, there was only India, a colony of the Britain Empire. In 1947 the British colony became two independent states of India and Pakistan. Punjab was divided by religion, with the western portion becoming Pakistan, and the rest of Punjab becoming part of India So it's a judgment call. Perhaps all 3 countries with the royal family could sit down at the table to decide.

So what do you think? Great Britain has it, but who should own the Koh-i-Noor Diamond? A difficult and problematic question for sure!

*The timing of the East India Tea Company was not by chance. Whenever a boy ruler comes to the throne, other powers who want control of a country's land or treasures use the country's weakness as the time to strike. The head of the mighty East Indian Tea Company, Lord Dalhousie, said he targeted the Koh-i-noor Diamond with the aim of giving it to Queen Victoria to be added to the Crown Jewels as a symbol of conquest. An elaborate ceremony occurred for the 11-year-old Maharaja to hand over the jewel as a sign of his submission to the Crown. After recutting it, Queen Victoria wore the Koh-i-Noor Diamond as a brooch. It became part of the Crown Jewels soon after her son Edward VII became King.

Duleep Singh's mother was exiled to Napal and her son was adopted and raised by British diplomat John Spencer Login and his wife whom the boy grew close to, and it was a warm, trusting relationship. They took him on tours of Europe.

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The Cullinan Diamond In The Crown Jewels

These 3 photos have a watermark, but the copyright is likely The Royal Collection. Who else has access to remove and hold the gems up? I volunteer next time.😁 

The Cullinan Diamond is the biggest gem-quality rough diamond ever found. Some geologists think the largest clear diamonds such as the Cullinan Diamond (and Hope Diamond) were formed 100s of miles deeper within the earth's mantle than 99% of other gem diamonds, which are also smaller. At one time, the land might also have been ocean floor. Uncut the Cullinan Diamond named after Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the Premier mine in South Africa, weighs 3,106 carats. Discovered in 1905, click here for a short history and here for the longer history and controversy of the diamond.

Photo of the 9 largest cut stones : The Royal Collection

Photo of the 9 largest stones faceted into jewels - The Royal Collection

On THE SAVVY SHOPPER, I hope we can Ooh and Ahh over the majestic diamond plus appreciate how diamonds are nothing more than pure carbon rocks that billions of years and human hands turn into spectacular sparklers, i.e., the jewels they become. 

An expert diamond cutter studies a rough diamond's structure to determine how it should best be cut, usually aiming to keep as much of the gemstone as possible. After cutting, another expert polishes the diamond. 

The 3,106 carat Cullinan Diamond (↖that's it on the left) was cut into 105 stones by Joseph Asscher & Company in Amsterdam with the 9 biggest stones eventually ending up in the possession of the British Royal Family. Reportedly some were gifts and others bought.

Let's take a closer look at the 9 largest Cullinan Diamond stones now with the British monarchy, along with a helpful cheatsheet. I needed to refer back to it, focusing on the shapes, to get the remainder of the blog right!:👀 

The two biggest of the cut diamonds, Cullinan I and Cullinan II are sometimes called The Great Star of Africa and the Second Star of Africa, respectively ... as if keeping the cut diamonds straight isn't challenging enough!

Here's where those 9 large cut diamonds ended up ...

The Cullinan I, a pendeloque cut (which is an ornament-like round brilliant-cut pear) weighs 530.2 carats. It was placed on top of The Sovereign's Scepter in 1910 by Garrard & Company on the instruction of George V. On the right is how it looks standing alone. The Cullinan I is the largest colorless diamond in the world!

The Cullinan II is the 317.40 cushion cut center diamond in the Imperial State Crown, its placement also decided by George V. The Cullinan II is the 2nd largest colorless diamond in the world. 

The Cullinan III is a pear shaped 94.4 carat diamond. Along with the Cullinan  IV, a square cut 63.6 carat diamond it became a brooch often worn by Queen Elizabeth II.

The Cullinan V is considered a one-of-a-kind heart-shaped diamond, weighing 18.8 carats. It's set surrounded by even more diamonds and platinum into another brooch. Bling, bling, bling!🙂

The Cullinan VI is set into a 3rd brooch and to the right as it appears loose. It is an 11.5 carat marquise cut diamond. The Cullinan VIII, an emerald cut 6.8 carat diamond, is mounted on the top of the 3rd brooch.

The Cullinan VII, a smaller marquise cut 8.8 carat diamond, is dangling from the gorgeous emerald and diamond Delhi Durbar Necklace. Like many of the standout gemstones owned by the British royals, the Cullinan VII diamond is detectable.

The Cullinan IX is a pear shape diamond weighing 4.39 carats that is made into a ring.

So the cut Cullinan Diamond is numbered from biggest I to smallest IX stones in descending carat weight! The Cullinan Diamond stones I and II, which are part of the Crown Jewels, are on view at the Tower of London. Stones III - IX are not part of the Crown Jewels but are pieces in Charles III's personal jewelry. 

Photo: Science Photo Libary - a replica of the Cullinan Diamond uncut

Estimates for the value of the Cullinan suite of diamonds can be found, but none of the jewels are insured, and given their history, they are irreplaceable and priceless. When I was in London on a group tour in college, it was decided (not by me😁) that the lines were too long to see them.💂

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