The legendary jewellery and fashion collections of Elizabeth Taylor, the so-called “Crown Jewels of Hollywood,” went on glittering display on Thursday in New York ahead of a hotly anticipated auction.
The actress, who died in March at the age of 79, had seven husbands during her glamorous life, countless admirers and a passion for jewellery.
The exhibition at Christie’s auction house in Manhattan is the last stop on a world tour highlighting Taylor’s treasures — and the first and last time that the entire collection will be gathered in one place.
Thousands of people have already bought tickets to the 10-day public viewing, which only starts on Saturday.
The auction will then run from December 13-16, offering pieces like the 33.19 carat “Elizabeth Taylor Diamond” given to her by husband Richard Burton in 1968, and estimated to sell for between $2.5-3.5 million. Running concurrently with the live auction at Christie’s will be an Internet-only sale of nearly 1,000 items such as jewellery and accessories like designer handbags. Christie’s estimates total sales of between $30 million and $50 million.