by Pip Coates
More than a dozen pieces from Elizabeth Taylor's collection of Bulgari jewels will be given star billing at the National Gallery of Victoria from September.
Italian Jewels: Bulgari Style will feature 92 pieces from the Italian luxury house's heritage collection. Aside from Taylor's gems it includes jewels worn by Grace Kelly, Anita Ekberg and Gina Lollobrigida, and a ruby and diamond necklace that adorned Sophia Loren. Contemporary pieces include those worn on the red carpet by Keira Knightley.
"The Australian audience is sophisticated and very well informed, which is why we wanted to focus on one of a kind, super special jewels," says Bulgari's Rome-based brand and heritage curator Lucia Boscaini. "The majority of the pieces will be in Australia for the first time."
Taylor, who died in 2011, had a large collection of Bulgari jewels, many of which the house bought back at her estate auction. An emerald ring that Richard Burton gave Taylor when their love affair began on the set of Cleopatra is among the pieces coming here, as is an emerald and diamond necklace that she wore.
The NGV is also hopeful of securing a diamond tiara and pair of diamond and pearl earrings that were bought at Taylor's estate sale by the Qatar Museum and have not been seen publicly since.
Held at Christie's in New York, the 2011 auction of nearly 2000 pieces of Taylor's jewellery, fashion, decorative arts and film memorabilia grossed $US156.7 million ($205.3 million), a world record for a jewellery auction then. Boscaini says the Elizabeth Taylor pieces are worth about €14 million ($20 million) and represent almost half the value of the Bulgari collection bound for Melbourne.