by Emma Spedding
Credit: Rex
"Undeniably, one of the biggest advantages to working on Cleopatra in Rome was Bulgari's nice little shop" Elizabeth wrote in her memoir My Love Affair With Jewellery. "I used to visit Gianni Bulgari in the afternoons and we'd sit in what he called the 'money room' and swap stories" she continued.
Elizabeth Taylor is famed not jut for her acting prowess, but also for her diamond addiction. The actress owned one of the most beautiful - and expensive - jewellery collections in the world. Following her death in 2011, Taylor's jewellery, wardrobe and other personal items were auctioned at Christie's in New York. The sale smashed records, drawing bidders from around the world and fetching over $100 million. It was the most expensive jewellery auction in the house's history, with 26 of the lots selling for over $1 million.
This week, some of Taylor's most treasured pieces have been gathered together once again by Bulgari. The rare and highly personal jewels are worth a cool $30 million between them.
The spectacular- and highly meaningful- items are on display at Bulgari's New Bond Street London flagship until this weekend. It was down to Lucia Boscaini, Bulgari's Brand and Heritage curator, to bring the collection together and here she shares the stories behind a number of the pieces in the collection...