AuctionsFeb 21, 2023
At Auction, Talley’s Chanel Jewelry Is Tops AuctionsMar 27, 2023
Jewels to Shine in Upcoming ‘Golden Age’ of Hollywood Auction
The Kruse GWS Auctions sale will include the replica “Taj Mahal” necklace Elizabeth Taylor made with Avon as well as a costume piece Marilyn Monroe wore.
This rhinestone necklace worn by Marilyn Monroe is up for auction at Kruse GWS Auctions’ upcoming “Artifacts of Hollywood” sale.
Los Angeles—Kruse GWS Auctions will showcase impressive costume jewelry from legendary stars of Hollywood’s “Golden Era” in its upcoming auction, including Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Ava Gardner.
“The Artifacts of Hollywood” sale is highlighting the personal collections of some of the era’s most glamorous women, as well as iconic musicians like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin and Whitney Houston.
The auction will feature a variety of personal memorabilia, including jewelry, clothing, purses, shoes, movie props, and more.
These are a few of the auction’s most interesting jewels.
Marilyn Monroe’s Rhinestone Choker Necklace
The 15-inch necklace, seen at the top of the article, was owned and worn by Marilyn Monroe. It’s made of silver with round- and cushion-shaped rhinestones.
It comes from the collection of her personal hairstylist, Sydney Guilaroff, who worked at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios for more than 40 years on more than 1,000 films, said the auction house.
Guilaroff was the first hairstylist to receive an on-screen credit in a film and was a confidante to many of the day’s stars, including Monroe, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, and Hepburn.
A number of celebrity-worn jewels from his collection are heading to the upcoming auction.
In a provenance letter, the late hairstylist wrote, “Marilyn gave me this costume ‘Weiss’ multi-shaped rhinestone choker necklace around 1954. No one has worn it since Marilyn.”
Albert Weiss was a notable costume jewelry designer, getting his start at costume jewelry manufacturer Coro in the 1930s before starting his own company in 1942, which is still around today.
There were no pre-sale estimates given for any of the items up for auction.
There are other jewels said to belong to Monroe up for sale, including another rhinestone necklace and a pair of rhinestone drop earrings.
Elizabeth Taylor’s Avon “Taj Mahal” Necklace
“The Artifacts of Hollywood” sale is highlighting the personal collections of some of the era’s most glamorous women, as well as iconic musicians like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin and Whitney Houston.
The auction will feature a variety of personal memorabilia, including jewelry, clothing, purses, shoes, movie props, and more.
These are a few of the auction’s most interesting jewels.
Marilyn Monroe’s Rhinestone Choker Necklace
The 15-inch necklace, seen at the top of the article, was owned and worn by Marilyn Monroe. It’s made of silver with round- and cushion-shaped rhinestones.
It comes from the collection of her personal hairstylist, Sydney Guilaroff, who worked at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios for more than 40 years on more than 1,000 films, said the auction house.
Guilaroff was the first hairstylist to receive an on-screen credit in a film and was a confidante to many of the day’s stars, including Monroe, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, and Hepburn.
A number of celebrity-worn jewels from his collection are heading to the upcoming auction.
In a provenance letter, the late hairstylist wrote, “Marilyn gave me this costume ‘Weiss’ multi-shaped rhinestone choker necklace around 1954. No one has worn it since Marilyn.”
Albert Weiss was a notable costume jewelry designer, getting his start at costume jewelry manufacturer Coro in the 1930s before starting his own company in 1942, which is still around today.
There were no pre-sale estimates given for any of the items up for auction.
There are other jewels said to belong to Monroe up for sale, including another rhinestone necklace and a pair of rhinestone drop earrings.
Elizabeth Taylor’s Avon “Taj Mahal” Necklace
Elizabeth Taylor wore the necklace during a photoshoot for Avon promoting her jewelry collection.
The Avon “Taj Mahal” necklace is a replica of one of her own jewels.
This necklace was given to Elizabeth Taylor in the early 1990s by cosmetics company Avon just before the company announced they would be partnering on a jewelry collection.
Well known for her outstanding jewels, Taylor helped the brand create costume replicas of some of her most famous pieces.
This necklace is the prototype for the reimagining of her “Taj Mahal” diamond necklace. She wore it for an Avon photoshoot.
The real “Taj Mahal” necklace, a gold, ruby and diamond Cartier creation Richard Burton gave to Taylor when she turned 40, sold for $8.8 million in 2011 as part of Christie’s record-setting sale of Taylor’s massive jewelry collection.
Taylor’s collection became the most popular of all Avon jewelry lines, continuing to sell well on secondary websites at high markups, said the auction house.
“The collection took nearly three years, as Elizabeth Taylor scrutinized every piece to make sure it was of the best quality,” it said. “Taylor had a hand in every facet of the manufacturing process and production to create the replicas of her cherished jewelry pieces.”
The necklace is accompanied by a seven-page letter from her friend, Ken Studdy, to whom Taylor gifted the piece in 2010.
Studdy said Taylor wore the necklace many times, including to dinner with Michael Jackson.
He said, “Taylor would regularly wear this necklace in replacement of her original as her Lloyd’s of London insurance policy stipulated that the necklace could only be worn for a select number of days each year and that she had to be followed by a team of armed guards, similar to the policy for her famous Taylor-Burton Diamond.”
Greta Garbo’s 1950s Rolex ‘Precision’ Watch
This 9-karat yellow gold Rolex “Precision” watch belonged to actress Greta Garbo.
The back of the watch is engraved with Garbo’s initials, “GG.”
The star’s 9-karat yellow gold Rolex “Precision” watch, in working condition, is up for sale.
The back of the case is engraved with her initials, “GG.”
The watch’s provenance letter is courtesy of the son of Swedish watch collector Hjalmar Mattison.
Translated from Swedish, it reads, “It is hereby certified that this Rolex watch with ‘GG’ engraving belonged to Greta Garbo. My father Hjalmar Mattison worked as an accountant for a well-known director at Dramaten who was a close friend with Garbo, and through him managed to buy Garbo’s watch in the 1980s, meaning only a few years before Garbo passed away.”
Elvis Presley’s Many Jewels
This 14-karat yellow gold “TCB” ring is said to have belonged to Elvis Presley.
A 14-karat yellow gold and diamond Capricorn ram’s head ring with red stone accents, with 1.30 carats of diamonds. Elvis was a Capricorn.
Elvis Presley has a number of jewels up for sale at the upcoming auction, including multiple rings and a necklace.
A notable highlight is a 14-karat yellow gold “TCB” ring.
The ring will be accompanied by the original 7.56-carat VS2 round brilliant diamond and a GIA report.
A cubic zirconia was set in the ring while the diamond was being graded and is the stone seen in the image above. The halo of round-cut diamonds and accent diamonds have a total carat weight of 2.25.
The ring was worn by Elvis, who then gave it to gospel singer J.D. Sumner on stage in 1975 during the first night of a concert in Asheville, North Carolina, according to a statement of authenticity from Sumner prior to his passing.
The ring has hit the auction block before, garnering $440,625 in a 2020 sale held by Kruse GWS Auctions.
The auction house shares a long story about its provenance that would certainly be of interest to fans of “The King.”
The ring also comes with a letter from his late wife, Priscilla Presley, and a letter and sketches from jeweler Lowell Hayes.
The auction house describes the ring as “a once-in-a-lifetime piece and a must have for the serious Elvis collector as a piece of this magnitude may not surface again for many decades. This is arguably the most significant and well documented piece of Elvis’ jewelry on the planet, as even Graceland has not had a piece of this magnitude.”
There is other Elvis memorabilia up for auction, including a guitar, a jacket, a pair of glasses, and sheet music.
Audrey Hepburn’s Earrings
A pair of gold-tone screw-back pinwheel earrings worn by Audrey Hepburn
Hepburn’s faux pearl clip-on drop earrings also are up for auction.
Two pairs of earrings belonging to Hepburn are heading to the auction block, a pair of gold-tone screw-back pinwheel earrings and a pair of faux pearl clip-on drop earrings.
Both pairs were given to the aforementioned hairstylist Guilaroff. He was Hepburn’s hairstylist for “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” as well as other films.
Other items belonging to Hepburn up for auction include a gown and evening bags.
Ava Gardner’s Jewels
A pair of black and white rhinestone and faux pearl clip-on earrings worn by actress Ava Gardner
A matching necklace and earrings set, belonging to Gardner
Guilaroff’s sizable collection also included jewelry belonging to actress Ava Gardner.
This pair of black and white rhinestone and faux pearl clip-on earrings were worn by Gardner in the 1980s, according to his provenance letter.
There is also a matching necklace and earrings set worn by Gardner. The gold-tone jewels are set with amber, brown, and green iridescent rhinestones.
No one has worn the jewels but Gardner, he said.
Jewelry Worn by Music Legends
In addition to silver-screen celebrities, the auction also will highlight legendary women in music, including Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and Madonna.
This copper and leather necklace belonging to rock ‘n’ roll icon Janis Joplin is up for auction.
This gold-tone rhinestone floral necklace, made by White House Black Market, belonged to Whitney Houston.
These black and silver metal chainmail wrist cuffs were custom made for Janet Jackson, who wore them during her 2008 “Rock Witchu” tour during her performance of “Doesn’t Really Matter.”
A faux pearl necklace belonging to Madonna is also up for auction.
The auction will highlight jewels from a number of other stars, including Johnny Cash, Faye Dunaway, and Betty White.
Live bidding for the online auction begins April 8.
For more information about the auction, visit Kruse GWS Auctions’ website.
More on Auctions
The Latest
IndependentsApr 29, 2025
Maryland Jeweler to Close After 36 YearsG.B. Heron Jewelers in Salisbury, Maryland, is set to close as its owner, Jeff Cassels, retires.
ColumnistsApr 29, 2025
Google Ads vs. Social Media Ads: Which Are More Effective?Emmanuel Raheb outlines the differences between the two platforms and posits that the most successful jewelers use both.
SourcingApr 29, 2025
Gemfields Mini Ruby Auction Achieves $7MThe miner said its April sale featured a mix of commercial-quality primary rubies and secondary rubies of varying quality.
Brought to you by
Watch: The Winston Red: GIA Examines the Smithsonian’s Newest AdditionSupplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA
CrimeApr 28, 2025
Customs Seizes Nearly 2,000 Pieces of Counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels JewelryU.S. customs agents in El Paso, Texas, intercepted the package, which would have been worth $9 million if the jewelry was genuine.
Weekly QuizApr 24, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
TrendsApr 28, 2025
Suzanne Kalan Launches Tech Ring Jacket CollectionHealth monitors become statement pieces when paired with the brand’s new collection of stackable diamond-studded bands.
Events & AwardsApr 28, 2025
JCK Industry Fund Announces 2025 Grant RecipientsTen organizations were selected this year.
Brought to you by
Emerging Jewelers Accelerator Program Announces Second Cohort of Aspiring Jewelry Entrepreneurs Six new retail businesses were selected for the 2025 program, which began in January.
IndependentsApr 28, 2025
John Atencio Appoints 2 to Wholesale TeamKim Carpenter and Sam Gevisenheit have joined the brand.
CollectionsApr 25, 2025
Sylvie Looks to Water in New Sculptural Bridal Collection“Shell Auranova” is the next generation of the brand’s bridal line, featuring half-bezel engagement rings with bold and fluid designs.
FinancialsApr 25, 2025
Kering’s Jewelry Brands Persevere as Q1 Sales Sink 14%Boucheron and Pomellato performed well in an otherwise bleak quarter for Kering amid struggles at Gucci.
EditorsApr 25, 2025
Piece of the Week: Deborah Meyers Experience’s ‘The Birds’ EarringsDesigner Deborah Meyers created her birds from oxidized sterling silver, rose-cut diamond eyes, and Akoya Keshi pearl feathers.
SourcingApr 25, 2025
De Beers Sales, Production Fall in Q1 Amid UncertaintyThe company said it expects sightholders to remain “cautious” with their purchasing due to all the unknowns around the U.S. tariffs.
Supplier BulletinApr 24, 2025
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessSponsored by the Gemological Institute of America
EditorsApr 24, 2025
Q&A: Wolf’s CEO Talks U.S. ExpansionSimon Wolf shares why the time was right to open a new office here, what he looks for in a retail partner, and why he loves U.S. consumers.
IndependentsApr 24, 2025
Longtime Iowa Jeweler Herman Ginsberg Dies at 99 A third-generation jeweler, Ginsberg worked at his family’s store, Ginsberg Jewelers, from 1948 until his retirement in 2019.
FinancialsApr 24, 2025
Charles & Colvard Delisted From Nasdaq Due to NoncomplianceThe company failed to file its quarterly reports in a timely manner.
SourcingApr 24, 2025
Young Diamantaires Transition to NonprofitThe organization also announced its board of directors.
TrendsApr 24, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: So CharmingCharms may be tiny but with their small size comes endless layering possibilities, from bracelets to necklaces and earrings.
MajorsApr 23, 2025
Bulgari Doubles Size of Jewelry Factory in ItalyLocated in Valenza, the now 355,000-square-foot facility includes a new jewelry school that’s open to the public, Scuola Bulgari.
Events & AwardsApr 23, 2025
PDPaola Creative Director Wins FGI’s ‘Rising Star’ AwardPaola Sasplugas, co-founder of the Barcelona-based jewelry brand, received the Fine Jewelry Award.
MajorsApr 23, 2025
David Yurman’s New Campaign Stars Carmelo Anthony, Jaylen BrownThe basketball stars wear men’s jewelry from the “Curb Chain” collection.
MajorsApr 22, 2025
Zales’ Rebrand Takes Playful Approach to Fine JewelryThe Signet Jewelers-owned retailer wants to encourage younger shoppers to wear fine jewelry every day, not just on special occasions.
AuctionsApr 22, 2025
Christie’s to Auction JAR Jewelry CollectionThe 21 pieces, all from a private collector, will be offered at its Magnificent Jewels auction next month.
ColumnistsApr 22, 2025
The PR Adviser: Building Buzz Through Word of MouthLilian Raji answers a question from a reader who is looking to grow her jewelry business but has a limited marketing budget.
GradingApr 22, 2025
Avi Levy Is GCAL By Sarine’s New Chief Growth OfficerGCAL by Sarine created the new role to sharpen the company’s focus on strategic partnerships and scalable expansion.
IndependentsApr 22, 2025
Brinker’s Jewelers Acquires Fellow IndependentThe Indiana jeweler has acquired Scottsdale Fine Jewelers in Scottsdale, Arizona.
