Auctions

Taylor’s jewelry exceeds auction expectations again

AuctionsNov 11, 2013

Taylor’s jewelry exceeds auction expectations again

Jewelry once worn by the late Elizabeth Taylor soared past its pre-sale estimates at Julien’s Auctions recent Icons & Idols: Hollywood sale, held Saturday and Sunday in Beverly Hills.

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Elizabeth Taylor is pictured here in the 1963 film Cleopatra wearing a falcon headdress, which sold for more than four times its pre-sale high estimate at Julien’s Icons&Idols sale over the weekend.

Beverly Hills, Calif.--Jewelry once worn by the late Elizabeth Taylor soared past its pre-sale estimates at Julien’s Auctions recent Icons & Idols: Hollywood sale, held Saturday and Sunday in Beverly Hills.

An 18-karat yellow gold and gemstone suite of jewelry by Zorab realized $30,720, more than double its pre-sale high estimate of $15,000. The set consisted of a necklace and earrings featuring citrine, peridot, topaz and diamonds.

A gold-tone metal bangle featuring ribbing and raised details, with scarlet red bands, dangling lotus blossoms and beaded fringes, obliterated its pre-sale estimate of $2,000 to realize $14,080. Taylor wore the piece in the 1963 film Cleopatra.

Also worn by Taylor in the film was a falcon headdress, made of golden hand-etched and painted leather feathers with gold wire spines. The piece sold for $12,800, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of $3,000.

Clothing, furs, accessories and photographs that Taylor once owned and gifted to a former employee also were included in the sale, which offered more than 200 lots of celebrity memorabilia.

This is not the first time pieces worn by the legendary actress and AIDS activist, who died in March 2011, exceeded auction expectations.

In December 2011, Christie’s held a sale of Taylor jewelry in New York and it set a world record for most valuable jewelry auction in history when it garnered a total of $156.8 million. Christie’s Rahul Kadakia said the sale was “magic.” 

Michelle Graffis the editor-in-chief at National Jeweler, directing the publication’s coverage both online and in print.

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