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Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry
Elizabeth Taylor My Love Affair with Jewelry
Author: Elizabeth Taylor
"Here, in my own words and as I remember them, are my cherished stories about a lifetime of fun and love and laughter...I've never thought of my jewelry as trophies. I'm here to take care of it and to love it, for we are only temporary custodians of beauty." --Elizabeth Taylor She has mesmerized movie audiences since her debut in Nat...  more » at the age of twelve, dazzled both men and women with her luminous beauty and iconic presence, displayed shrewd business acumen by creating a line of fragrances with unparalleled success, and her AIDS activism has been a call to arms for people around the world. She is Hollywood's greatest living star and a living legendElizabeth Taylor. One of her greatest passions is jewelry, and over the years she has amassed one of the world's foremost collections. By the time she was in her thirties, Elizabeth Taylor already owned an outstanding set of Burmese rubies and diamonds from Cartier, a fantastic emerald and diamond suite from Bulgari, and the 33.19-carat Krupp diamond, a gift from Richard Burton. That ring was later eclipsed by a subsequent gift from Burton, when he bought a staggering 69.42-carat pear-shaped diamond. Newly named the Taylor-Burton Diamond, it catapulted Elizabeth Taylor into that rarefied pantheon of great jewelry collectors. In this revealing book, Elizabeth Taylor offers a personal guided tour of her collection. She takes us into her confidence, sharing personal anecdotes, witty asides, and intimate reminiscences about her life, her loves, and her collection. Whether talking about the famous La Peregrina pearl, which was briefly abducted by a household pet, or chatting about a childhood gift to her mother, Elizabeth Taylor shows herself to be the most seductive of storytellers: direct, irreverent, and charming. Complementing the stories are 125 stunning new photographs of her most remarkable pieces, specially commissioned for this book, and more than 150 rarely seen images (many from Elizabeth Taylor's personal collection) of the star wearing her jewelry over the course of almost sixty years. We see her as a young ingenue of fifteen wearing what would be the first of many charm bracelets, and again, equally dazzling, as a mature woman, wearing the famous Duchess of Windsor diamond brooch, which she purchased to benefit AIDS research. Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry marks the first time this beautiful jewelry will be seen together as a collection. Lavishly produced and illustrated, the book has an introduction by the world-renowned authority on jewelry, François Curiel, of Christie's. It is for those who are enchanted by this most incandescent and enduring star, for those who cherish and dream of jewelry, and most importantly, for those who believe in the true meaning of love. This book is a fabulous display of unbelievable glamour, assembled over a lifetime, by one of the most extraordinary women in the world.
ISBN-13: 9780743236645
ISBN-10: 0743236645
Publication Date: 9/30/2002
Pages: 240
Rating:
  • Currently 3.2/5 Stars.
 5

3.2 stars, based on 5 ratings
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 7
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susyclemens avatar reviewed Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry on + 158 more book reviews
If you are a jewelry "buff" you will definitely want to have this book. Elizabeth Taylor had an enormous collection of fine jewels and this coffee-table size book has wonderful pictures of many of the famous ones: the Krupp diamond, the Peregrina pearl, etc. and many lovely photographs of Elizabeth Taylor wearing the pieces discussed. The jewelry is examined in life sections, from charm bracelets from the 1950's to her marriage to Michael Todd; through the Sixties and through her Malcolm Forbes-dating days. For the Michael Jackson fan, there's even a section on jewelry he gave her.

She also designed several pieces of jewelry and these pieces are included, with sketches and descriptions of the process. Best of all in my opinion is the way in which Ms. Taylor "talks" to the reader. She tells about each piece, who gave it, what the jewels have meant to her, and even what the pieces meant to the men (especially Mike Todd and Richard Burton) who gave them to her. The book is a lovely tribute, not only to Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry but to her feelings for the most important people and occasions in her life.


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