Top Five: Elizabeth Taylor collectibles: diamonds, pearls, Dior and Van Gogh Legendary movie star Elizabeth Taylor was a great collector of jewellery, art and haute couture
Nevertheless, it was her father who bought what is probably the most notable work in the collection: Francis Taylor paid $257,600 for Vue de l'Asile et de la Chapelle de Saint-Remy by Vincent Van Gogh at a Sotheby's auction in London.
The work is estimated at £5m to £7m ($7.6m to $11m) in next month's auction.
1. La Peregrina
So if the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond wasn't the top lot of her jewellery auction, what was?
That honour went to La Peregrina - a storied 16th century pear-shaped pearl of 203 grains in size - equivalent to 50 carats. It dates back into history - including Spanish queens Margaret and Elisabeth.
The two queens wore the pearl in 17th century portraits painted by Velázquez, but it was a different Royal painting which resulted in its current mounting. Taylor saw how Mary, Queen of Scots, wore her jewellery in a portrait and commissioned Cartier accordingly.
It sold for $11,842,500 to an Asian phone bidder, smashing the world auction record for a pearl jewel, set in 2007 at Christie's New York with the sale of The Baroda Pearls for $7,096,000.
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