Auctioneers sold Elizabeth Taylor’s gems last night for an eye-popping $115 million, a world record for the auction of one private jewelry collection, sellers said.
Diamond, pearls, rubies and gold from “The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor” flew off the auction block at Christie’s New York in a final multimillion-dollar tribute to the late, two-time Oscar winner.
“It’s one of the most extraordinary auctions that Christie’s has ever had and a testament to the affection for Elizabeth Taylor worldwide,” Christie’s Americas President Marc Porter said.
The actress, whom many consider the last real movie star, died on March 23 at age 79.
A chunk of proceeds are earmarked for Taylor’s AIDS foundation.
A Cartier pearl and diamond necklace — given to La Liz by husband Richard Burton — was the night’s high seller at $11.8 million. It had been pegged to go for between $2 million and $3 million.
Before the first hammer fell last night, it was expected that The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond would be the big score. It wasn’t, but it still went for a breathtaking $8.8 million.
The namesake jewel did set a world auction record for dollar-per-carat of a colorless diamond, Christie’s said.
The 33.16-carat ring, also a gift from Burton, was snapped up by Daniel Pang, a rep for Korean hotel conglomerate E-Land. The buyer is expected to display it at its flagship Seoul hotel.
“It was more than we anticipated,” Pang said of the final price. “We expected it to be between $3 [million] and $5 million, but it went crazy with the bidding.”
Other notable sales last night included:
* The Taj Mahal diamond and jade necklace, which went for $8.8 million and set a world auction record for an Indian jewel.
n A ruby and diamond ring — Burton’s 1968 Christmas gift — fetched $4.2 million and set a world auction mark for dollar-per-carat of a ruby.
* Ear pendants that Taylor designed herself — and that she wore at her investiture as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace in 2000 — fetched $1.4 million.