Elizabeth Taylor’s Epic Engagement Ring Saga: 10 Fiancés, 8 Marriages, One Iconic Diamond

When Elizabeth Taylor, Hollywood legend passed away in 2011, the world didn’t just mourn an actress—it mourned the keeper of the most dazzling engagement ring trove ever assembled on a single person. Ten engagements, eight marriages, and a string of glittering gifts turned her into a walking museum of diamonds, sapphires and a 33‑19‑carat masterpiece that still makes jewellers gasp.

Born in 1932, Taylor’s first sparkle arrived at age 17. William Pawley Jr., son of the U.S. ambassador, slipped a cushion‑cut, 2‑5‑carat diamond on a platinum band into her hand in 1949. The proposal never led to a wedding, but the stone set a precedent: each suitor would try to out‑shine the last.

From a Teen’s First Sparkle to Hollywood’s Biggest Auction

Taylor’s official marriage debut came on May 6, 1950, when she was just 18. Conrad "Nicky" Hilton Jr., heir to the Hilton hotel empire and great‑uncle of Paris Hilton, offered a four‑carat platinum‑set diamond worth roughly $10,000. The ceremony at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills was billed by Gaumont British News as “Hollywood’s Wedding of the Year,” yet the marriage dissolved after eight months.

Each subsequent fiancé added a new chapter. Michael Wilding gifted a sapphire ring; the third husband, Mike Todd, presented what Taylor later called her “ice skating rink”—an emerald‑cut diamond that glimmered like a frozen pond. Eddie Fisher broke tradition altogether, offering a diamond bracelet instead of a ring, proving that love could be expressed in many forms.

The Signature Pieces and Their Tales

All eyes eventually fell on the jewel that defined the collection: the Krupp diamond, later christened the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond. In 1968, while aboard a yacht moored on the River Thames in London, Richard Burton slipped the 33‑19‑carat antique‑style emerald‑cut stone onto Taylor’s finger.

• Dimensions: 21.77 × 18.74 mm, large enough to cover a typical knuckle (≈17 mm wide).
• Color: D (the highest‑grade, completely colorless).
• Clarity: VS1, with rumours of being internally flawless.
• Type: IIA, indicating exceptional purity.
• Original 1959 estimate: $275,000; later valuations topped $7 million.

Taylor kept the Krupp diamond even after her 1976 divorce from Burton, while she sold the much‑larger Taylor‑Burton diamond that Burton bought from Cartier in 1969 for $1.12 million. "I have never thought of my jewelry as trophies," she once said, "I am just here to take care of them."

What the Industry Said: Valuations and Rarity

Gemologists have long debated the Krupp’s rarity. A Type IIA diamond of D color and VS1 clarity in the 30‑carat range appears once in a generation, making it a magnet for collectors. In 2011, when Christie’s staged the auction, the ring fetched a final price of $8.8 million, doubling its previous appraisal.

Other highlights included a sapphire‑and‑diamond ring from Dennis Stein, a pave band from final husband Larry Fortensky, and a multi‑gemstone piece from John Warner. Together they pushed the total auction take‑home to $..." (the exact figure was over $150 million for the entire collection, a record for a single celebrity’s jewelry).

Reactions from Family, Collectors, and Fans

When the auction doors opened on December 16, 2011, the room filled with a mixture of nostalgia and awe. Taylor’s daughter, Liza Taylor, stood beside the glass case holding the Krupp diamond, recalling how her mother would often examine each stone under a magnifying lamp, murmuring, "They’re not just stones; they’re stories."

Jewelry historians praised the collection as a “chronicle of Hollywood’s golden era.” The International Gem Society noted that the range—from 2‑carat cushion cuts to the 33‑carat leviathan—offered a unique lens on changing gem‑cutting trends across five decades.

Legacy: How the Collection Shapes Jewelry History

Beyond the glitz, Taylor’s habit of preserving each piece forged a new archetype for celebrity collecting. Instead of treating jewelry as disposable fashion, she curated a heritage that museums now study. Curators at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art have used her pieces to illustrate the evolution of American luxury buying post‑World War II.

Today, the Krupp diamond lives on in private hands, but its provenance remains a selling point whenever it surfaces at auction. The story of ten engagements, eight marriages, and a handful of unforgettable gems continues to inspire both designers and dreamers, reminding us that love—and the sparkle that follows—can be both fleeting and forever.

Key Facts

• Ten engagements, eight marriages, one widowhood.
• First ring: 2‑5 carat cushion‑cut from William Pawley Jr., 1949.
• Most famous piece: 33‑19 carat Krupp (Elizabeth Taylor) diamond, gifted 1968.
• Christie’s auction date: December 16 2011, total sales > $150 million.
• Taylor kept the Krupp diamond after her final divorce in 1976.