Sonam Kapoor revisits Elizabeth Taylor’s iconic Bulgari emerald necklace after Kim Kardashian moment

From Taylor’s romance with Richard Burton to its $6.1 million auction, the necklace has a remarkable celebrity legacy

Sonam Kapoor is taking a trip down memory lane, and the jewellery in question has quite the history. After Kim Kardashian recently brought Elizabeth Taylor's iconic emerald-and-diamond Bulgari necklace back into the spotlight, the Bollywood actor shared throwback photographs of herself wearing the legendary piece.

Taking to Instagram, Sonam posted pictures of herself in a striking red ensemble, accessorised with the spectacular emerald necklace. Her caption was as witty as ever:

"Since everyone’s talking about Elizabeth Taylor’s iconic Bulgari necklace, I thought I’d throw it back to when I had my little moment with her. My big fashion revelation at the time? Red and green look rather fabulous together. Groundbreaking, I know." "Clearly, this necklace has a better social life than most of us," she added.

 

 

 

 

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And she isn't wrong. Few pieces of jewellery have enjoyed a social calendar quite as extraordinary as this one.

Long before it became a coveted piece of jewellery history, the emerald-and-diamond necklace was part of one of Hollywood's most famous love stories.

The necklace was created by Italian luxury jewellery house Bulgari around 1962, when Taylor was in Rome filming Cleopatra. It was during this period that Taylor's romance with her co-star Richard Burton blossomed, with the couple becoming regular visitors to Bulgari's famous boutique on Via Condotti.

Burton, who famously indulged Taylor's love of extravagant jewellery, gifted her an extraordinary collection of Bulgari emerald pieces over the course of their relationship. The necklace was presented to Taylor as a wedding gift in 1964, according to Christie's auction catalogue.

The necklace also featured a distinctive design element: a hoop at the front that allowed Taylor to suspend a magnificent detachable emerald-and-diamond pendant from it. The pendant was a separate jewel, originally gifted to her by Burton around the time of their engagement in 1962.

Together, the pieces formed part of Taylor's celebrated Bulgari emerald suite, a collection that reflected both her extraordinary personal style and her enduring romance with Burton.

The necklace was also an exquisite example of Bulgari's distinctive approach to coloured gemstones.

According to Christie's auction catalogue, the platinum creation featured 16 graduated rectangular and square-cut emeralds, each surrounded by circular-cut diamonds. These were separated by delicate diamond motifs incorporating circular, marquise and pear-shaped stones.

While Elizabeth Taylor made the necklace famous, she was not the last celebrated woman to wear the historic creation.

PHOTO: Harper's Bazaar Australia

In February 2013, actress Julianne Moore wore the very same necklace at a Bulgari celebration at the brand's Rodeo Drive boutique in Beverly Hills.

The event showcased pieces from Taylor's jewellery collection, which Bulgari had acquired following the 2011 auction.

Moore's appearance marked one of the necklace's first major public outings after its return to the jewellery house.

PHOTO: Getty Images

Most recently, Kardashian brought the necklace back into the conversation during a visit to Bulgari's Rome boutique.

The reality star and entrepreneur was given the opportunity to try on the historic piece, sharing her experience and admiration for Taylor on social media.

PHOTO: People

Following Taylor's death in 2011, her extraordinary jewellery collection went under the hammer at Christie's in New York.

The Bulgari emerald-and-diamond necklace was sold on December 13, 2011, for an impressive $6,130,500, substantially exceeding its pre-sale estimate of $1 million to $1.5 million.

What makes Taylor's Bulgari necklace so fascinating is that its appeal goes far beyond its monetary value.

It represents an era when jewellery was deeply personal, when extraordinary gemstones were exchanged as declarations of love and when Hollywood glamour was defined by unapologetic extravagance.

Perhaps that is why it continues to captivate a new generation of celebrities and fashion enthusiasts, decades after it first became part of Hollywood history.