Legend of the Taylor-Burton Diamond
Purchased in 1969 by American actor Richard Burton for his wife, British-American actress Elizabeth Taylor , the Taylor-Burton is a diamond world-famous for its size, value and history.
This exceptional rough diamond was discovered in 1966 in the Premier mine in South Africa. Originally weighing 241 carats, it was cut into a pear shape by American jeweler Harry Winston , reducing its weight to 69.42 carats.
In 1969, the diamond was sold at auction. Burton had set a budget of $1 million, but Cartier ultimately purchased it for $1,050,000. The next day, Burton went to Cartier and bought the diamond back, which he then had mounted into a necklace.
The sales agreement stipulated that the diamond was to be displayed in Cartier boutiques in Chicago and New York before being transported. Newspapers at the time reported lines of 6,000 people a day to admire the first diamond worth more than a million dollars.
A month later, the impressive stone made its first appearance under the name "Taylor-Burton." Elizabeth Taylor wore it to a charity gala in Monaco in honor of Princess Grace's 40th birthday . The actress later wore it as a ring.
After their divorce in 1978, Elizabeth Taylor auctioned the diamond for $5 million and used the money to build a hospital in Botswana. It is now owned by Lebanese jeweler Robert Mouawad.
