Expert Guide to Elizabeth Taylor’s Engagement Rings

Elizabeth Taylor was an acclaimed actress who had parts in many major TV shows and movies, but she was also renown worldwide for her incredible jewelry collection, especially her engagement ring collection from her eight husbands. In this article, Afshin Shaddaie, will give you the history of each engagement ring from Liz Taylor, and how much each is worth in today’s market.

This article was written in collaboration with Benjamin Khordipour, G.D., C.G.P., who I consulted regarding the current market-value of the rings and jewelry.

1. Elizabeth Taylor’s Engagement Ring from Nicky Hilton (1950)

At just 18 years old, Elizabeth Taylor accepted her first proposal from Conrad “Nicky” Hilton Jr., heir to the Hilton hotel fortune. MGM Studios encouraged the match, and the wedding was staged as a grand Hollywood event, complete with all the glamour and media attention. The marriage, however, quickly unraveled and ended after only eight months, marking the first of Taylor’s many high-profile unions.

Hilton presented Taylor with an Art Deco–style ring that reflected the elegance of the 1920s and 1930s. Benjamin Khordipour, G.D., estimates the diamond to be a 4.50-carat emerald cut, set in platinum with accenting diamonds on the shoulders. While understated compared to the legendary jewels she would later receive, this first engagement ring was still a note-worthy start to her impressive ring collection.

Estimated Worth: Benjamin Khordipour estimates that in today’s market this 4.50-carat diamond ring would be worth approximately $166,500. With Taylor’s provenance, Benjamin estimates, that if this ring were to go to market it would fetch at least $500,000.

2. Elizabeth Taylor’s Engagement Ring from Michael Wilding (1952)

After her brief first marriage, Elizabeth Taylor married British actor Michael Wilding. Wilding was twenty years older than her. He offered her a sense of maturity and calm during a period when her career was rapidly rising in Hollywood. The couple married in 1952 and were together for five years. This marriage was one of Taylor’s more stable unions in her early life.

Michael Wilding proposed with a sapphire engagement ring that stood out as a true work of art. According to Benjamin Khordipour, G.D., the sapphire ring was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, featuring a sugarloaf cabochon sapphire surrounded by diamonds, set in a diamond-studded platinum band. The style is a Victorian interpretation on the Retro Era. More dramatic than her first ring, it marked Taylor’s growing affinity for bold, eye-catching gems and foreshadowed her lifelong love of statement jewelry.

Estimated Worth: Benjamin Khordipour said that its very difficult to estimate the value of a sapphire from a picture (especially an old photograph) as most of the worth will be dependent on the quality of the gemstone at the center of the ring. That being said, he estimates that the value of the sapphire based on size and craftsmanship will at least $60,000. In auction, and with Liz Taylor’s provenance, this ring would fetch at least $250,000.

3. Elizabeth Taylor’s Engagement Ring from Mike Todd (1957)

By 1957, Elizabeth Taylor was no longer the ingénue of her early Hollywood years. She was now a global star. When film producer Mike Todd entered her life, their romance burned with intensity and extravagance. Unlike her previous marriages, this union was filled with larger-than-life gestures, perfectly suited to Taylor’s growing reputation as a woman who lived boldly. Though their time together was tragically cut short by Todd’s sudden death in 1958, their relationship left a lasting imprint on her life.

Todd proposed with one of the most spectacular engagement rings Hollywood had ever seen: a 29-carat emerald-cut diamond mounted in platinum. Benjamin Khordipour, G.D., describes it as a classic Art Deco style emerald-cut diamond ring, flanked by a tapered baguette diamond on each shoulder. Monumental in size and design, the ring was Taylor’s first truly legendary diamond, instantly cementing her reputation as the ultimate jewelry icon of Hollywood’s golden era.

Estimated Worth: Benjamin Khordipour estimates that in today’s market this 29.40-carat diamond ring would be worth approximately $4,500,000. And if it went to auction as owned by Elizabeth Taylor, her provenance would probably raise the price of the ring to at least $12,000,000.

4. Elizabeth Taylor’s Engagement Bracelet from Eddie Fisher (1959)

Elizabeth Taylor’s fourth marriage made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Eddie Fisher was one of the most popular singers in the 1950s and he left his wife Debbie Reynolds to marry Taylor. This created one of the biggest Hollywood scandals of its time. Despite the raging controversy, they got married in 1959.

Instead of presenting her with a traditional diamond engagement ring, Fisher gave Taylor a diamond bracelet. Benjamin Khordipour, G.D., describes the bracelet as a diamond-studded Art Deco openwork angular chain-bracelet crafted in platinum. The bracelet reportedly features 50 diamonds.

Although, the bracelet was less “showy” than Mike Todd’s monumental diamond, the bracelet still carried an elegance and refinement that reflects the mid-century style. Taylor often continued wearing Mike Todd’s engagement ring, and Fisher’s bracelet became a complementary piece rather than a replacement.

Estimated Worth: Benjamin Khordipour estimates that in today’s market this 50-diamond Art Deco bracelet would be worth approximately $70,000, but with the provenance of Elizabeth Taylor it would probably fetch at least $400,000 in auction.

5. Elizabeth Taylor’s Engagement Ring from Richard Burton (1964)

Elizabeth Taylor’s relationship with Richard Burton was the stuff of Hollywood legend. It was fiery, passionate, and larger-than-life. They married not once, but twice, beginning in 1964 and again in 1975. Their romance was marked by lavish gifts and extravagant jewels, with Burton himself once admitting that he could never stop buying her diamonds. No piece of jewelry, however, symbolized their love story more than the diamond that became forever linked to Taylor’s name.

Among these jewelry gifts, the Krupp Diamond stood above all.

In 1968, Burton purchased the 33.19-carat vintage Asscher-cut diamond for Taylor at auction, paying $307,000 for it. This was a staggering price for the time.

Benjamin Khordipour calls the Krupp Diamond “one of the most important engagement rings in history”, and describes its design as the quintessential Art Deco style. “It’s bold, geometric, and elegant, with tapered baguette accents that showcased the stone’s beauty,” says Khordipour.

Taylor wore the Krupp Diamond everywhere. You can see pictures of her with it at red carpets, dinner parties, even in her garden. It became her most beloved jewel.

Her next ring, 10 years later was going to be even larger.

Estimated Worth: This ring was sold Christies Auction in 2011 for $8,818,500. Benjamin Khordipour estimates that if the Krupp Diamond were to go back to auction today, it would easily fetch over $15,000,000.

6. Elizabeth Taylor’s Second Engagement Ring from Richard Burton (Second Marriage, 1975)

Elizabeth Taylor remarried Richard Burton in 1975 for marriage that lasted one year. Although the Taylor-Burton Diamond is often associated with his second marriage, this is incorrect, as the diamond was purchased during their first marriage.

The Taylor-Burton Diamond was purchased by Burton for Elizabeth in 1969.

The diamond was originally discovered at the Premier Mine in South Africa in 1966 as a 240.80-carat rough crystal. The gem was cut by Harry Winston into a 69.42-carat pear-shaped diamond of E–F color and exceptional clarity. After changing hands several times, it was purchased by Cartier at auction in 1969 for $1.05 million before Burton, determined to own it, negotiated directly with Cartier and acquired it (and the naming rights) for $1.1 million just two days later.

Taylor initially wore the diamond set in a ring, but soon after had it reset into a necklace by Oscar Heyman for Cartier. She famously debuted the piece at the 1970 Academy Awards, where it became the talk of Hollywood.

She eventually sold the necklace, donating part of the proceeds to help fund a hospital in Botswana. Nonetheless, the Taylor-Burton Diamond remains one of the most legendary jewels in modern history, forever tied to Elizabeth Taylor’s name.

Estimated Worth: Benjamin Khordipour estimates that in today’s market this 69-carat diamond would be worth approximately $7,000,000. And if the diamond necklace went to auction as owned by Liz Taylor, her provenance would probably skyrocket this diamond to at least $21,000,000.

7. Elizabeth Taylor’s Engagement Ring from John Warner (1976)

After her tempestuous years with Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor married John Warner. Warner was a Virginia politician who would later become a U.S. Senator. Their marriage was a big change from the typical Hollywood glamour. Taylor embraced the quieter life of a senator’s wife, trading red carpets for political campaigns and farm life in rural Virginia.

Regarding her engagement ring, many sources online incorrectly identify her engagement ring from Warner as being a Burma Ruby surrounded by a halo of diamonds. This is incorrect as this ruby ring was a gift from Burton. See the Christies Auction Listing.

There were newspaper articles at the time that write “received a diamond ring from Warner as an engagement present” or “a rubies-emeralds-diamond ring”. Not much more than that is known.

Additionally, there are no unaccounted-for engagement rings in the Christies Listing of Elizabeth Taylor’s ring.

8. Elizabeth Taylor’s Engagement Ring from Larry Fortensky (1991)

Elizabeth Taylor’s final marriage was to Larry Fortensky, a construction worker she met while both were undergoing treatment at the Betty Ford Clinic. Their unlikely romance captivated the media, and the wedding itself which was held at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch was a celebrity spectacle attended by stars and dignitaries. Though the marriage lasted only five years, it marked the closing chapter of Taylor’s long and colorful history of love.

Benjamin Khordipour, G.D., describes Fortensky’s engagement ring to Taylor as “a diamond set in a bold yellow gold mounting, and accented with smaller diamonds along the shoulders.”

While this ring is far more modest than some of the legendary gems she had received in earlier years, the ring still carries Taylor’s trademark-flair for statement jewelry.

Engagement Rings Inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s Rings

Here are some of the rings from our collection that are similar to the famous Asscher cut diamond ring of Elizabeth Taylor. Of course, these rings don’t feature a center diamond that’s as large as hers, but some of these rings are nonetheless very impressive.

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