The “Famous Three” Jewelry Collectors of All Time

Gemstones and jewelry collection has been a hobby, art, and business for a long time. From the Ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra to a “relatively” modern British-American actress Elizabeth Taylor (for many both are same people). Jewelry and gemstones have been the center of attraction for ladies of both past and present, according to many semi precious stones wholesalers. So to check their claims, and to have a glimpse of what these stones could make people do, let us have a look at the 4 most famous jewelry collectors of all time.

1. Elizabeth Taylor
 

No gemstone bead wholesaler worth his salt would ever claim that he has not heard the tales of Taylor’s love for jewelry. Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was a British-American actress who started her career as a child artist and went on to become the most celebrated actress of Hollywood. Elizabeth starred in the period drama “Cleopatra”, for which she received a sum of $1 million, highest for any actress for that time. But much like her cinematic career, her love for stones and jewels was also public. Her jewelry collection consisted of some of the most valuable stones of the time. Like the 16th-century pearl La Peregrina, which once belonged to Mary Tudor. The pearl was later sold for £7.6m.

Another valuable piece in her collection was the emerald cut Krupp diamond ring. It was gifted to her by Welsh actor, and her husband, Robert Burton in 1968. The entire jewelry collection of Taylor was sold in New York through Christie’s in 2011. It raised £74.9 million in total.

2. Princess Salimah Aga Khan
 

Born to Arthur Edward Croker Poole, a lieutenant in the British Indian Army, as Sarah Francis Crooker-Poole, Sarah married the spiritual Ismaili Muslim leader Prince Karim Agah Khan and became Salimah. Other than the name and the title of “Begum”, Salimah soon acquired a huge collection of precious gemstones.
 

The most notable piece in her collection was the “Begum Blue”. A 13.78 carats heart-shaped blue diamond. Post her divorce from Agah Khan, the collection was put to an auction in 1995 at Christie’s Geneva, and fetched a sum of £21.2 million. According to leading semi-precious stones wholesalers, Salimah wanted the auction to take place so the money could be put for charity purposes.

3. Wallis Simpson, The Duchess of Windsor
 

Wallis’s collection of jewel was as famous as the story of her banishment from England, because of her marriage to the British King Edward VIII. The duchess amassed a huge jewel collection during her 35-year marriage. A collection that was later auctioned at Sotheby's Geneva, shortly after the death of his husband. The collection had a Cartier charm bracelet, custom Van Cleef & Arpels ruby, and a  diamond and onyx panther bracelet, among many other precious items.

The auction fetched a handsome sum of £39 million, which Wallis donated to Pasteur Institute in Paris, which according to many gemstone bead wholesaler, was recognition on her part for the love and acceptance of Parisian people after the couple was made to leave England.

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