Elizabeth Taylor, A Glamorous Remembrance
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English-born American Actress, the Academy Award winning Elizabeth Taylor has taken her final leave, March 23, 2011. Reports are that it is a result of congestive heart failure, Taylor passed while she was surrounded by her four children. They were at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Following the tragic loss of his Mother, Taylor's son Michael Wilding released this statement, "My Mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love. Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts."
Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor will be fondly remembered by all of her children, her close friends (Elton John was among the most publically distraught.) and in the hearts of her fans around the world for her extraordinary grace and generous spirit, humanitarian work and AIDS activism. With her one-of-a-kind bright violet eyes and an on-screen presence that could capture the hearts of film audiences, critics and eventually eight different husbands, Liz Taylor did certainly embody the strength, beauty and selflessness of the icon status she carried.
We'll celebrate the gift of Elizabeth Taylor's life in a glamorous remembrance. While the sensational actress was expressively fond of extraordinary jewelry, diamonds and sapphires, she somehow managed to escape such claims of materialism or superficiality. As far as Hollywood is concerned, this may be the last time such a success is made. Perhaps it was her qualities of ultimate grace and sincerity that she was not made to endure the media ridicule we see today among celebrities sporting ellaborate jewels.
Behind her famously worn 33.19 carat Krupp Diamond ring and the 69.42 carat Taylor-Burton Diamond, cut by Harry Winston and adorned in a diamond-adorned Cartier necklace, lies one of the best love stories of the 20th century. Twice married husband of over 20 years, Richard Burton had purchased both for his love, Miss Elizabeth Taylor. In reference to the Taylor-Burton diamond, regarded as the world's first million-dollar diamond and often coined 'the Taj-Mahal,' Richard Burton said, "I would have liked to buy her the Taj-Mahal."
There was a genuine love between Burton and Taylor. Their 20 years and 2 marriages together had challenges, turbulance, passion, jealousy and infatuation. Last year Elizabeth Taylor spoke of her relationship with Richard Burton in an interview with Vanity Fair. Among revealing love letters she'd received from him, Miss Taylor offered a glimpse into their love affair, "Richard was magnificent in every sense of the word. From those first moments in Rome [on the set of Cleopatra] we were always madly and powerfully in love." She continued to wear the Krupp diamond ring he had given her in 1968, sporting the spectacular stone in her 2003 interview with Larry King.
In 1978, Elizabeth Taylor auctioned the Taylor-Burton diamond for $5,000,000 and used that money to build a state-of-the-art hospital in Botswana, Southern Africa. Recognized for her advocacy in Aids research, Elizabeth Taylor was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1993. The American Foundation for AIDS Research, for which Taylor was an advocate, made this statement in response to the news of her death, "She leaves a monumental legacy that has improved and extended millions of lives and will enrich countless more for generations to come."
In honorable memory, dedicate an hour or two to celebrate the iconic beauty of Miss Elizabeth Taylor. Her violet eyes are accented with Bvlgari jewelry in the 1973 film, "Ash Wednesday," where you can catch a glimpse of her 50 carat sapphire 'sautoir' (necklace and pendant) and the sugarloaf sapphire ring by one of her favorite jewelry designers. Taylor wears a pair of classic natural pearl earrings in the film, also by Bvlgari. The Academy-Award winning Actress notably enjoyed wearing her own jewels in movies, and did so more than any other actress. Read about the backlash one Director received when he tried to hault such indepence in personal appearance in Liz Taylor's book, "My Love Affair With Jewelry."
