Silver Screen Sundays- Chapter 5: Elizabeth Taylor, The Krupp Diamond, and Hollywood's Most Famous Engagement Ring
Welcome back to another Silver Screen Sunday! I've been absolutely captivated writing this series, and today we're diving into what might be the most legendary love story between a star and her jewelry that Hollywood has ever witnessed. We're talking about Elizabeth Taylor and the magnificent Krupp Diamond: a romance within a romance that defined an era of glamour.
Picture this: it's 1968, and Richard Burton is about to make one of the most expensive romantic gestures in entertainment history. But before we get to that yacht on the Thames, let me take you back to where this extraordinary diamond's story really begins.
A Diamond Fit for a Baroness
Long before Elizabeth Taylor ever laid eyes on this stunning gem, it belonged to Vera Krupp, a German actress and baroness who lived a life that could rival any Hollywood script. Born in 1909, Vera was married four times and spent her later years working alongside cowboys on her Las Vegas ranch: all while wearing her precious 33-carat diamond with leather chaps, according to FBI records from the era¹.
Can you imagine the sight? Here's this German aristocrat, mucking around with cattle while sporting one of the world's most exceptional diamonds. The stone itself was believed to have originated from the legendary Golconda region of India and was classified as a chemically pure Type IIa diamond, likely cut before 1909³.
But Vera's ownership came with its own dose of Hollywood-worthy drama. On April 10, 1959, thieves raided her ranch and made off with the jewel¹. The stolen ring was transported across the country, dismantled, and sold in pieces on the black market. I can only imagine Vera's devastation: losing something so precious and personal.
Thankfully, this story has a hero: the FBI launched an intensive investigation that reads like a crime thriller. They followed leads from Utah to Louisiana, down to Florida, and ultimately discovered the diamond hidden in the lining of a coat pocket in New Jersey¹. Even more remarkably, they recovered the side stones too, allowing Vera to rebuild her beautiful ring. Talk about dedicated law enforcement!
Enter Hollywood Royalty
After Vera Krupp's passing in 1967, destiny intervened. The diamond entered auction at Sotheby's in May 1968, and this is where our favorite Hollywood power couple enters the scene³. Richard Burton, already head-over-heels for Elizabeth Taylor, purchased the 33.19-carat stone for $307,000 and presented it to her aboard their yacht while moored on the River Thames in London⁵.
Now, let me put that price in perspective for you: $307,000 in 1968 is equivalent to about $2.7 million today. Burton wasn't just buying jewelry; he was making a statement that would echo through Hollywood history.
The timing makes this gesture even more romantic. This came four years after their first marriage in 1964, making it a late but utterly unforgettable engagement ring³. Their love story had begun during the filming of "Cleopatra" in 1962, creating one of Hollywood's most scrutinized and passionate affairs. The Krupp Diamond became the tangible symbol of their tumultuous but devoted relationship.
Elizabeth's Instant Love Affair
What I find absolutely charming about Elizabeth Taylor is how she immediately embraced the diamond as one of her most cherished possessions. She wore it constantly and never shied away from displaying it for photographers and the media, understanding its power as both a personal treasure and a symbol of her larger-than-life persona³.
Taylor had a wonderful sense of humor about her new acquisition too. She particularly enjoyed mentioning that "the Krupp Diamond now belonged to a nice Jewish girl," referencing her 1959 conversion to Judaism following the death of her husband Michael Todd³. I love that she could find joy and lightness even in something so precious and historically complex.
The technical specifications of this ring are truly breathtaking: the center stone is a 33.19-carat Asscher cut diamond with D color and VS1 clarity, flanked by two baguette-cut diamonds and set in platinum³. At 6.638 grams with the exceptional optical transparency characteristic of Type IIa diamonds, it was instantly recognizable whenever Taylor appeared in public⁵.
The Ring That Defined an Era
Throughout the 1970s and beyond, the Krupp Diamond became perhaps the most photographed piece of jewelry in Hollywood. Every time Elizabeth stepped out: whether to premieres, charity events, or casual dinners: that ring caught the light and the cameras. It represented more than just luxury; it embodied the glamour and excess of Hollywood's golden age.
I often wonder what it must have felt like for Taylor to wear such a significant piece daily. Was she conscious of its weight, both physical and historical? Did she ever take a moment to think about Vera Krupp's ranch days or the FBI agents who recovered it from that coat pocket in New Jersey?
The ring accompanied Taylor through all her life's changes, remaining constant even as relationships and circumstances evolved. It served as a tangible reminder of her legendary romance with Burton: a man she married twice, first in 1964 and again in 1976 after a brief divorce.
A Record-Breaking Farewell
When Elizabeth Taylor passed away in 2011, the jewelry world held its breath waiting for news about her extensive collection. The Krupp Diamond was one of the most anticipated lots when Christie's held the estate auction.
What happened next still gives me goosebumps. The diamond sold for an astounding $8.8 million: nearly three times its estimated value of $2.5-3 million². The final price reflected not just the stone's exceptional quality and size, but its incredible provenance and cultural significance.
In a beautiful tribute to Taylor's legacy and her deep connection to the stone, Christie's officially renamed it the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond². I think this renaming perfectly captures how personal stories and celebrity ownership can fundamentally transform an object's identity and value.
The Legacy Lives On
Today, the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond stands as the ultimate benchmark for celebrity engagement rings. It represents an era when Hollywood stars lived with unabashed glamour, when romantic gestures were measured in carats and cultural impact, and when love stories played out on yacht decks with precious gems serving as both private treasures and public declarations of affection.
The transformation from Vera Krupp's ranch diamond to the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond tells us something profound about how jewelry carries stories. Each owner: from the German baroness working with cowboys to Hollywood's violet-eyed queen: added layers of meaning that ultimately made this gem priceless.
Looking at your own jewelry collection, do you have pieces that carry stories? Maybe not quite as dramatic as FBI recoveries or yacht proposals, but meaningful nonetheless? That's the real magic of fine jewelry: it becomes a repository for our most precious memories.
The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond continues to influence how we think about celebrity jewelry, romantic gestures, and the power of a truly exceptional gem to capture the world's imagination. In an age of social media and instant everything, there's something beautifully old-Hollywood about a love story told through a 33-carat diamond.
References:
- FBI Archives: Case files on the 1959 Krupp Diamond theft and recovery
- Christie's Auction House: Elizabeth Taylor jewelry collection sale records, 2011
- Gemological Institute of America: Diamond grading and provenance reports
- Sotheby's Auction Records: 1968 Krupp estate sale documentation
- Hollywood Reporter Archives: Contemporary coverage of Burton-Taylor jewelry acquisitions