Bulgari Recreates Liz and Dick's Love Affair with Exhibit of Taylor's Jewels

Getty Images; Courtesy of Bulgari

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton at their 1964 wedding in Montreal, Liz clad in the 24.33 carat emerald brooch on display at Bulgari Beverly Hills through March 10.

If you happened to catch Liz and Dick, one of the first Lifetime movies that was so bad it was actually bad, you may recall a touching scene set amid a green-screen of Rome, where faux Richard Burton buys Lindsay Lohan, er, Liz Taylor, baubles at Bulgari.

It was painful to watch, at best (that could just be because of Liz, er, Lindsay’s, large lips that impeded her raspy speech ever-so-slightly). But, as we just learned, the fake scene was actually based on real events.

According to the brand, the real Liz and Dick used to hide out in the secret VIP “money room” of the famed Italian jewelry house's Rome shop. And it was there that the Welsh actor bought his violet-eyed bride-to-be her first gift in 1962, a 7.4 carat emerald “fiancee” ring flanked by 5.3 carats of pear-shaped diamonds.  

The epic ring is one of eight Taylor pieces that Bulgari has recently acquired, the entire lot of which will be on display at the Italian jeweler’s Beverly Hills boutique beginning on Tuesday through March 10.

Other Bulgari items on hand from Taylor’s legendary collection include the 23.44 carat emerald brooch worn by the Dame to marry Burton in 1964, a Trombino diamond-and-platinum ring complete with a 25 carat sapphire, and a turquoise-and-gold mirror commissioned by Taylor ex Eddie Fisher in the early ‘60s. The brooch, by the way, set the world record for an emerald sold at auction in December 2011, when it went for more than $6.5 million, or $280,000 per carat.

To celebrate the exhibit, Bulgari will host a dinner Tuesday evening for the likes of Julianne Moore, Drew Barrymore and Clotilde Courau, princess of Venice and Piedmont. Starting Wednesday, mere revelers can view the collection at the shop amid a recreated “opulent Rome terrace” that, we’re betting, will be a much better version of the Eternal City than any set ever seen on Lifetime. 

Through March 10 at Bulgari Beverly Hills, 401 North Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills. bulgari.com