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Bulgari's Famous Clients Part I - The Iconic Elizabeth Taylor

Bulgari's Famous Clients Part I

The Iconic Elizabeth Taylor

By Ping Tsai

Bulgari’s designs have always attracted a celebrity clientele – which is not surprising considering the high glamour embodiment of most of their jewelry and wristwatches.  We often see impeccably styled and groomed A-list actresses at movie premiers or awards shows draped in beautiful strapless gowns that graze their paths and irrevocably mark their presence as they waltz down the red carpet.  Completing the look is usually a colorful piece of expensive gemstone studded jewelry either around the neck, wrists or dangling from the ears.  If the item contains colorful stones or modular precious metalwork in any way, more likely than not, it’s Bulgari.  If a woman wants to stand out, and celebrities often do, it can easily be achieved with wearing Bulgari jewels. 

Perhaps Bulgari’s most famous celebrity customer was none other than Elizabeth Taylor herself.  The Hollywood icon was quoted in the New York Times, Sunday Style section, September 29^th, 2002 as saying that when her lover Richard Burton took her to the Bulgari boutique on Via Condotti in Rome, “I used to get so excited that I would jump on top of him and practically make love to him in Bulgari.”  No wonder Burton showered Taylor with numerous Bulgari gifts during their time together. 

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

The passionate and torrid love affair between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton began in 1962 during the filming of Cleopatra on the set of Cinecittà in Rome.  It provided a lively backdrop as well as fueled Taylor’s other insatiable desire – her love of Bulgari jewelry.  At the time, Taylor was married to Eddie Fisher who was well aware of the powerful effect of jewelry on his wife and had become accustomed to purchasing Bulgari jewels for her.  Burton however, wasn’t as seasoned in the practice and saw it as a new experience.  He once said, “I introduced Liz to beer, she introduced me to Bulgari”.  He also commented on her Italian language skills saying, “The only word Elizabeth knows in Italian is Bulgari.”  Throughout their love affair, Burton was generous with buying jewels for her and she reveled in the excitement of choosing them together with him.

Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra

Making the film Cleopatra for Taylor came with the added bonus of being able to frequent the Bulgari boutique in Rome.  She describes in her book, Elizabeth Taylor My Love Affair with Jewelry, “Undeniably, one of the biggest advantages to working on Cleopatra in Rome was Bulgari’s nice little shop.  I used to visit Gianni Bulgari in the afternoons and we swapped stories.”  Taylor became such a loyal customer that often Bulgari would send her pieces of jewelry while on the movie set.  On one occasion a sales person at the time remembers taking a selection of jewels to the set in Cinecittà for the two Cleopatra stars to peruse.  Burton picked out an exquisite emerald and diamond ring for Taylor.  Ironically enough, a few days later Richard Burton’s wife, Sybil Taylor called Bulgari.  Somehow she had gotten hold of the ring.  She had called to have it resized because it was too big.

To read the rest of Bulgari's Famous Clients Part I - The Iconic Elizabeth Taylor click here 

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