Elizabeth Taylor’s love affair with jewelry-especially diamonds-has long defined diva style. Around the world, the public associates the actress with glittering baubles. So it was no surprise that when the British Film Institute recently recognized Taylor as a Dame of the British Empire, they did not neglect her love of jewels.

The London event, attended by royalty, society celebrities, and Taylor’s Hollywood peers, was called “A Diamond Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor” and dubbed a “black tie and diamonds” event.