Her public life has featured love affairs that ranged from sweet to scandalous, but after decades in the limelight, Elizabeth Taylor is revealing her true lifelong passion—her jewels.
This fall, three big names—publisher Simon and Schuster, InStyle magazine, and Christie’s auction house—are joining to recognize that passion in gala style.
On Oct. 1, Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair With Jewelry, published by Simon & Schuster, will go on sale. At the same time, a selection of Taylor’s famed collection of jewels will go on exhibit at Christie’s New York. To further promote the occasion, InStyle magazine will run serial excerpts of the book beginning in the October issue.
“This book is about one of my passions, mostly given to me by my real passions,” Taylor said in a statement. “You’ll find no kiss-and-tells here. I just go into little stories of my great loves. My memories are the real jewels of this book.”
The launch of the book will be celebrated with a gala party at Christie’s.
In the book, Taylor writes for the first time about her collection, which includes pieces from Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, and Bvlgari. Christie’s chairman and international head of jewelry, François Curiel, who wrote the introduction to the book, calls Taylor’s jewels “one of the most renowned private collections in the world.”
In honor of Taylor’s well-known advocacy of HIV/AIDS research causes, the book’s launch incorporates fundraising activities—including an auction orchestrated by Taylor—on behalf of The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.