Legend of the Taylor-Burton Diamond

An Exceptional Diamond and Its Origin

Purchased in 1969 by American actor Richard Burton for his wife, Anglo-American actress Elizabeth Taylor , the Taylor-Burton is a diamond famous worldwide for its size , value and history .
This exceptional rough diamond was discovered in 1966 in the Premier mine , South Africa . Initially weighing 241 carats , it was cut into a pear shape by the American jeweler Harry Winston , reducing its weight to 69.42 carats .

A Historic Sale and a Famous Purchase

In 1969 , the diamond was auctioned in New York . Burton had set a budget of one million dollars , but Cartier finally bought it for $1,050,000 , making it the first diamond sold publicly for over one million .
The day after the sale, Burton went to Cartier and bought back the diamond. However, the sales agreement stipulated that the diamond had to be displayed in Cartier boutiques in Chicago and New York before being transported.
Newspapers of the time reported queues of 6,000 people a day to admire the first diamond worth over a million dollars. It was only after this exhibition that Burton was finally able to take possession of it , and had it set in a necklace for his wife .

A Story of Glamour and Generosity

A month later, the impressive stone made its first public appearance under the name " Taylor-Burton ." Elizabeth Taylor wore it to a charity gala in Monaco in honor of Princess Grace 's ^40th birthday . Later, the actress wore it as aring .
After their divorce in 1978 , Elizabeth Taylor auctioned the diamond for $5,000,000 and used the money to build a hospital in Botswana . It now belongs to the Lebanese jeweler Robert Mouawad .