The uncut diamond of the Taylor-Burton was found in 1966 in the Premier Mine and weighed 240.80 ct. Elizabeth Taylor received the polished stone with 69 ct. as a gift from your fifth husband Richard Burton.
The rough diamond was purchased by Harry Winston. When the stone arrived in New York, studying Harry Winston and his cleaver Pastor Colon Jr. diamonds for six months. Drawings were created, discarded and recreated again to find out how the stone could be cleaved. Then came the big day when the stone was cut. The voltage, which brings with it such an operation was not heated by the heat and light of headlights because the TV had permission to be present at this event. After the diamond was split, the Cleaver SGATE Pastor Colon nothing. He leaned over his workshop containers, take to the cleaved piece diamond itself. He looked through his horn-rimmed glasses for a second on the stone, whether there had been a fracture - he exclaimed, "Beautiful!" The blank as a breakaway weighed 78 ct. and was for a cut stone of 24 carats.
determined. The other big piece weighed 162 ct. and should be a drop-shaped diamond of approximately 75 cts. arise.
The first owner after Harry Winston was not Elizabeth Taylor. 1967 Harry Winston sold the diamond drops to Harriet Annenberg Ames, the sister of Walter Annenberg, an American ambassador in London. Two years later, she sent the diamond to Parke-Bernet Galleries in New York to let him auction off at auction. It justified your decision as follows:... "I felt unhappy and always kept on my gloves out of fear that you can see the diamond I was always a very social person and did not enjoy it as I sat this year as in a bank safety deposit box appears foolish to keep the stone without having to use it. "
The diamond came on 23 In October 1969 at auction for auction with the understanding that he from the future buyer get a name. Before the sale circulated speculation about who would provide these diamonds well. The Kolummnisten threw around with the known international brands. Elizabeth Taylor was one of you. And in fact, they took one look at the diamond, as he was flown to Switzerland for you Then the stone was flying back to New York with - as they say - unusual safety precautions.
The auctioneer opened the auction by asking whether one was willing to 200,000, - "Yes" to offer $ what in the hall, simultaneous sounded. The bids rose and the price reached in nine remaining bidders 500,000, - $. At 500,000, - $ increased the individual bids for each 10,000, - $. To 650,000, - $ only two bidders remained. Than the bid of 1,000,000, - $ was reached, increased Al Yugler of Frank Pollack, who offered for Richard Burton from. Pandemonium broke out as the hammer fell and everyone stood in the hall, as the auctioneer could not identify the buyer. He had to call the audience to order.
The winner of the auction was Robert Kenmore, the Chairman of the Board of Kenmore Corporation, the owners of Cartier Inc., the record price of 1,050,000, - paid $ for the diamond. They called the stone immediately the "Cartier". The previous record price for a jewel was in 1957 at 305,000, - $ for a diamond necklace from the Rovensky-owned: A diamond, known as "The Rovensky" (possibly the Excelsior III), with approximately 46.50 ct.
Both Harry Winston and Richard Burton were unsuccessful bidders. But Burton did not want to accept it and was determined to acquire the diamond. So he telephoned from a pay phone a known hotel in southern England with Mr. Kenmores agent. As he squeezed in between the lounge bar and salon incessantly tossed in coins into the phone, he negotiated the diamond. The guests, who alone took their drinks to be heard the loud words of the actor as he shouted: "I am not interested in how much it costs to go and buy it." Ultimately, Robert Kenmore agreed to sell the stone on the condition that it should exhibit Cartier in New York and Chicago. Since this time is the diamond "The Taylor Burton". Burton did not deny that Cartier made a profit on this sale. He commented: "We are business people and we are happy that Miss Taylor is happy."
More than 6000 people a day flocked to the Cartier store in New York to see the Taylor-Burton. The crowds stretched down the street.
A short time later, on 12 November Elizabeth Taylor wore the Taylor-Burton in public for the first time on the 40th Princess Grace Kelly Birthday party in Monaco. The diamond was flown from New York to Nice accompanied by armed guards, hired by Burton and Cartier.
As a result of your divorce from Richard Burton gave Elizabeth Taylor announced in 1978 that it would offer the diamond for sale. She intended to use part of the proceeds to build a hospital in Botswana. In June 1979, gave the New York jeweler Henry Lambert announced that he had the Taylor-Burton for 5.000.000, - have purchased $. In December, he sold the diamond to the present owners Robert Mouawad. A short time later the stone was ct on its current weight of 68.09. . ground down It has sharpened the girdle and the culet somewhat.
