Thursday, September 29, 2011

Neighbors

It's an absolutely beautiful Indian Summer day here in London, 78F and perfectly sunny!  I opened the windows in our flat and the back door that leads to our "terrace".  (I put this in quotes because that's how the real estate people describe it.  You can fit one chair.)  We have some loud, transient neighbors that sometimes set up shop, and through the open door I can hear that they are back.  Squatters.



Bert and Ernie.  I told them they are not allowed to come anywhere near the inside of my door frame, and if they could please refrain from pooping all over my grand terrace I would be much obliged.  We'll see.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The Jewelry of Elizabeth Taylor, Part II

Yes, there's more fabulous jewelry!  

This necklace below is a showcase for the famous La Peregrina Pearl.  It is 203 grains in size - equivalent to 55 carats - and ranks as one of the most important and historic pearls in the world.   Discovered in the 1500's in the Gulf of Panama, the pearl became part of the crown jewels of Spain.  Prince Phillip II of Spain was one of the first recorded owners of the pearl and it later passed on to the Spanish queens Margarita and Isabel, who proudly wore the pearl in 17th century portraits painted by Velazquez.  Richard Burton purchased the pearl for Elizabeth at auction in 1969 for $37,000, after successfully outbidding a member of the Spanish royal family.  Inspired by a 16th century portrait of Mary Queen of Scots, she later commissioned Cartier to design an exquisite new mount of pearls and rubies to offset what she called "the most perfect pearl in the world".  


A story about the pearl from the coffee table book...

"At one point I reached down to touch La Peregrina and it wasn't there!  I glanced over at Richard and thank God he wasn't looking at me, and I went into the bedroom and threw myself on the bed, buried my head into the pillow and screamed.  Very slowly and carefully, I retraced all my steps in the bedroom.  I took my slippers off, took my socks off, and got down on my hands and knees, looking everywhere for the pearl.  Nothing.  I thought, "It's got to be in the living room in front of Richard.  What am I going to do.  He'll kill me!  Because he loved the piece.  

After a few minutes Elizabeth looked at their puppies.  One of them was apparently chewing on a bone, but nobody gave bones to the puppies.  

"I just casually opened the puppy's mouth and inside his mouth was the most perfect pearl in the world. It was - thank God - not scratched."  

La Peregrina (coming from the Spanish word "the wanderer")
Natural pearl, cultured pearl, ruby & diamond necklace
$2,000,000 - 3,000,000


Queen Margarita on Horseback, painted by Velazquez, wearing La Peregrina:


Queen Mary wearing La Peregrina:



Elizabeth Taylor's most valuable piece of jewelry was her engagement ring from Richard Burton; originally the Krupp Diamond it is now called the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond.  And let me tell you, there was a line of people just to see this one piece!  It is 33.19 carats, D color, and internally flawless.  Celebrated as the most iconic of her cherished white diamonds, this spectacular stone was a constant in Elizabeth's life and became the ring she wore virtually every day and in every film after acquiring it.  

The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond
33.19 rectangular-cut diamond ring
$2,500,000 - 3,500,000





During her marriage to producer Mike Todd, Elizabeth was swimming laps in the pool at their villa in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat when he surprised her with a trio of Cartier boxes containing a magnificent suite of ruby jewels.  Without a mirror at hand to see how her new jewels looked, she studied her reflection in the pool instead.  When she saw the full array of dazzling jewels around her neck, ears, and wrist, she recalled, "I just shrieked with joy, put my arms around Mike's neck, and pulled him into the pool after me." 

Ruby & diamond necklace, earrings, and bracelet
Cartier
necklace: $200,000 - 300,000
earrings: $80,000 - 120,000
bracelet: $150,000 - 200,000





Art Deco Egyptian revival bracelet
$500,000 - 700,000


Cultured pearl & diamond bracelet (there's also a matching necklace)
$60,000 - 80,000


Mike Todd gave this antique diamond tiara (circa 1880) to Elizabeth telling her, "You are my queen."  She wore it to the Academy Awards in 1957 where Todd's film Around the World in 80 Days won Best Picture.    

The Mike Todd Antique Diamond Tiara
$60,000 - 80,000




This diamond brooch, circa 1935, was formally owned by the Duchess of Windsor and is in the form of three feathers and the royal insignia of the Prince of Wales; it was originally a gift from the Duke to the Duchess.  As an acquaintance of the royal couple, Elizabeth Taylor had admired the brooch whenever she saw the Duchess wearing it, but turned down the Duchess' generous offer to let her make a copy of it.  Years later, after the Duchess died and her estate was brought to auction, Elizabeth outbid the other bidders to win the brooch in honor of her late friend.  "It's a royal piece that I save for special occasions because it means so much to me."  

The Windsor Brooch
$400,000 - 600,000



Honestly, these last jewels were my favorite over the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond.  These pictures don't do them justice, the color green was mesmerizing, I've never seen anything like it.  They were purchased over many trips to the Bulgari store in Rome and were keepsakes from the time they spent together making Cleopatra.  Of their time in Rome together, Richard Burton famously quipped, "I introduced Liz to beer, and she introduced me to Bulgari."  

Emerald & diamond earrings
Bulgari
$150,000 - 200,000




Emerald & diamond necklace
Bulgari
$ 1,000,000 - 1,500,000

Emerald & diamond pendant brooch (hanging from necklace in photo)
Bulgari
$500,000 - 700,000



Emerald & diamond ring (I didn't get a photo)
Bulgari 
$600,000 - 800,000

Emerald & diamond earrings
Kutchinsky
$30,000 - 50,000


Well, that's it!  Pretty incredible stuff, huh?  I'm sure I'll never get to see any of those pieces in person again, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity.




Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Jewelry of Elizabeth Taylor, Part I

"My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring.  I was hooked."  - Elizabeth Taylor



About seven years ago, I stumbled upon "Elizabeth Taylor:  My Love Affair with Jewelry", a coffee table book full of glossy color photos of her incredible jewelry.  



Really, it's a biography told through precious stones.  Her jewelry, while sometimes strange and always over the top, is mind-blowing.  I have looked through that book a ton of times, and I always see something new. 

After she died in March of this year, her jewelry collection was gathered up (it's reported value is $150 million) and it will be auctioned off at Christie's in New York in December.  But before that event, a portion of the jewels are taking one last trip around the world together, and they made a 3-day stop at Christie's in London.  This was my chance to see the real things in person and I wasn't about to miss it!  I met my friend Lauren there and we just walked around the exhibition, mouths agape.  

This is walking into the special Christie's Elizabeth Taylor exhibition; even in death the woman commands great archways of live flowers.  


They allowed cameras, which I was kind of surprised at and very pleased about!  The order of these photos is more or less how we saw them.  The prices are what is listed in the exhibition folder, but I imagine they could go for even more at auction.  

Click on the pictures to see more detail, it's worth it!

Kunzite, amethyst & diamond "Triphanes" Sautoir, by Van Cleef & Arpels
$70,000 - 100,000 
(I loved this, the purple was so beautiful)


Diamond bracelet, $30,000 - 50,000


The Daisy Parure, a suite of diamond & multi-gem "Reine Marguerite" jewelry, Van Cleef & Arpels
(matching earrings and brooch not pictured)
$200,000 - 300,000


I have a soft spot for charm bracelets.  I had one as a child (which I later lost and am still sick over) and I now have my grandmother's with charms from all of her travels.  They are at once ubiquitous and deeply personal.  One of these charms is a globe that opens up and has each of the names of her children and their birth dates inscribed.

Gold & multi-gem charm bracelet
$15,000 - 20,000


Gold & multi-gem charm bracelet
$25,000 - 35,000


The exhibition included some of her clothing as well - most of it was a bit eccentric (black velvet cape with silver embroidered scorpions??).  This was a kimono that was designed for her as "Flora 'Sissy' Goforth" in the 1968 film Boom!

$4,000 - 6,000




While I could never pull something like this off - a snake watch - there is a picture of her in the book wearing it, as well as her signature cutting Cleopatra eyes, and she looks awesome.  

Diamond & emerald "snake" bracelet-watch, Bulgari
$12,000 - 15,000


I'm so sad my picture of these little rings didn't really turn out, it's one of my favorite stories.  These are called the Ping Pong Rings.  While at home in Gstaad with her husband Richard Burton (one of her two great loves), she challenged him to a game of ping pong, a game they both loved to play.  Burton said that if she could get 10 points on him he would give her a diamond.  Of course she rose to the challenge and got her 10 points and so he set into town to buy her a diamond - and came back with three tiny, but perfect, little diamonds.  They both got a great big kick out of it.  She would wear them along with her 33.19 ct diamond (photo coming later) and when someone would remark on her diamond and ask to see it, she would thrust her tiny ping pong diamonds in their face and say, "yes, aren't they perfect?!"


Pear-shaped diamond ring, 16.98 ct
$20,000 - 30,000 (which sounds really low to me)



This is a show-stopper piece.  It's called the Taj Mahal Diamond, circa 1627, and Richard Burton gave it to her in 1972 for her 40th birthday.  Inscribed with the name "Nur Jahan", the wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahangir, this heart-shaped diamond is believed to have been a gift from the ruler to his son, who became the great emperor Shah Jahan (1592 - 1666).  At the age of 35, it is believed that the young prince presented the diamond to his favorite and most beloved wife, Mumtaz-i-Mahal.  The emperor's grief at her death just four years later was legendary - in her memory he commissioned the majestic Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world.  Richard Burton said, "I would have liked to buy her the Taj Mahal, but it would cost too much to transport."  

The Taj Mahal Diamond pendant necklace
$300,000 - 500,000




I have lots more, but I could only fit so much into one blog!  More to come shortly!





Saturday, September 24, 2011

Goodbye Summer

I spend a lot of time in Kensington Gardens, Grady and I walk there almost every day (sometimes twice a day), and Stephen and I run around the park a lot after he comes home from work.  Living so close to a big, beautiful park has been one of my favorite things here in London.  When you're in the park, you can't hear any traffic noise or the like, everywhere you look is green and it's a great way to feel out of the city.  I've enjoyed summer here in a way I never did in Dallas - especially with the cooler temps!


Looking over the water to Kensington Palace:


Summer blooms:


Wild berry vine:



It has turned a bit cooler and Fall is definitely settling in.  During the summer in the park, fields of wild flowers and tall grass are allowed to grow.  I liked to go there with Grady and sit in the middle of it and just listen to the summer crickets.  It was like being in a meadow somewhere far away.  Today I went there and most of it had been mowed down and was brown.  Sad!

My park meadow (if you look closely you can see Grady in the background):


Summer here in London was fabulous, truly great weather.  I'm sad to see it go!


Thursday, September 22, 2011

New Favorite Thing

My friend (and teacher from middle school), Lesley Nittler, is here visiting from Dallas.  She brought me the greatest present, it is my new favorite thing!  She is super crafty and made this pillow by hand.


It's combo Texas/UK!  My two homes, I love it.

Here is us from yesterday, the first time I've seen her since forever and ever...


I'm meeting up with her and her friends again today, can't wait!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Churchill War Rooms

The museums in London can keep you busy weekend after weekend, I've been to a bunch (the National Portrait Gallery and Tate Modern are two of my favorites), and last weekend we went to the Churchill War Rooms.  The War Rooms are where Churchill ran his operations during WWII.  

It is an underground bunker (with little protection, it turns out, most likely would not have survived a direct hit); it's located under the Treasury building in Westminster (the public entry now is the little door on the right).  


Construction of the war rooms began in 1938, and they became operational in August 1939, shortly after the outbreak of war in Europe.  


Interestingly enough, after the surrender of Japan in August 1945 and the end of the war, the rooms were abandoned - they turned off the lights and left everything as it was.  Maps on walls, papers and pens on desks.  It is still there today.  

Here is the room where the cabinet meetings took place, exactly as it was during the war (save the mannequin they added in the background):


Everything is original - the papers, pens, maps, lights, everything.  The chair in the back of the room with the rounded top was Churchill's chair.  

The maps had thousands of pins and thousands upon thousands of little pin holes where they tracked the progression of the war:



Chart tracking bombings:




Because of the food rations in Europe during the war, having a bit of sugar for your tea was a luxury.  If you had some, you hid it and kept it to yourself.  When they opened up the room in the picture above and were looking through the desks, they found a few cubes of sugar still there, wrapped in an envelope and hidden away.  Somebody was so excited to get out of there and go home that they left their stash!

Churchill's underground bedroom (with a trusty cigar ashtray on the bedside table):


He actually preferred to go back to 10 Downing Street at night and sleep there, only using his underground bedroom a few times.  He didn't mind the risk of walking home.  In fact, when air raids were being carried out over London, he would often go upstairs and watch.  

Churchill walking through the rubble after an air raid:


From inside the bunker:



The war rooms were equipped with a state-of-the-art telegraph room with a hotline phone to Roosevelt:  


The door and outside of this room was fashioned to look like a bathroom - complete with an "occupied/vacant" switch.  People, even those with the clearance to be in the war rooms to begin with, were told that it was a private bathroom only for Churchill.  I guess it worked to keep others out!

Attached to the war rooms is a museum dedicated to Churchill and his life.  This was a pretty cool place, with lots of multimedia presentations to keep anybody who's inclined interested for hours on end.  Stephen is standing in front of a long light table that came equipped with touch screens on the sides.  The table was one big "filing cabinet" and you could use the touch screen to access thousands of digital files about any given day/month during Churchill's life.  


The hallway leading to the (obligatory) gift shop had replicas of old WWII-era posters.  This one made me laugh out loud:


Ah, dumb blonde secret spies, they are always ruining the best cocktail parties!  

I also liked this one:  


Walking back home through St James's Park with the London Eye in the background: