Local Jeweler Buys Elizabeth Taylor Auction Pieces

Pieces of Elizabeth Taylor’s extensive jewelry collection will be making a home in Woodbridge, thanks to local jewelry shop owners. 

Jenny and John Caro, of , are now the proud owners of Taylor’s “paper suite” jewelry, a necklace and two pairs of earrings, a gift to Taylor from friend Malcom Forbes. 

The Caros made a trip to New York City this week to take part in the Christie’s auction of the "Collection of Elizabeth Taylor.

“We decided wouldn’t be amazing to have something of Elizabeth Taylor’s in our store for customers to look at, or maybe try on and have a picture taken with,” said Jenny Caro.

“We went to the first night, to the couture auction totally deluded into thinking we’d be able to buy something and the least expensive piece went for $100,000,” said Caro. “That didn’t happen.”

The couple returned the next day hopeful that they’d be able to purchase a piece. But, the bids kept climbing higher and higher.

Caro said Kim Kardashian bid on three jade diamond bracelets via telephone. ABC reported that Kardashian spent nearly $65,000 on the bracelets. A South Korean retail group bought the so-called “Elizabeth Taylor diamond,” a 33.19-carat diamond given to her by her husband Richard Burton, for $8.9 million.  

The Caro’s purchase of the “paper suite” was referenced in Taylor’s book My Love Affair with Jewelry and was estimated to sell for $200 to $300.

“This has such a great story behind it. The box has a sticker on top that you can tell has been there forever,” said Caro.  

Caro said they thought it was cool they bought the least expensive thing sold. Forbes.com reported that the “paper suite” sold for $6,875.

The auction of the late Taylor’s jewels netted nearly $116 million, what Forbes.com called a “world record for a private collection of jewels.”  

The “paper suite” will be set up in a display case at Jewelry By Design with the story behind the set.

Caro said that they were bidding on some of Taylor’s items on the online auction and that they hoped to show those items along with the paper jewelry.

“It's not for me, or for us,” said Caro. “It's for our customers. We always like to do innovative things that give a great experience to our customers, which is why we’ve grown so much in a recession.”

Jewelry By Design is also hosting a digital giveaway via their Facebook page, called the "12 Days of Christmas." Each day pieces of jewelry are given away to customers that are the first to comment on the photo with the item number gets the free gift. Winners must be able to pick up the prize in store.