“A girl needs simple things too, like a cluster of diamonds.” – Elizabeth Taylor

There is no celebrity whose name is more synonymous with jewelry than 1950s screen legend Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor’s passion for expensive and dramatic jewelry is the stuff of legend: she’s named several of her perfume labels after her favourite gemstones, and even penned an autobiography about her obssession, My Love Affair with Jewelry.

The highest-paid actress of her time, Taylor’s jewelry collection includes some of the world’s most expensive and best-known pieces, like The Grand Duchess Vladimir Suite, the La Peregrina Pearl, and of course, the 69-carat, $1 million, pear shaped diamond given to her by on-again, off-again husband Richard Burton. Known as the Taylor-Burton Diamond, the piece has become a symbol not only of the ultimate luxury in fine jewelry, but also the notorious affair between the two volatile actors (read more about the crazy times in the Taylor-Burton household in Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger’s new book, Furious Love).

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Suite

The La Peregrina Pearl

The Taylor Burton Diamond

Bold, dramatic, and unapologetically excessive, Taylor’s taste in jewelry is completely distinctive – the perfect expression of her notoriously passionate, indulgent personality. Plus, who couldn’t love a woman who rocks a full on matching diamond-and-pearl jewelry set while she’s in a wheelchair? Scroll down to see this, plus our other favourite Taylor jewelry moments from throughout her career.

Who are your favorite jewelry icons? Let us know in the comments section and we could feature your pick in an upcoming post.