A diamond bracelet once gifted to Elizabeth Taylor by Michael Jackson has far surpassed its pre-auction estimate, fetching £119,700 (approximately $148,390) at Woolley & Wallis’ fine jewellery sale in the U.K. last week.
Although the final price more than doubled the initial low estimate of £50,000 to £70,000, it fell short of the $182,500 it achieved at a Christie’s auction in 2011.
Woolley & Wallis reported intense competition for the bracelet—adorned with 27 graduated step-cut yellow diamonds—with collectors worldwide bidding via phone and internet. In the end, a telephone bidder secured the sought-after piece.
The bracelet’s association with two legendary figures, Taylor and Jackson, undoubtedly drove the bidding war. Taylor, a two-time Academy Award winner and Dame of the Order of the British Empire, once remarked, “I feel as though I’m only the custodian of my jewellery. When I die and they go off to auction, I hope whoever buys them gives them a really good home”—a sentiment that likely resonated with collectors.
Marielle Whiting, jewellery specialist at Woolley & Wallis, described the piece as “a beautiful and highly wearable diamond bracelet with truly legendary provenance that continues to live on.”
