Elizabeth Taylor's love affair with jewellery rivals that of her love affair with men and is as famous as the Hollywood icon herself. This year, auction house Christie's is doing something a little different by auctioning off her jewellery online. The "Crown Jewels of Hollywood" collection will be divided into halves; an estimated 1,000 pieces will be auctioned online, something that he house has never done before.

The major auction will be from Dec. 13-16 and has been reported to include gifts from Richard Burton (to whom the actress was wed twice) and her close personal friend, Michael Jackson. On the other hand, Christie's has confirmed that the online auction would start earlier at Dec. 3. Running for 2 weeks, the internet portion of the auction will have 950 items which will be comprised mostly of jewellery and various accessories.

The auction house has also released a statement saying that the online auction will consist of among others, handbags from Dior and Valentino, dresses from Hermes and Oscar Dela Renta, accessories from Cartier and Louis Vuitton. That being said, the spotlight will still be on Taylor's famous gems. From full scale Art-Deco pieces to exquisite ropes of diamonds to everyday pieces such as a Chanel clip on earrings that are valued for just $100.

The unprecedented decision to separate the auction in parts was made to guarantee that collectors from all over can have a chance to bid on the item of their choosing. While much of the more expensive pieces will be shown at the live auction, its parallel online auction is still estimated to generate as much buzz and revenue. Should this type of sale be lucrative, the auction house is keeping an open mind about making it an ongoing feature.

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