Originally appeared on E! Online
Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf? Not Kim Kardashian.
After all, the Kardashians star got to wear the late Elizabeth Taylor‘s iconic emerald and diamond necklace as “the best birthday present ever” from her stylist Law Roach.
“We are in Rome,” Kardashian began in an Oct. 28 Instagram video. “They are letting us into the Bulgari store to see Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry.”
And, as a staffer for the luxury jeweler pointed out, unearthing Taylor’s jewelry collection from the vault is “not something we regularly do.”
That’s why Kardashian said Roach “really pulled some strings here” so she could try on the $6.5 million necklace.
“I don’t know how you did this,” Kardashian told him on the phone. “This is my birthday present. Now, I can start my year with this Elizabeth energy. That’s how I want to start this whole year off—just going with unapologetic personality, with her giving back and her caring so much about people.”
Originally gifted to Taylor by her fifth and sixth husbandRichard Burton, the necklace features 16 emeralds, each mounted in platinum and surrounded by circular-cut diamonds The pieces are linked by diamond quatrefoils, with the necklace’s centerpiece featuring a detachable pendant adorned with a 23.46-carat emerald
According to Kardashian, she was “lucky enough to have a phone conversation” with Taylor about the necklace before her 2011 death.
“When she passed away, I was brought into her home and shown her safe with all of her jewelry before they cleared it out,” theAll’s Fair actress shared. “I was able to go in there right after she passed. I know that sounds insane, but I was able to see this stuff in her purple closet.”
And for Roach, who also works with Zendaya, he was more than happy to arrange a private fitting for Kardashian.
“I think I give the best birthday presents,” the 48-year-old quipped. “This is unprecedented. Nobody’s ever done this before.”
While Kardashian counts this experience as one of her favorite fashion moments, read on to see her style evolution through the years.
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