Women have been given jewels as tokens of love since the Stone Age.
The precious stones with which Cleopatra dazzled Mark Antony must still exist, somewhere, today, and every few years one of the Duchess of Windsor’s jewels comes to auction, a sparkling reminder of a love that rocked the world.
Throughout history, jewels have served as symbols of legendary romances. Elizabeth Taylor’s passionate love affairs (with both men and diamonds) resulted in her vast collection of jewels, the most lavish of which was famously gifted by Richard Burton, the man she would marry not once, but twice.
Now, one of his gifts, a gold, diamond and emerald Barquerolles Lion necklace, will form the centrepiece of a new Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition opening next week in Milan.
