Elizabeth Taylor’s legendary jewelry collection told the story of a heart that loved deeply and often. The Hollywood icon said yes to proposals ten times, walked down the aisle eight times, and accumulated enough diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds to rival royal vaults. Her romantic history sparkled nearly as brightly as the precious gems that adorned her fingers.
While many women treasure their engagement ring as their most prized piece, Taylor’s betrothal bands were sometimes understated compared to the spectacular jewels she acquired during her marriages. The million-dollar Taylor-Burton diamond, for instance, came five years into her marriage to Richard Burton—no proposal required.
Here’s a look at every ring that marked a promise in Taylor’s extraordinary love life.
William Pawley Jr. (1949)
Taylor’s first engagement came at just seventeen to William Pawley Jr., whose father served as a U.S. ambassador. A cushion-cut diamond marked the beginning of what would become one of Hollywood’s most famous jewelry collections. The engagement ultimately didn’t last, but Taylor’s taste for fine stones was established.
Conrad Hilton (1950)
The hotel dynasty heir presented eighteen-year-old Taylor with a four-carat diamond set in platinum. Their wedding at Beverly Hills’ Church of the Good Shepherd was bankrolled by MGM Studios in May 1950. The marriage collapsed within eight months.
Michael Wilding (1952)
British actor Michael Wilding, two decades Taylor’s senior, proposed with a sapphire ring surrounded by diamonds. They married at London’s Caxton Hall and had two sons together. Taylor later reflected that she’d been drawn to Wilding for his stability and friendship, though she admitted to being perhaps too young and too controlling. Their contrasting career trajectories—hers ascending, his declining—contributed to their 1956 divorce.
Mike Todd (1957)
Film producer Mike Todd gave twenty-four-year-old Taylor what she affectionately dubbed her “ice skating rink”—a massive emerald-cut diamond. Since she was still technically married to Wilding, Taylor initially claimed it was merely a friendship token. Todd cheerfully contradicted her, and they wed in Mexico shortly after her divorce finalized.
Their union lasted barely a year before Todd died in a plane crash in March 1958, leaving Taylor widowed with their infant daughter. She continued wearing Todd’s ring for years afterward, along with the considerable jewelry he’d given her: Cartier ruby and diamond pieces, a diamond tiara, repurposed diamond earrings, and a modest diamond heart pendant visible in her film “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”
Eddie Fisher (1959)
Taylor married Eddie Fisher—both Todd’s close friend and Debbie Reynolds’ husband—in May 1959. Still wearing Todd’s ring regularly, she received a bracelet featuring fifty diamonds instead of a traditional engagement ring. Taylor converted to Judaism before the wedding, though she insisted the decision stemmed from spiritual needs rather than Fisher’s influence. The marriage lasted until she began filming “Cleopatra” in 1962 and met Richard Burton on set.
Richard Burton (First Marriage: 1964, Second: 1975)
Despite marrying the Welsh actor twice, Taylor never received an engagement ring from Burton. For their first wedding, he presented her with an emerald Bulgari brooch that she pinned to her marigold dress. Burton’s gift-giving philosophy, as Taylor later wrote, was spontaneous and romantic—jewelry appeared for no reason beyond beautiful weather or an invitation to walk.
Their marriage brought spectacular acquisitions: a Bulgari necklace with a thirty-two-carat Burmese sapphire pendant, the Krupp diamond (purchased for over $300,000 in 1968), and most famously, the million-dollar stone later renamed the Taylor-Burton diamond.
John Warner (1976)
Republican politician John Warner proposed with a ring combining rubies, emeralds, and diamonds. Their 1976 wedding at Warner’s Virginia estate was relatively subdued—Taylor wore lavender grey with a turban and silver fox fur. After Warner won his Senate seat, Taylor found political wife duties stifling. They divorced in 1982.
Victor Luna (1983)
Mexican attorney Victor Luna gave Taylor a sixteen-carat sapphire ring when he proposed in 1983. They called off the engagement the following August, with Taylor’s publicist noting they’d remain close friends. The cancellation came shortly after Richard Burton’s death, though representatives insisted the timing was coincidental.
Dennis Stein (1984-1985)
Following a whirlwind two-month courtship, businessman Dennis Stein became Taylor’s ninth fiancé with a sapphire and diamond ring in late 1984. By February 1985, they’d called it off, though sources reported they maintained a friendly relationship.
Larry Fortensky (1988)
Taylor’s final engagement ring was a simple pavé diamond band from construction worker Larry Fortensky, whom she met during rehabilitation at the Betty Ford Center. Their October 1991 wedding at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch reportedly cost Taylor $2 million, though they sold photo rights to People magazine for $1 million—proceeds that founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. They divorced five years later but stayed friends until Taylor’s death in 2011.
Each ring represented not just a romantic promise, but a chapter in Hollywood’s most glittering love story—one that proved Taylor’s appetite for both romance and remarkable jewels was truly insatiable.
