THE NEW YORK SALES SERIES DEVOTED TO THE COLLECTION OF
ELIZABETH TAYLOR ACHIEVES $156.8 MILLION / €120.7 MILLION
MOST VALUABLE SALE OF JEWELRY IN AUCTION HISTORY
MOST VALUABLE PRIVATE COLLECTION OF FASHION EVER SOLD AT AUCTION
CHRISTIE’S FIRST EVER ONLINE-ONLY AUCTION – CONDUCTED IN PARALLEL TO LIVE AUCTIONS – FETCHES OVER $9.5 MILLION
26 ITEMS SELL FOR OVER $1 MILLION; 6 ITEMS FOR OVER $5 MILLION
New York – The landmark auctions of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor at Christie’s New York from December 3-17 realized a combined total of $156,756,576 (£100,324,209/ €120,702,563) with every single item sold. The sale drew unprecedented interest from bidders throughout the world, with 36 different countries represented during the four days of live auctions. Christie’s flagship Rockefeller Center saleroom was abuzz with people competing in person, on the phone, on-line and by absentee bid to win one of the Collection’s 1,778 lots of jewelry, fashion, decorative
arts and film memorabilia. The total far exceeded Christie’s pre-sale
expectations for the sale as a whole and for individual items, which were
frequently hammered down for five, ten, or even 50 times their estimate.
Steven P. Murphy, Chief Executive Officer, Christie’s International, commented, “The exhibition and sales of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor in New York have been the crowning achievement to a very strong year at Christie’s. The success of these sales, with bidders participating from all over the world, demonstrated not only a recognition of
the taste and style of Miss Taylor, but also the convening power of
Christie’s.”
This historic sale set a world record for the most valuable sale of jewelry in auction history, and set a new bar for the most valuable collection of fashion ever offered at auction. It also marked the company’s first-ever Online-Only sale, which ran in parallel to the live auctions at Christie’s New York and generated over 57,000 bids and $9.5 million in additional sales. In total, 26 items sold for over the $1 million mark, and
numerous new world auction records were achieved – a testament to Miss Taylor’s
expert eye for craftsmanship, rarity, and quality in all of the items she chose
for her personal collection.
During this four-day event that captured headlines worldwide, record numbers of
auction attendees were exposed to the Christie’s International Real Estate Bespoke
Marketing Program through the prominent exhibit of property brochures on
display in the lobby.
New York – The landmark auctions of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor at Christie’s New York from December 3-17 realized a combined total of $156,756,576 (£100,324,209/ €120,702,563) with every single item sold. The sale drew unprecedented interest from bidders throughout the world, with 36 different countries represented during the four days of live auctions. Christie’s flagship Rockefeller Center saleroom was abuzz with people competing in person, on the phone, on-line and by absentee bid to win one of the Collection’s 1,778 lots of jewelry, fashion, decorative arts and film memorabilia. The total far exceeded Christie’s pre-sale expectations for the sale as a whole and for individual items, which were frequently hammered down for five, ten, or even 50 times their estimate.
Steven P. Murphy, Chief Executive Officer, Christie’s International, commented, “The exhibition and sales of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor in New York have been the crowning achievement to a very strong year at Christie’s. The success of these sales, with bidders participating from all over the world, demonstrated not only a recognition of the taste and style of Miss Taylor, but also the convening power of Christie’s.”
This historic sale set a world record for the most valuable sale of jewelry in auction history, and set a new bar for the most valuable collection of fashion ever offered at auction. It also marked the company’s first-ever Online-Only sale, which ran in parallel to the live auctions at Christie’s New York and generated over 57,000 bids and $9.5 million in additional sales. In total, 26 items sold for over the $1 million mark, and numerous new world auction records were achieved – a testament to Miss Taylor’s expert eye for craftsmanship, rarity, and quality in all of the items she chose for her personal collection.
During this four-day event that captured headlines worldwide, record numbers of auction attendees were exposed to the Christie’s International Real Estate Bespoke Marketing Program through the prominent exhibit of property brochures on display in the lobby.
