Elizabeth Taylor Opens Her Jewelry Case for Barbara Walters

Sept. 27 -- Elizabeth Taylor says she can't remember a time when she wasn't famous. Famous for her acting, her illnesses, her friends, romances, husbands and divorces. Above all, for her incredible beauty that in image after image has always been accentuated by fabulous jewelry.

She's received countless honors throughout her career. England's Queen Elizabeth has dubbed her Dame Elizabeth, and in December, she will also be honored with the prestigious Kennedy Center lifetime achievement award. No longer a Hollywood leading lady, she has successfully transformed herself into a humanitarian and businesswoman. Using her iconic status, Taylor has raised millions of dollars for AIDS research. She's also made millions for herself selling her perfumes, like her popular, and aptly named fragrance, White Diamonds.

Taylor's latest venture is Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair With Jewelry, a book that celebrates her jewelry collection, considered by many to be among the finest in the world. As rich as Taylor's jewels are, so are the stories behind them.

Taylor says she sees jewels as an expression of "God's workmanship," and is fascinated by their perfection. "They're all from the ground. We didn't dye them. This red is from God," she said.

Extraordinary Loves and Jewels

It has taken Taylor a lifetime to amass her world-class collection. Her love affair with jewelry began as a child, when she bought a costume brooch for her mother. As she grew up, the men in her life fed her insatiable passion for jewels — especially her third husband, Mike Todd, a larger-than-life Hollywood producer whom she married in 1957.

A spectacular diamond and ruby necklace is among the extraordinary treasures Todd gave Taylor. "I'd never seen anything like that in my life. I probably never will again. He was so generous, and he just took such care of me. I felt so protected … and loved."

Todd also gave her an antique diamond tiara, which she wore to the 1956 Academy Awards. Tragically, 13 months into their marriage and after the birth of one daughter, Todd was killed when his plane, The Liz, crashed. Taylor recalls, "His legacy to me was love. He taught me what love really meant."