3 min readNew DelhiJan 30, 2026 06:07 PM IST
At the Los Angeles premiere of Wuthering Heights, Margot Robbie brought a piece of history to the global spotlight: Elizabeth Taylor’s iconic Taj Mahal diamond necklace. The historic jewel, valued at around ₹74 crore (roughly aka $8.8 million), was a gift from her fifth husband, Richard Burton, to Taylor on her 40th birthday, during a Budapest getaway in 1972.
Styled by Andrew Mukamal, Robbie looked like a dream in a custom Schiaparelli gown, a lace-structured strapless corset fitted over a flowing petal skirt fading from onyx to red. The look struck the perfect balance between Old Hollywood glamour and modern luxury, but the iconic necklace did all the talking.
Margot Robbie at the LA premiere of Wuthering Heights. (Source: Instagram/@palacecinemas)Decoding its history
According to the official Elizabeth Taylor archive website, the pendant is set on a gold and ruby Cartier chain, and its surface bears an inscription in Parsee that reads, “Love is Everlasting,” along with the name of Nur Jahan, the first woman to receive the jewel as a gift from her husband, Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahangir.
“The diamond was then passed down to their son, Shah Jahan, who gifted it to his most adored wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Four years later, when she died, the emperor commissioned the iconic Taj Mahal mausoleum as a tribute to her. The monument inspired the naming of the diamond, which found its way to Elizabeth and Richard,” read the website.
Talking to Access Hollywood, Robbie spoke about the jewel and why she chose to wear it to the premiere, “It’s the Taj Mahal diamond that Richard Burton gave to her, and I know there’s something kind of Cathy and Heathcliff about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in my mind. So it’s quite appropriate.”
She further added, “It’s crazy, and it’s like a heart. I remember when I first spoke to my stylist about what I was going to wear tonight, and he said, ‘I feel like you should be wearing like the equivalent of the heart of the ocean’, and this feels quite equivalent to the heart of the ocean. The history of the necklace is amazing,” she said, adding, “Like the woman who’s in the Taj Mahal, essentially buried in a grave, the diamond was originally hers. It’s got a lot of romantic history.”
Mukamal selected the Cartier Taj Mahal necklace and a dramatic red cape, worn by Elizabeth in the 1967 adaptation of “The Taming of the Shrew,” to complement Robbie’s gown, completing a look that evoked both passion and drama. The necklace is currently part of the Elizabeth Taylor Archive and, with roots in several other love stories, is a perfectly symbolic choice for the celebration of the eternal tale of the fictional characters Catherine and Heathcliff, the leads of Wuthering Heights.
