Taylor Swift’s latest vintage jewelry moment came with a direct link to Elizabeth Taylor.
Swift wore a $125,000 opal jewelry suite on May 16 while attending a wedding event with Travis Kelce at Honey’s in Brooklyn, according to People.
The set included chandelier earrings, a ring and a bracelet made with 22K yellow gold, black opals and natural Australian crystal opals. The suite was designed by Darlene De Sedle in 1999 and once belonged to Taylor.
The actress discovered the original opal herself during a shopping trip in West Hollywood.
Elizabeth Taylor Found the Opal Herself
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People reported that Taylor’s longtime executive assistant, Tim Mendelson, said the actress found the opal at Crystalarium in West Hollywood in 1999.
“She liked opals anyway, but what she found so intriguing about this one is that it formed in a clam and retained the shape,” Mendelson told People.
The earrings, bracelet and ring later became part of Taylor’s personal collection before they were sold after her death.
Taylor Wore the Jewels to a Charity Event
Taylor wore the opal suite to the Project Angel Food Angel Award ceremony in Los Angeles in 1999. People reported that the event honored her HIV/AIDS advocacy and charity work.
She paired the earrings, ring and bracelet with a separate opal necklace that was not sold with the later suite. According to People, Taylor’s estate said the necklace began with a starfish given to her by one of her grandchildren.
Mendelson said Taylor placed the starfish with the opal against an 18K gold chain by Ilias Lalaounis, and jeweler David Webb later created the finished diamond-and-opal starfish pendant.
The Suite Later Sold for $125,000
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Vogue reported that the Darlene De Sedle suite first sold at Christie’s in 2011 for about $6,000 as part of Taylor’s estate sale. The auction totaled $156.7 million.
The jewelry later resurfaced on 1stDibs and sold for $125,000. People reported that the buyer was a sports agent in late 2025, which led fans and jewelry watchers to believe the set may have been purchased by Kelce as a gift for Swift.
Swift and Kelce have not publicly confirmed who bought the jewelry. People reported that jewelry dealer Adam Fox said the sale came through a sports agent and that the purchase seemed intentional after he saw Swift wearing the pieces.
The Elizabeth Taylor Link Fits Swift’s Recent Music Era
Swift has spoken publicly about her admiration for Taylor. In a New York Times Magazine profile cited by People, Swift said she explained to Kelce why she loved Taylor, including the actress’ fight for artists’ rights and the way she kept her humor and passion for life.
Vogue reported that Swift’s 2026 “Elizabeth Taylor” music video includes footage from Taylor’s films, including Father of the Bride, Giant, Cleopatra and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
The same Vogue report noted that the video also features pieces from Taylor’s jewelry archive, including the Krupp diamond, a 19th-century diamond tiara and a Cartier ruby suite.