Art Market: Up for sale

RICHARD Burton gave Elizabeth Taylor a dollars 150,000 ring by Bulgari while they were filming Cleopatra. 'I introduced her to beer and she introduced me to Bulgari,' he said. Andy Warhol haunted the Bulgaris' shop in Rome because he found it 'the best exhibition of contemporary art'. The Bulgaris have been making jewellery in Rome since 1879, exuberant, colourful jewellery taking its inspiration from Renaissance design, and they now have 32 shops worldwide.

On 17-18 February, Christie's is mounting an auction devoted exclusively to Bulgari jewels in St Moritz, the popular ski resort, where along with Sotheby's it holds jewel sales to attract rich skiers.

(Photograph omitted)