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6 prized fashion items in Kim Kardashian’s memorabilia collection, from Princess Diana’s pendant and Elizabeth Taylor’s bracelets, to Elvis Presley’s gold rings and Michael Jackson’s jacket and hat

Kim Kardashian’s celebrity’s memorabilia collection extends from Princess Diana’s amethyst pendant to Michael Jackson’s jacket. Photos: Getty Images; FilmMagic; @Glaziang/Twitter
Kim Kardashian, the Fashion Icon of the 2021 People’s Choice Awards, is known for her OTT style with lavish – and sometimes shocking – outfits. But it turns out that she also has a taste for iconic items worn by famous people.
Kim Kardashian attends the 2022 Met Gala in New York City in the famous Marilyn Monroe nude dress. Photo: Getty Images

The reality star-turned-trendsetter, 42, famously wore Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress to the Met Gala last year. Monroe wore it when she sang “Happy Birthday” to then-President John F. Kennedy in 1962 during a Madison Square Garden fundraiser.

Confessing her “obsession with auctions”, per British media, she also owns a costly celebrity’s memorabilia collection, reports British media. Most recently, on January 18, she splurged a whopping US$200,000 for a necklace of Princess Diana.

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1. Princess Diana’s Garrard Attallah Cross

Kim Kardashian attending the Vanity Fair Oscar Party held at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, US, in February 2020. Photo: Getty Images
The latest valuable piece in Kardashian’s collection is the iconic purple amethyst and diamond cross pendant worn by Princess Diana. It costs US$200,000, more than double its pre-auction estimate, according to UK-based auction house Sotheby’s.
Garrard’s Attallah Cross is about 14cm by 9cm in size. Photo: Sotheby’s

Dubbed the Attallah Cross, the necklace has a total diamond weight of around 5.25 carats and was created by the heritage luxury jeweller Garrard in the 1920s, who also crafted Diana’s engagement ring. The pendant was bought by the late businessman Naim Attallah CBE, the former group chief executive of Asprey & Garrard, who loaned it to his friend Princess Diana, per the same source.

Diana, Princess of Wales, arrives at a charity gala evening, wearing a purple evening dress with a gold and amethyst pendant in 1987. Photo: Getty Images

The late Princess of Wales famously wore the necklace at a London charity gala in October 1987, pairing it with a matching black and purple velvet Catherine Walker dress.

2. Elizabeth Taylor’s Lorraine Schwartz jade and diamond bracelets

Elizabeth Taylor poses in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, in 1961. Photo: Corbis

A confessed “huge Elizabeth Taylor nerd”, per Harper’s Bazaar, Kardashian didn’t hesitate to shell out US$65,000 to own some pieces of her idol’s jewellery at a Christie’s auction in 2011. Kardashian snapped up a set of three jade and diamond bracelets from Lorraine Schwartz that the Cleopatra actress wore almost every day, particularly in the latter part of her life, Forbes reported.

Three Lorraine Schwartz jade and diamond bangle bracelets. Photo: Christie’s

Bidding more than eight times higher than their original estimate of US$8,000, Kardashian said, “If you have a piece of jade, the energy goes into the piece and you absorb the energy. So I can feel Elizabeth in the piece.”

The jewellery auction of Taylor fetched US$116 million, more than double the record for a single collection, via Insider.

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3. Jacqueline Kennedy’s Cartier watch

Former first lady Jackie Kennedy. Photo: @hodinkee/Instagram

Kardashian wore a unique Cartier piece for her visit to the White House with former President Donald Trump to plead for clemency for Alice Marie Johnson in 2019, reported British media.

It was former first lady Jackie Kennedy’s Tank watch. Featuring a simple design – a 18k gold square face and black band – the timepiece was a gift from her brother-in-law Prince Stanislaw “Stas” Radziwill in 1963, per Insider. TMZ reported that the watch was engraved with “23 Feb, 1963”, just months before JFK was assassinated.
A signed Cartier Tank, manufactured in 1962, formerly belonging to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis on display at Christie’s in New York City, in June 2017. Photo: AFP

It was sold for almost US$380,000 at Christie’s in 2017 and the new owner used it as a “secret power” for important events. “I wore it when I went to the White House. It gave me some power. Let’s get in there and get this done!” Kardashian revealed to Vogue.

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4. Elvis Presley’s rings

Kourtney, Robert, Khloé, Kim and Rob Kardashian, back in the day. Photo: @kimkardashian/Instagram

But Kardashian splashes out on celebrity memorabilia not only for herself. She is also very generous with her family, especially those who share her interest. For Christmas 2019, she gave two rings from the late King of Rock ‘n’ Roll to her brother, Rob Kardashian, as she described on Instagram as “the biggest Elvis Presley fan”.

Elvis Presley’s gold and diamond ring. Photo: Live Auctioneers

British media reported that she bought both of them from auction house Julien’s at a total cost of US$15,000. The first was a 18k yellow gold ring set with four round diamonds, which was bought by Presley at Thunderbird Jewelers in Las Vegas.

Elvis Presley’s ruby ring. Photo: Julien’s Auctions

The second one was a 14k yellow gold ring with a cabochon ruby that Presley gave to his martial arts teacher Kang Rhee, according to Julien’s.

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5. Michael Jackson’s hat and jacket

Kim Kardashian and her daughter North West. Photo: @kimkardashian/Instagram
That same Christmas, Kardashian also pampered her first child, North West – who’s a big fan of Michael Jackson – with not only one but two lavish gifts from the late King of Pop. She revealed on her Instagram that she also won it at auction for over US$130,000, British media reported.
Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal hat. Photo: @TeamKanyeDaily/Twitter

One was the iconic white fedora that MJ wore in his “Smooth Criminal” music video with “his make up on it” for over US$65,000.

Kim Kardashian gifted Michael Jackson’s jacket to North West for Christmas. Photo: @Glaziang/Twitter

The other was the velvet jacket he wore to Elizabeth Taylor’s 65th birthday party in 1997, and again at a screening of his film Ghosts, for another US$65,000.

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6. Janet Jackson’s outfit

Kim Kardashian attends the TIAH 4th Annual Fundraiser in August 2022, in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Getty Images
Kardashian celebrated Janet Jackson’s 55th birthday in style. She shared an Instagram Story about how she bought the singer’s custom outfit from her 1993 music video “If”.

She wrote, “Happy birthday queen! For @janetjackson’s bday bc I’m such a fan I can’t believe I won this outfit on @juliens_auctions.” Jackson responded to Kardashian with, “Thank u so much @kimkardashian! I hope ‘IF’ gives u as much pleasure as it did me,” with kissing emojis.

Janet Jackson sold the outfit she wore in her music video to Kim Kardashian at an auction. Photo: @janetjackson/Instagram

According to the auction house, Jackson sold a halter-style crop top with white lacing on each side and a pair of black pants for US$25,000.

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  • Kardashian has an ‘obsession with auctions’ and her wardrobe is full of items worn by famous people, from Princess Diana’s amethyst pendant to Elizabeth Taylor’s jade and diamond bangle bracelets
  • The reality star-turned-fashion icon gifted her brother Rob Kardashian 2 of Elvis Presley’s gold rings and her daughter North the hat that Michael Jackson wore in his music video ‘Smooth Criminal’