by Lynn Raye Harris, author of The Devil’s Heart (Harlequin Presents, April 2011)
I was saddened last week to hear of the death of Elizabeth Taylor. I always considered her to be one of the most beautiful and glamorous women in the world. She had true star quality – and beyond that, she seemed to be a genuinely good person. She did a lot for AIDS research, raising funds and tirelessly championing the cause since the mid-80s.
I know she had her moments where she wasn’t so beloved by the public – her marriages and divorces, the charges of stealing husbands and home wrecking, the grand passions played out on the world stage for everyone to see.
Everyone knows she was married eight times to seven men, but I think it’s the marriage (two, actually) to Richard Burton that is probably the most talked about. It was a stormy, passionate, glamorous, and ultimately destructive relationship. No Happy Ever Afters for Liz and Richard.
But there was some fabulous jewelry. Richard loved to buy rare jewels for his glamorous wife. He bought her the Krupp diamond in 1968, paying a whopping $305k for the 33.19-carat jewel. He bought her a heart shaped diamond known as the Taj Mahal for her 40th birthday. There is also the very famous Taylor-Burton diamond, a pear shaped rock that weighs 69.42 carats.
And then there is the La Peregrina pearl, a famous jewel with a 500-year history. It was a random article about this pearl that gave me the idea for the jewel in The Devil’s Heart. The pearl, whose name means The Wanderer, was part of the Spanish crown jewels. It also once belonged to a British monarch, and to a Bonaparte. It really has wandered the world.
La Peregrina
Though it was never actually lost, Elizabeth Taylor lost it for a few minutes one afternoon after Richard had given it to her. Apparently, it fell from the setting – and Elizabeth found one of her dogs chewing on it.
This got me to thinking: what if a famous jewel really did go missing? For years? And then turns up again quite unexpectedly in the possession of someone different than when it went missing?
Of course The Devil’s Heart isn’t just about a jewel – but it’s that jewel, El Corazon del Diablo (the Devil’s Heart), which sets off the events of the story.
A diamond, and a deal with the devil…
Francesca D’Oro was just eighteen when darkly sexy Marcos Navarre swept her up the aisle—then fled before the ink on the marriage license had dried. Marcos might have given Francesca a jewel for her finger, but he stole another: the Devil’s Heart—a dazzling yellow diamond he believed belonged to his family…
Years later Francesca, no longer so youthfully naïve, is determined to reclaim the precious gem! But she’s forgotten that Marcos lives up to the treasure’s name—and dealing with the devil is always dangerous!
Marcos and Francesca are stormy and passionate as they grapple over the diamond and their feelings for each other. Marcos wants justice, and Francesca wants to save a friend. She will do anything to achieve her goal, so when Marcos suggests they marry—again—she has no choice but to go through with it, even though she believes it will be the worst kind of torture.
And of course it is torture! But not for the reasons either of them expect. 
Unlike Burton and Taylor, Marcos and Francesca get their happy ending together. That’s why we love reading Presents, right?
They have all the passion, glamour, drama, and fire of all-consuming love – but without the sadness of people who can’t quite make it work. No matter what, love triumphs in the end.
*happy sigh*
That’s the real treasure at the heart of this story.
Tell me, what’s your favorite romantic moment with jewelry (or a gift special to you)? A special present? A proposal?
Hi Lynn,
Great post I just love the pics of the jewels so gorgeous !
My favorite jewel present is a ring I got from my dad , it is not a flash ring but it is really pretty and I am very close to my dad and I became even closer to him whilst he was working in Iraq as I only got to see him every few months so I learned to appreciate him even more !
I ll always remember when he gave me the ring and it will be forever special to me I never leave the house without it or the Iraqi bracelet he gave me one a visit home!
I cannot wait to read Devil’s heart is sound awesome and reminds me of Jewel of the Nile and Romancing the Stone which are two of my very favorite movies !
Congratz again on the success ,keep going !!!
Take Care
Desere
Elizabeth Taylor, now there was a true woman. I’ve no glamorous tale to tell of priceless jewels. It’s so exciting your book is out now – feels like ages ago since I read it – and it’s a good ‘un.
x Abby
I don’t know why I find glamorous jewels so intriguing, when I hardly wear any jewelry myself… But I do!
And I’ve been in love with the title of this book since I first heard it–can’t wait to read the story!
Hey, y’all! Sorry I’ve been absent all day. I had to go see the accountant – not fun, sigh.
Desere, what a great present! And what a special memory you have of your ring. I love that you can look at your ring and have such happy memories.
Abby, I agree — it seems forever the book was out in the UK, so it’s odd to think it’s just arriving here in NA. Thank you so much for the compliments, ma’am. And no flashy jewelry stories? Not even from the movies?
Caitlin — I’m with you! I love glamorous jewels but don’t wear a lot of jewelry. Though I’m starting to wear more lately. And thank you, I love the title too!
Lynn I read and loved The Devil’s Heart when it came out in the UK and like Caitlin, I love that title – it guaranteed I wanted to pick up the book.
Jewellery? I love antique jewellery – nothing like the flash and drama of anything that Liz Taylor used to wear but there are some beautiful pieces. Ihave a very special ring that my husband gave me for our 25th wedding anniversary – 3 diamonds, one for myself, my husband and our son – and it was made exactly 100 years before we married! But equally I love the small lucite (early acrylic) 1930s brooch he gave me for Valentine’s Day – it’s heart shaped and filled with multi-coloured flowed. It’s not the value that matters but the fact that he knew how much I’d liked it but the shop was shut – so he went back when it was open to buy it for me.
Hi, Kate! Thank you so much for the kind words about TDH! I’m honored that you read it.
That you enjoyed it is simply icing on the cake for me!
Oh what lovely memories with your jewelry! Your husband is a gem for knowing just what you like and going back to get it.
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Thanks for a great post Lynn !