Winking behind the glass at Bulgari’s flagship store in New Bond Street are the very best pieces from Dame Elizabeth Taylor’s private collection.

No one did jewellery quite like the late actress, her vivacious character, romances and lifestyle reflected in her vast collection of emeralds, diamonds and sapphires.

For the first time the seven exquisite pieces have come together for a collection that sparkles more than the evening star.

Among the prize pieces is a decadent emerald and diamond broach, which Taylor wore at her wedding to Cleopatra co-star Richard Burton in 1964.

Burton, who once quipped, “the only word Liz knows in Italian is Bulgari” later transformed the broach into a necklace for the centrepiece of the collection.

But Taylor wasn’t a woman to wait for someone else to buy her jewellery, much of her collection came from her own purse, perhaps subscribing to another icon’s theory that “diamonds are a girl’s best friend.”

Nestled in between the jewels in the glittering store, perhaps the most beautiful piece of all is a handwritten message from Taylor to the buyer of her engagement ring she received from Burton in 1962. In the note she writes: ‘Wear it with love.’ - in 2002 she auctioned off the piece to raise money for her Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

The exhibition, which runs until July 17, is everything you associate Taylor to be: glamorous, classic and powerful.

The added bonus of seeing four of Taylor’s costumes from the film ‘Cleopatra’ on display at the store enhanced the exhibition’s experience. From the wigs to the waist synching gowns, the costumes brought Hollywood to a rainy London afternoon.

And for someone with such impeccable taste, you could just imagine Taylor, dripping with jewels, escaping to the exclusive Bulgari hotel in Knightsbridge for the night. Which is presumably why they are offering a*** package, so you can combine the two.

On the edge of Hyde Park and minutes away from iconic landmarks such as Harrod’s department store, the hotel is the definition of refined taste.

The elegant contemporary architecture and Bulgari’s legendary flair for design are matched by the top class quality of service at the hotel.

Designed by Antonio Citterio and Partners, also responsible for Bulgari Milan and Bulgari Bali, the granite grey lobby is deliberately pared down to resemble a ‘des res’ rather than a grand hotel.

Spread across two subterranean storeys it’s glamorous, masculine and obviously Italian, with swathes of sandblasted Vicenza stone and bottle green onyx marble.

Every little detail is catered for from a newspaper bag carrying your selected The Times or The Telegraph in the morning to shoe horns for your Burberry loafers.

Long gone are the days of having to put a cardboard sign on the door handle if you do not want to be disturbed – now you just need to press a button.

It is not surprising that many sporting and film stars take refuge in the swathes of marble and polished mahogany panels here, because everything is of a beautiful quality from the spacious room with a bed big enough for at least four people, to the silver Bulgari chatelaine - a motif from a brooch made by Sotirio Bulgari in the 19th Century, the mini bar, which has been designed to look like a travel trunk and a high-tech lighting system.

Upon return from our evening out you we were greeted with a turned down bed, slippers at the foot and a small box of chocolates – you really do not have to lift a finger.

Breakfast in the morning in the fine dining restaurant, was as impressive, with impeccable service and a full English. The staff’s pleasant and relaxed manner took away the stiffness you sometimes feel when you are waited on hand and foot.

As we packed our bags and headed for the reception, sadly unable to visit the amazing on-site pool, having run out of time, we were sent off with warm handshakes and smiles and the hope we would be back soon.

As a first Bulgari experience it was impeccable.

FACT FILE:

- Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge was opened in 2012

- 85 luxury rooms

- 25 metre three lane pool which only hotel guests and members can use

- 47 seat private screening room

- Cigar shop and sampling lounge

- 11 spa treatment rooms