By Michele Leight for www.ashraya-ny.org

December 1, 2011, World AIDS Day, New York City - The great director George Cukor told Elizabeth Taylor that she had "that rarest of virtues - simple kindness." Glamorous and gorgeous as Liz was, this quality shone through, like one the sparkling diamonds she loved to wear and own. It is somehow appropriate that I shall be going to see The Elizabeth Taylor Collection at Christie's in New York on December 1, 2011, World AIDS Day, a red letter day on my calendar, no matter what else is going on. Stay tuned for highlights...)(Please scroll down for a sneak peek at some of the gorgeous jewels, fashions, memorabilia and collectibles at the Exhibition, viewed and photographed on World AIDS Day, December 1)

Like many people, I knew a lot about Elizabeth Taylor, but not much about her AIDS advocacy till a lifelong friend - who also happens to be a movie star - made me aware of it. Like Liz, she is also a world-class social activist. Using star power - and media - to help spread awareness for issues and causes that needed high-lighting is pretty brilliant. I have learned a lot about many things through that particular friend and activist! Some of the things I have learned from her are fun things, some are terribly serious things. A few photographs she handed me in India as I was about to board a plane for New York changed my life. They depicted a an impoverished woman with AIDS who could not afford medications to treat the disease, which ravaged her. Those photographs were the inspiration for this web site. That friend knew who to give those photos to.

That friend holds Elizabeth Taylor in the highest regard - as an actress and and activist, but most of all as a humane being.

Elizabeth Taylor managed to have enormous fun, she was a legendary actress, and she indulged in all the fantastic things that the money she made could buy - evidenced by this spectacular collection. She was also a really tough fighter when it came to championing the rights of her friends with AIDS in those frightening early years when not much was known about the disease. The first generation confronted by a virus for which there is still no cure, but which can be prevented and managed with proper care and anti-retroviral medications.

In 1985, Liz Taylor became one of the Co-Founders of amfAR (American Foundation for AIDS Research) with Dr. Michael Gottlieb and Dr. Mathilde Krim, the same year that her dear friend and former co-star Rock Hudson died after making a very public announcement that he had AIDS. Dr. Krim was married to Arthur Krim, head of United Artists, a lawyer, and advisor to Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.

In 1993 Taylor founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF), to help support people living with HIV/AIDS. The foundation survives her, and if you would like to support her foundation, or make a donation in tribute to her, please visit www.elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org

What superb films Liz Taylor starred in, like National Velvet, although she had made films even earlier than that. "National Velvet" has become a classic, enjoyed by several generations since it was that first exciting blockbuster hit for a child actress who has now become a household word. Liz loved this film.

The arts were prized in Elizabeth Taylor's family. Her father was a successful art dealer, her mother had been in the theatre, and there was a family member who was a huge fan of theatre. A healthy set of role models for a creative young girl with a lot of soul.

High brow and low brow were equally important to Elizabeth Taylor. She loved her diamonds, for sure, but there is a sweet little inexpensive hummingbird pin in The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor that also had a place in her affections (illustrated below, courtesy of Christie's). Other items in this collection that will soon go on sale represent iconic moments in film history - like the Nolan Miller evening gown Liz wore to the 42nd Annual Golden Globes ceremony in Beverly Hills in 1985, where she received the Cecil B. de Mille Award for her Outstanding Contribution to the Entertainment Field. The estimate for this gown is $800-1,500. There will be collectibles in all price ranges available for purchase online, or at one of the sales dedicated to The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor at Christie's.

Liz Taylor absolutely loved precious gems and jewelry. Richard Burton alone - she had many husbands - gave her two fabulous diamonds. One was 69 carats, and Liz Taylor thought she was worth every carat - and she was. Movie stars are so wonderful. Andy Warhol's "Silver Liz"are outstanding. Warhol recognized icons when he saw them and he certainly captured the star dust, the magical quality Liz had, almost childlike at times, despite her fame and success.

Now, there is a very tangible reminder of an exceptional woman and the life she lived, made visible in the collection of everything from art and furniture to jewelry and gorgeous clothes and accessories. After traveling the globe, The Elizabeth Taylor Collection has come home to Christie's flagship auction rooms in New York just in time for the Holidays - to a location that is a top tourist destination at this time of year, Rockefeller Plaza. Outside, there is the magnificent tree, the lights, the flags, Holiday decorations and excited tourists - inside there are Liz's magnificent jewels, and many other delights that offer insights into an extraordinary life and career that spanned decades. Elizabeth Taylor passed away in March, 2011.

In nations with many people living with HIV/AIDS without support, Liz Taylor is regarded as a goddess - not just because of her beauty and star status, but because of how she championed people like themselves in America before it became the accepted norm to treat people living with HIV/AIDS the same way as anyone with any disease. They also like that Liz was such a good friend to Rock Hudson, and to any friend in need of support. Those that are marginalized need friends like her.

In 1992 Liz Taylor received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award - a coveted and special Academy Award - for her HIV/AIDS humanitarian advocacy. In referencing the woman and her AIDS advocacy, former President Bill Clinton said:

"Elizabeth's legacy will live on in many people around the world whose lives will be longer and better because of her work and the ongoing efforts of those she inspired."

Inspiration goes a long way, especially when people like Liz inspire it.

I watched "National Velvet" the other day. It never ceases to amaze me how great an actress Liz Taylor was, even at that tender age. It was as if she was not even acting. She loved this film - and called it "exciting."

And then there is the beauty, the peaches and cream complexion, the double eyelashes, those sapphire eyes that reflected a soul as pure and gentle as anyone could imagine. She was a beauty - inside and out. But Liz was also a fighter, a tigress, for what she believed in. She remains an inspiration to so many people across the world that have benefitted from her courage and determination to take down barriers that exclude and marginalize people.

One of the most beloved and recognized actresses of the silver screen - globally - Elizabeth Taylor's passing marks the end of an era. Her brand of Hollywood glamour and stardust will never pass this way again. Taylor achieved so much in her films, her humanitarian work, through her prodigious talent and the force of her personality. Her light shines on, brighter even than the diamonds she adored. They were trophies and gifts of a life lived to its fullest, her way.

An extravaganza of Elizabeth Taylor's art, artifacts, memorabilia, jewelry, furniture and fashion befitting a queen of the silver screen. Hours and dates are included below. Stay tuned for highlights of the Collection of Elizabeth Taylor....

For more information about the series of sales of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor please visit www.christies.com

With a sense of anticipation that can only be described as childlike, I entered Christie's flagship in Rockefeller Plaza to see The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor, and was just in time to hear Mark Porter's, (Chairman, Christie's Americas), remarks about the extraordinary woman whose Collection has been the focus of a great deal of attention across the globe.

Mr. Porter was sporting a red AIDS ribbon, in support of World AIDS Day - December 1. Christie's thoughtfully provided the now universally recognized AIDS ribbons to anyone attending the preview that wished to wear one. Across the city, many people did wear the little red ribbons, which was good to see. Mark Porter remarked that Liz Taylors legacy means much more to Christie's than just the sale, referenced her talent as an actress, and particularly her devotion to humanitarian causes, notably her support for people living with HIV/AIDS.

The exhibition is reminiscent of my favorite Costume Institute shows at The Met, and of one of my favorite haunts at any time - the costume galleries of The Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, London. It is easy now to understand why the exhibition of Liz Taylor's collection has caused a sensation in the countries it has visited - and simultaneously raised awareness for her support of AIDS advocacy. While we take it for granted that this amazing country fully supports measures to help people living with the disease that has killed 30 million people since it emerged in the 80s, Christie's honoring Elizabeth Taylor with a traveling exhibition of her Collection will have far reaching, and meaningful impact for those less fortunate in other nations. One can only imagine their sense of hope when such a glamorous, rich and talented woman is shown to have compassion for people like them.

Liz is beloved in New York. The cab driver that transported me to another event after the preview said "I love her, she was a good woman" when I told him I had just seen The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor. He grew curious when saw Liz's photograph on a folder I was carrying, which unleashed a torrent of emotion and heartfelt gratitude in a man that lives in Harlem, a community that has felt the ravages of HIV/AIDS - and continues to do so. I told him he could see the exhibition for $30.

"Really," he said, wide-eyed, incredulous. I also told him the proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. That brought forth a gigantic smile.

The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor was everything I could have hoped for. After all the talk about the big diamonds, it was wonderful to see such beautifully designed works of art by some of the most legendary names in jewelry couture: Cartier, Van Clef and Arpels, Schlumberger, Bulgari, and many more. Some have hisoric significance, like "La Peregrina," a necklace that includes a pearl from which it derives its name that once belonged to Phillip II of Spain, illustrated above.

The most romantic story of the entire collection is that of "The Taj Mahal Necklace" - which was recounted at the preview by Rahoul Kadakia, Head of Department, Jewelry, Christie's. This exquisite necklace incorporates an engraved diamond originally given to Mumtaz Mahal by her husband Shah Jehan, the famous Mughal emperor that built the Taj Mahal as a tomb in her memory. This diamond pendant was incorporated into a necklace custom designed by Cartier, and given to Liz Taylor by her husband, Richard Burton. Of her seven husbands, Mike Todd (a movie producer who died tragically in a plane crash) and Richard Burton, her co-star in many movies, were the great loves of her life. Richard Burton gave her an enormous number of gifts as a token of his love, evident in this Collection and sale.

The fashions and accessories are beautifully curated by Meredith Etherington Smith, and include gowns worn to Academy Award ceremonies, masquerade balls, and important galas, as well as fun Pucci dresses and ladylike Chanel suits. There are some very flashy sequinned ensembles that scream "80s" that are strident yet fun - especially today when most people think of adventurous dressing as wearing any color besides regulation black. Liz Taylor could pull anything off, even these gutsy, Elvis and Liberace-type outfits that only seem to belong on stage or screen. Think "Talledega Nights" on steroids.

"The Taj Mahal Necklace" and much more from The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor will be illustrated in a dedicated review in the "Style" section of The City Review (www.thecityreview.com), which pays tribute to style icons that have influenced more than fashion. These include Jackqueline Kennedy and Alexander McQueen, among others. Please stay tuned...

Meanwhile, visit the exhibition, take the kids....the gems and stories surrounding them will fascinate them....this is the perfect show for the Holidays...

Sunday December 4th, 2011, New York City - The lines for "The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor" were long in Rockefeller Plaza. Gil Perez, Christie's legendary doorman of decades, said his voice was hoarse from answering the questions of the public who were eager to gain entry to the show. Beautiful photographs of the legendary goddess of the silver screen were visible in Christie's windows. The atmosphere was electrifying, with crowds of tourists visiting Rockefeller Plaza. Some stopped in their tracks when they saw the photos of Liz. It was wonderful. What a fine venue this is for such a spectacular exhibition.

Mark Porter, Chairman, Christie's Americas, was very much in evidence, making sure things were running smoothly. This exhibition has been a collosal undertaking for the auction house, and the show has been a sell-out extravaganza in all the cities it has visited. Now the stage is set for the exhibition and sale in New York - just in time for the Holidays.

The upcoming sale is being described as "the sale of the century" by many. There may never be a sale that will include jewelry with such romantic and fascinating stories attached to them as this. The tree, the ice skating rink, the holiday lights and decorations add to the sense of anticipation.

Meanwhile, for ten days, the public has the opportunity to see the exhibition of "The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor."

Christie’s announced ticket purchase information for the 10-day public exhibition of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor at Christie’s flagship Rockefeller Plaza location. The New York exhibition will be the most expansive presentation of the Collection thus far, including selections from all of the major categories – jewels, fashion, fine art, film memorabilia and costumes, and decorative items. The exhibition includes a video tribute to Elizabeth Taylor’s life and legacy, and five richly illustrated catalogues of her collections and other commemorative publications will be available for purchase both online and on-site. Tickets are on sale now for $30. Please visit www.christies.com/elizabethtaylorviews

For information about the evening and day sales of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor, please visit www.christies.com

Through a special engagement with the luxury fashion retailer, Moda Operandi, Christie’s will offer prospective shoppers a sneak peek at a selection of highlights from the online-only sale starting November 14 at shop.modaoperandi.com/ElizabethTaylor. Beginning November 18 the full complement of online-only lots will be available for viewing at Christie’s website at www.christies.com/etonlineonly. Starting December 3, interested bidders will be able to register online and begin placing bids for the lots of their choice in a timed auction that will run concurrent with the public exhibition and live auctions of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor at Christie’s New York. For easy navigation, the online-only sale is divided into four categories – Fine Jewelry, Fashion & Accessories, Costume Jewelry, and Decorative Arts and Memorabilia. (See complete schedule of sale close dates – the last day upon which bidding will be permitted - at www.christies.com