Elizabeth Taylor

Today is the 50th anniversary of Cleopatra, and what better way to pay homage to the film than with a book about the stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's real-life relationship? Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century follows the famous pair's relational ups and downs, but it's just one of the many books that are inspired by real-life love. Get romantically inspired with some of the most famous love stories in history. It doesn't matter if you're single or coupled up, no one can resist a juicy story of passion, glamour, and tragedy — especially if it's true! So here are some of the books we recommend you dive into to learn more about history's most fascinating love stories.

There was no tribute more fitting for the 50th anniversary viewing of Cleopatra — and to the film's stars, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton — than Jessica Chastain wearing one of Taylor's Bulgari necklaces at the Cannes premiere. It was a gift given to Taylor by Burton on her 40th birthday, in 1972.

The sapphire-and-diamond sautoir (with a 65-carat center stone) is part of an eight-piece collection that the jewelry house bought back from Taylor's 2011 Christie's auction, and these pieces have rarely been loaned to celebrities. "I feel so lucky to be wearing them. They looked so fabulous on her and she was a movie star from her head to her toes," said Chastain. "That kind of glamorous star doesn't exist anymore but their diamonds do."

An all-angles look at the stunning Bulgari necklace, here in the gallery.

Elizabeth Taylor's birthday is today, Feb. 27, and the actress would have been 81. Following her passing in 2011, Liz's son Michael Wilding said that his "mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love."

Liz Taylor's musings on love and life reveal this legacy of passion and humor. To honor the icon, we've gathered some of the most revealing and entertaining quotes from a woman whose affairs and seven husbands captured the attention of Americans for decades. As her son eloquently stated, "Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts." Read her quotes now.

"I don't pretend to be an ordinary housewife," Elizabeth Taylor once confessed, and her seven husbands certainly didn't treat her like one. Over the years they showered her with jewels, which became some of her most prized possessions. After presenting a public exhibition, Christie's has just auctioned off Elizabeth Taylor's jewels for a record-breaking $115 million. Many of the pieces sold were given to her by her twice-husband Richard Burton — including the infamous "Elizabeth Taylor Diamond."

While she's remembered for her acting, men, and charity work, Elizabeth Taylor will always be associated with diamonds and opulent jewels. Let's take a look at some of the jewels in her collection and the love stories behind them.

In collaboration with the Kobal Collection and the Film Society Lincoln Center, New York's Big Eye Gallery is running an exhibition, titled The Golden Age, showcasing rarely seen photographs of Elizabeth Taylor. The photos of the iconic actress were taken by leading Hollywood photographers, including Virgil Apger, Floyd McCarty, Clarence Sinclair Bull, Bob Coburn, and Bob Penn. If you're in Manhattan, you can visit the exhibit at the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery through June 9. And if not, you're still in luck! Big Eye Gallery is making a limited edition of prints available to the public for purchase, and they can be ordered framed or unframed. I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you. Come take a look!