What's also really special about these love gifts is that most of them were given as a truly romantic gesture, not as a form of wedding dowry that's commonplace today. Read on for our list of some of the most well-known women in the world and their exquisite and equally famous love jewellery.

Elizabeth Taylor

A well-known jewellery lover and collector, Elizabeth Taylor has a sensational stash of love jewels from her various husbands. The most lavish and prominent ones were gifted by Hollywood actor Richard Burton, her sixth husband whom she married twice. They include the 33.19-carat Krupp Diamond (renamed the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond after her death) purchased in 1968; the 69.42-carat Taylor-Burton Diamond bought in 1969; a Cartier necklace featuring the Taj Mahal Diamond; a stunning Bulgari emerald and diamond suite; and a Cartier diamond necklace with a historic 203-grain pear-shaped pearl called La Peregrina as its centrepiece.

While famous for her large pieces, the star also amassed plenty of relatively smaller but equally amazing gifts she was known to love and wear often. The notable ones include the Night of the Iguana brooch by Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. from Burton; an antique diamond tiara, and a Cartier ruby and diamond suite from her third husband Mike Todd; and a set of three diamond solitaires called the Ping Pong Diamond rings from Burton after she won a game of ping-pong in 1970.

Wallis Simpson

The story behind the collection of Wallis Simpson, later known as the Duchess of Windsor, is the stuff of legends. An American divorcee who bewitched Edward VIII, heir to the British empire, that he would abdicate his throne in 1936 to marry her, Simpson was the recipient of many bejewelled items. Some were the greatest masterpieces ever made by Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, while many were inscribed with heartfelt messages of the moments the couple shared together.

Among them was the Prince of Wales diamond brooch, which features three joined ostrich plumes that are not just an emblem of the Prince of Wales, but would be a symbol of one of the greatest romances of the 20^th century – as Edward had commissioned it in 1935 already with the intention of making the twice-married commoner his future bride. He also lavished on her several signature Great Cats pieces made by Cartier, including a diamond and sapphire panther pin in 1949, and the famous panther bracelet in 1952.

There is also a famous Cartier chain bracelet set with diamonds links and nine Latin crosses set with sapphires, emeralds, rubies and diamonds. Each of the crosses' backs was inscribed and dated to mark a different occasion or sentiment, including Wallis' marriage to Edward.

Maria Feodorovna

While it's a long-held Russian royal custom to gift coloured eggs to each other during Easter, Tsar Alexander III was the first to begin the tradition of the Imperial Fabergé egg. In 1885, he commissioned jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé to make a jewelled Hen Egg for his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their betrothal.

The egg was crafted from gold and coated with opaque white enamel to resemble egg shell, and it opened to reveal its first surprise, a matte yellow gold yolk. The yolk opened to reveal a multi-colored gold hen that contained a small gold and diamond replica of the imperial crown from which a small ruby pendant was suspended. The Empress loved the gift so much that Fabergé was appointed the imperial goldsmith, and the Tsar ordered a new egg for her every Easter thereafter. The Hen Egg also became the first of a total of about 50 Imperial Fabergé eggs commissioned by the Tsars for their wives and mothers.

Jackie Onassis

While the stylish Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis led a very private life, and eschewed extravagant jewellery during days as the US First Lady, she began to amass some magnificent pieces during her second marriage to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. In addition to receiving the 40.42-carat Lesotho III Diamond ring by Harry Winston and a set of Van Cleef & Arpel diamond and emerald necklace and earrings as engagement presents, she was regularly showered with colourful Van Cleef and Arpels jewels, Ilias Lalaounis sculpted gold pieces, and Harry Winston diamond bracelets hidden in floral bouquets.

One of the pieces most precious to her was the Royal Colour Egg Bracelet, commissioned by Onassis as an Easter gift in 1969. The eggs were adorned with rubies, blue sapphires, amethysts and emeralds — to represent the royal colours of Europe. The bracelet was made to match Jackie O's beloved Dual Berry Pin, made with rubies and diamonds, given to her by her first husband JFK to mark the birth of her son.

Ellen Barkin

While American actress Ellen Barkin's 2006 divorce from Revlon founder and billionaire Ron Perelman was a bitter one, it didn't detract from the fact that he had given her some really spectacular pieces of fine jewellery during their six-year marriage.

Of the 103 pieces she sold through Christie's post-split for a total of US$20.3m, some of the most valuable and beautiful included a 16.93-carat diamond briolette pendant necklace; several splendid rings, bangles and a pair of large imperial topaz, ruby and diamond ear pendants by JAR (Joel Arthur Rosenthal); a pair of Fred Leighton diamond bracelets; a Van Cleef & Arpels emerald and diamond bracelet; a pair of diamond earrings with over 7 carats on each side; and an antique multi-strand natural pearl necklace.