LONDON.- Selected jewels from the collection of multi-million best-selling author, Barbara Taylor Bradford, are to be sold as part of the Fine Jewellery Sale at Bonhams, New Bond Street on 5th December.

Every piece tells a story. Each jewel is vivid with memory – a gift from a loving husband to commemorate a birthday, an anniversary, a finished novel and sometimes, simply as a surprise. “Bob says he doesn’t need an occasion to give me a piece of jewellery, only a reason.” Barbara Taylor Bradford says of her husband, Robert Bradford.

The story starts with a blind date. “I knew by the end of the evening that we would be together,” says Barbara who met Robert Bradford, the German born, French educated, American film producer in London in 1962. “It was love at first sight.” One year later, the couple were married.

The jewels showered upon Barbara Taylor Bradford by husband Robert have never ceased since then. This collection of 40 jewels tells the story of their happy marriage.

A sapphire and diamond ring, by Harry Winston (£100,000-150,000) was a gift from Robert Bradford in 1994 to commemorate his movie of ‘Everything to Gain’ and the ring was a lovely reminder of that book and movie for years.

"I love all the movies Bob has made of my books, and I especially enjoy seeing what is known as the 'rough cut'. I remember watching 'Everything to Gain', and thinking what a splendid production it was. I was thrilled to see my characters come alive on the screen. Later that evening, over dinner, Bob gave me the famous blue-leather box from Harry Winston. Inside was a gorgeous sapphire and diamond ring.

'In lieu of applause for being up there on the screen,' Bob said.

'You produced the movie and should have the applause. And the ring!' I answered.

He just laughed. I wore it a lot, and now some other lucky lady can do the same."

But the significance of gifting precious jewels runs even deeper, telling an even greater history. The last time Robert Bradford saw his mother he was eight years old as she put him on a train bound out of Berlin, Germany in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II. His mother’s jewels were stitched into the inside of his clothing. The jewels were no doubt as rich in memories as they were in value – a tangible link to the past.

The same can be said of the jewels that Robert Bradford bestowed upon his wife. Each jewel commemorates an important event or serves as a sparkling memento of places visited together.

A diamond and multi-coloured sapphire necklace, by Alberto e Lina, (£5,500-£6,500) was a gift from Robert to Barbara in 2004 on publication of her novel ‘Emma's Secret’. Barbara Taylor Bradford tells us in her own words:

"One morning when we were visiting Capri, Bob left me sitting on the hotel terrace reading a book. He said he was going for a walk. Rather a long time elapsed and I began to wonder where he was. Then he returned carrying a shopping bag stuffed with newspapers, plus a cream box. This he gave to me. 'Some flowers for you,' he said offhandedly. Flowers indeed! Multi-coloured sapphire flowers set in a gold and diamond necklace. What a thrilling gift to receive in the middle of the morning, and given to me in such a lovely, casual way, and with much love from my husband."

On the Bradford’s 21st wedding anniversary in 1984, Robert Bradford presented Barbara with a tourmaline and diamond necklace (£6,800-7,200) and an impressive matching tourmaline and diamond ring (£3,500-4,500), both by Tambetti. Fact mirrored fiction, as Barbara explains:

"In my novel 'A Woman of Substance', the protagonist Emma Harte has green eyes. The great love of her life, Paul McGill, gives her emeralds to match them.When Bob gave the set to me he said they matched my green eyes. I was thrilled by this gift and wore the set for years. Now someone else can wear the ring and pendant whether they have green eyes or not."

A badge of honour of a different kind was presented to Barbara in the form of a gold and diamond bracelet by Bulgari (£2,000-2,500). A gift from Robert Bradford in 1982 to celebrate Barbara’s finishing ‘Voice of the Heart’, despite a broken wrist. Memories of Mexico are awakened by the golden bangle:

“When I broke my right wrist in the early 1980s, I still wrote even though my hand and arm were in a cast. We even went on holiday at Christmas to Las Brisas in Acapulco. At my request Bob had arranged for me to have a typewriter there, and I continued to work on Voice of the Heart, my second novel, wearing the cast. When we returned to New York, Bob came home one evening bearing a gift. As he placed a gold and diamond bangle on my left arm, he called it my badge of honor for being a real professional. It was a lovely thought, a superb gift, and once the cast was off I could wear it on my right wrist.”

“You see, I’ve had a wonderful marriage” explains Barbara, “and I can offer these jewels at auction because I still have the man who gave them to me”.