Doris Duke is always near the top of my list of the most legendary jewelry collectors in history.
The only child of James Buchanan Duke, who started the American Tobacco Company, Doris was dubbed "the richest girl in the world" at the age of 12 when she inherited her father's fortune after his death. Though Doris was an avid art collector and philanthropist who left most of her money to charity, she is still most widely known for her unparalleled collection of jewelry, which reflected her numerous passions.
Her collection included everything from rare Belle Époque Cartier pieces she inherited from her mother and grandmother, to jewels she bought on her travels to India and Southeast Asia, and pieces by Tiffany & Co. and David Webb that she purchased during the last decades of her life. She personally picked out each jewel that she added to her collection, and had a hand in designing many of them.
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