VIDEO: Elizabeth Taylor's Jewelry To Be Auctioned At Christie's

Silver screen icon Elizabeth Taylor will be remembered for her spunk, her spirit, and her sparkles. The Hollywood legend died in March at the age fo 79, but her $30 million jewelry collection survived her, and it will go to the highest bidder when each piece is auctioned off on December 13 and 14 at Christie's auction house in New York.

The collection is comprised of more than 269 pieces, including the "Elizabeth Taylor Diamond," a 33.19-carat Asscher-cut gem that Richard Burton bought for her when they were married. Though Burton purchased it for a mere $305,000 in 1968, the piece is expected to bring in up to $3.5 million today, 43 years later, according to the UK's Telegraph.

Kate Winslet, a life-long Taylor fan, graces this month's cover of V magazine holding a string of Taylor's pearls that will make their way to the auction block. "There was a real fearlessness in her," Winslet said of the late Dame. "Back then, there did seem to be a rule book, and there was some expectation in terms of how glamorous women should look. There's a sort of coolness and aloofness to the way [Taylor] would look in posed photographs. In candid snapshots she was really quite soft."

Winslet, who made headlines for rescuing Richard Branson's mother from his burning mansion on the Virgin Islands last month, identifies with the late and great actress, especially following her own separation from husband Sam Mendes. Taylor, who was married to seven different men, had her beat by a long shot. "She was very strong in her head and in her heart, not just in the exterior," Winslet said. "And I suppose I am."

A portion of the proceeds from Christie's auction of Taylor's jewels and other personal effects will go to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

Watch a video about Taylor's collection here: