Diamonds & Emeralds by Elizabeth Taylor (1993)

Diamonds & Emeralds, introduced in 1993, was part of Elizabeth Taylor’s expanding fragrance line that followed the extraordinary success of White Diamonds. Like its sister fragrances Diamonds & Rubies and Diamonds & Sapphires, the name drew directly from Taylor’s legendary love of fine jewelry. Few public figures were as closely associated with gemstones as Elizabeth Taylor. Over the course of her life she amassed one of the most celebrated private jewelry collections in the world, including the famed Taylor–Burton Diamond, the Krupp Diamond (later renamed the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond), and a number of spectacular colored gemstones. Emeralds in particular held a special place in her collection. Among her most famous pieces was the extraordinary Bulgari emerald and diamond suite, which included a necklace, earrings, and brooch set with large Colombian emeralds surrounded by brilliant diamonds. These jewels became synonymous with Taylor’s glamorous image—deep green stones glowing dramatically against her violet eyes.

The name “Diamonds & Emeralds” carries rich symbolism. Diamonds represent brilliance, clarity, and timeless luxury, while emeralds evoke depth, vitality, and lush green life. Emeralds have long been associated with royalty, romance, and renewal, their deep green color suggesting nature, spring growth, and exotic opulence. Together, the pairing creates a striking contrast: the icy sparkle of diamonds set against the velvety green glow of emeralds. The phrase conjures images of velvet jewelry boxes opening to reveal dazzling stones, candlelight glinting off faceted gems, and elegant women adorned with glittering heirlooms. Emotionally, the name suggests sophistication balanced with lush sensuality—luxury softened by natural richness.

The fragrance emerged during the early 1990s, a moment of stylistic transition in fashion and perfumery. The dramatic glamour of the 1980s power era, known for bold silhouettes, statement jewelry, and opulent fragrances, was gradually giving way to the sleeker minimalism that would characterize the mid-to-late 1990s. Yet in 1993 many traces of that earlier glamour still lingered. Jewel tones—especially deep greens, blues, and reds—were fashionable in evening wear, and sparkling accessories remained symbols of elegance. In perfumery, this period saw the rise of fruitier, lighter florals that softened the boldness of 1980s perfumes while still retaining a sense of richness. Within this environment, Diamonds & Emeralds felt both familiar and modern: it maintained Taylor’s glamorous aesthetic while embracing the softer, more approachable scent profiles gaining popularity at the time.

For women of the early 1990s, a perfume named Diamonds & Emeralds would have carried a strong sense of fantasy and aspiration. The name promised a touch of luxury—an echo of Elizabeth Taylor’s legendary jewels—while also suggesting freshness and vitality through the emerald imagery. It hinted at a fragrance that was elegant but also lush and feminine, something that could be worn confidently yet still feel romantic. For many women, wearing the perfume meant briefly inhabiting the glamorous world associated with Taylor herself: shimmering diamonds, vibrant emeralds, and timeless Hollywood elegance.

Olfactorily, the concept of “Diamonds & Emeralds” translates into a fragrance that balances brightness and lushness. Classified as an oriental floral fragrance, it opens with a gently fruity, luminous introduction. The top notes evoke freshness and vitality, with the creamy sweetness of living gardenia, the cool watery freshness of water lily, and the delicate softness of white rose. These notes feel luminous and fresh, like the gleam of diamonds catching the light.

The fragrance then unfolds into an exotic floral heart where richer blossoms begin to bloom. Lily of the valley adds a clean, slightly soapy freshness, while jasmine contributes warmth and sensuality. Carnation, with its subtle spicy edge, gives the bouquet character and depth. Throughout the composition, leafy green notes weave through the florals, reinforcing the imagery of emeralds—lush, vibrant, and alive with natural vitality.

As the scent settles, it becomes softer and warmer, forming a gentle oriental-style base. Amber adds golden warmth, while vetiver introduces a dry, earthy elegance. Patchouli contributes a deeper herbal richness, grounding the sweetness of the florals. Finally, vanilla and soft musk provide a smooth, comforting finish that lingers on the skin with quiet sensuality. The base feels warm and enveloping, like velvet beneath the sparkle of jewels.

In comparison to other fragrances on the market in 1993, Diamonds & Emeralds largely followed prevailing trends rather than radically redefining them. The early 1990s favored fragrances that blended fruity brightness with soft florals and warm bases, a style that would soon dominate the decade. While the perfume retained the luxurious imagery associated with Elizabeth Taylor’s brand, its composition was lighter and more contemporary than the powerful florals of the previous decade. As a result, Diamonds & Emeralds captured the spirit of its era—combining the glamour of classic Hollywood with the softer, more approachable fragrance style that women of the early 1990s increasingly embraced.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Diamonds & Emeralds is classified as an oriental floral fragrance for women. It begins with a fruity top, followed by an exotic floral heart, layered over a sweet floral base. The floral bouquet which includes leafy green notes. Its top notes consist of living gardenia, succulent water lily and white rose which move to a heart of soapy lily of the valley, jasmine and spicy carnation. Its base consists of touches of rich amber, vetiver, earthy patchouli, balsamic vanilla and softened musk.

• Top notes: bergamot, tangerine, apricot, peach, cherry, strawberry, sage, hyacinth, orange blossom, leafy green note complex, living gardenia, water lily and white rose
• Middle notes: jasmine, lily of the valley, carnation, damascena rose, tuberose, magnolia, wild lily, orris
• Base notes: tonka bean, ambergris, cedar, vetiver, patchouli, vanilla and musk

Scent Profile:

Diamonds & Emeralds unfolds with a vibrant, jewel-like brightness, the fragrance opening in a burst of luminous fruit and fresh greenery that immediately evokes the vivid color and vitality suggested by its name. The first impression sparkles with bergamot, traditionally cultivated along the sunlit coast of Calabria in southern Italy, where the Mediterranean climate produces the world’s most refined bergamot oil. Calabrian bergamot is prized for its balanced aroma—bright citrus with subtle floral sweetness and a slightly aromatic bitterness that gives the opening elegance rather than sharpness. Beside it glows the cheerful sweetness of tangerine, a softer citrus note whose oil offers a honeyed, juicy freshness reminiscent of freshly peeled segments.

Quickly, a cascade of ripe fruits appears. Apricot lends a velvety softness with faint honeyed warmth, its scent often recreated through delicate lactone molecules that mimic the creamy skin of ripe stone fruit. Peach adds a lush, almost silky sweetness—again enhanced by peach lactones that capture the sensation of warm, sun-ripened fruit. Cherry and strawberry introduce playful brightness, their aromas typically constructed from a blend of fruity esters and aromatic molecules because the fruits themselves yield little usable perfume oil. The result is a vivid, juicy sweetness that feels both youthful and radiant.

A gentle herbal-green edge runs beneath the fruit. Sage, often grown in Mediterranean regions, introduces a dry aromatic note—slightly camphorous and herbaceous—that prevents the fruits from becoming overly sweet. The cool floral freshness of hyacinth follows, recreating the crisp scent of spring flowers just opened in cool morning air. True hyacinth extract is extremely rare and difficult to obtain, so perfumers recreate its distinctive green floral scent through carefully blended synthetic materials that evoke crushed stems and damp petals. Orange blossom, distilled from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree—often grown in Tunisia or Morocco—adds a honeyed, luminous floral note with hints of citrus and warm sunlight.

Woven through the opening is a leafy green note complex, a blend of aroma molecules designed to mimic the scent of freshly cut foliage. These synthetic green notes—often including materials related to cis-3-hexenol—smell vividly like crushed leaves, sap, and dew-damp stems, reinforcing the “emerald” character suggested by the perfume’s name. Within this verdant brightness bloom the creamy petals of living gardenia, recreated through modern fragrance technology because gardenia flowers produce little extractable oil. The accord captures their lush, creamy sweetness with hints of coconut and white petals warmed by tropical air. Water lily adds a cool aquatic softness, again recreated synthetically to evoke the watery freshness of a flower floating on still water. White rose, delicate and softly luminous, rounds out the opening with a gentle floral sweetness that glimmers like pale silk.

As the fragrance deepens, it blossoms into a lush and exotic floral heart. Jasmine emerges first, creamy and intoxicating. The finest jasmine oils traditionally come from Egypt and India, where blossoms are harvested at night when their fragrance is strongest. Its scent is warm, slightly indolic, and deeply sensual. Alongside it floats lily of the valley, a flower celebrated for its cool, soapy freshness. Because these tiny bell-shaped blossoms cannot yield essential oil through distillation, their scent is recreated entirely through aroma molecules such as hydroxycitronellal and related materials that capture their crystalline floral purity.

The bouquet grows richer with carnation, whose natural clove-like spiciness adds warmth and intrigue. Damascena rose, derived from the famous Rosa damascena cultivated in places like Bulgaria’s Rose Valley or Turkey’s Isparta region, contributes a velvety, honeyed richness with subtle green freshness. Tuberose introduces an intoxicating floral intensity—lush, creamy, and slightly narcotic—traditionally harvested in India or Mexico, where warm climates encourage its opulent fragrance. Magnolia brings a lemony floral softness with creamy undertones, while wild lily adds a luminous white floral brightness reminiscent of blossoms warmed by sunlight.

The heart is given a cool powdery elegance through orris, derived from the aged rhizomes of iris plants traditionally cultivated in Tuscany, Italy. After harvesting, the roots are dried and aged for several years to develop irones, the molecules responsible for their distinctive scent—powdery, violet-like, and softly woody. This note lends refinement and texture to the floral bouquet, giving it a velvety, cosmetic elegance.

As the fragrance settles, the composition moves into a warm and sensual base that anchors the airy florals above. Tonka bean, harvested from trees native to Venezuela and Brazil, introduces a rich, almond-like sweetness with nuances of vanilla, hay, and warm spice. Its key molecule, coumarin, gives the base a soft gourmand warmth that feels comforting and enveloping. Ambergris, historically produced in the ocean by sperm whales and aged by saltwater and sunlight, contributes a uniquely smooth marine warmth with faint sweetness. Because natural ambergris is rare and ethically restricted, its effect is now recreated through modern aroma chemicals that capture its diffusive glow.

The woody structure of the base is shaped by cedar, which contributes a dry, pencil-wood clarity that sharpens the sweetness of the surrounding notes. Vetiver, often distilled from roots grown in Haiti, adds an earthy, smoky dryness reminiscent of warm soil and sun-dried grass. Haitian vetiver is particularly prized for its refined, clean character compared with heavier varieties grown elsewhere. Patchouli, cultivated primarily in Indonesia, deepens the base with its dark, earthy richness—slightly herbal, slightly chocolate-like, and grounding.

The final softness of the fragrance comes from vanilla and musk. Vanilla, originally derived from orchids grown in Madagascar, contributes a creamy sweetness with balsamic warmth. Much of modern perfumery uses vanillin, a synthetic molecule that reproduces vanilla’s comforting aroma while enhancing longevity. Musk, once derived from animal sources but now recreated through modern synthetic musks, provides a soft, skin-like warmth that diffuses the entire composition and allows the fragrance to linger gently on the body.

Together, these notes create a fragrance that moves from bright fruit and leafy green freshness into an opulent bouquet of white flowers before settling into a warm, velvety base. Natural materials and modern aroma molecules work together seamlessly—the synthetics amplifying brightness, freshness, and longevity while the natural extracts provide depth and richness. The result is a scent that feels both luminous and lush, echoing the contrast suggested by its name: the sparkling clarity of diamonds paired with the deep, living green glow of emeralds.

Bottle:

The bottle used for Diamonds & Emeralds is the same one used for White Diamonds. The bottle was conceived by New York designer Susan Wacker of Parfums International, with the final prototype refined and crafted by designer George Utley, resulting in a vessel that visually echoes the elegance and brilliance associated with Elizabeth Taylor herself. The bottle takes the form of a rounded teardrop, its clear glass body gently tapering toward the neck, allowing the pale golden fragrance within to glow softly through the transparent surface. The silhouette is graceful and fluid, suggesting both a drop of perfume and the smooth contour of a polished gemstone. 

At the top of the bottle rests a gold-toned metal bow, an ornamental detail that feels both feminine and theatrical. The bow is pavé-set with simulated diamonds and emeralds, creating a subtle sparkle as light catches its tiny stones, much like the glitter of Taylor’s legendary jewelry collection. This decorative flourish transforms the bottle from a simple container into a miniature piece of jewelry, reinforcing the fragrance’s central theme of diamond-like brilliance and timeless glamour.

Dupe?

If anyone is unaware, Avon's answer to Diamonds & Emeralds is said to be their Rare Emeralds fragrance, an oriental floral musk, in 1999. Try both fragrances side by side and see if you can figure out the similarities and differences.

• Top notes: geranium, bergamot and orange
• Middle notes: jasmine and white rose
• Base notes: cedar, sandalwood and musk

Fate of the Fragrance: 

Diamonds & Emeralds seems to have been discontinued in 1999.