Amid all of the legal trouble that continues to plague Erika Jayne amid the $500 million embezzlement case involving ex-husband Tom Girardi, the focus seems to keep going back to a pair of pricey earrings the former attorney gifted her. The $750,000 earrings, which were reportedly later appraised at $1.4 million, were among the items to be auctioned off to help pay off some of what the couple owe. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star fought hard to keep the jewelry, ultimately losing that battle in court, and now there’s another twist regarding the earrings, as they are set to be sold to the highest bidder.
In October Erika Jayne still insisted the earrings were not up for auction, as she continued to appeal the judge’s ruling in an effort to keep them. However, TMZ reports that not only are the earrings on the auction block, they’re actually valued at a price far below what Tom Girardi reportedly paid for them. Rather than the $750,000 that was supposedly spent on the earrings, they’ve been valued at between $250,000 and $350,000.
While that is just the starting range for the earrings — and auctioned items are typically valued at less than retail price — it’s still a huge decrease from what was originally paid for the jewelry.
Erika Jayne has continued to fight to maintain possession of the earrings, which Tom Girardi supposedly purchased for $750,000 with stolen money. She has maintained her innocence regarding knowledge of Girardi’s illegal actions, and in June said she would not hand over the expensive gift unless ordered to do so by a judge.
Later that month, a judge did just that, saying that while he believed Erika Jayne didn’t know that Tom Girardi had purchased the earrings using money meant for the victims of a diabetes drug settlement, she was “still in possession of stolen property,” and was ordered to forfeit the diamonds.
The earrings are set to be auctioned off on December 7 by John Moran Auctioneers, following the sales of a number of other items previously owned by the former couple. Among the belongings that apparently were sold September 21 were an estimated $60,000-worth Steinway piano, some rare paintings and their library collection of first editions (such as a first edition of Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince). Apparently there was also some lingerie that was sold that Erika Jayne didn’t recognize.
A so-called “friend” of Tom Girardi’s also relinquished gifts she’d received from the disgraced former attorney, which included a Tiffany diamond necklace and a Bulgari necklace adorned with pearls and diamonds.
It will be interesting to see if the auction goes off as expected on December 7, or if Erika Jayne is able to prolong the process through appeals. If the earrings are sold, it looks like it’s possible somebody might get a real discount on a very famous piece of jewelry.
In the meantime, you can relive what went on with Erika Jayne and the rest of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills cast in Season 12, which wrapped up in October, on streaming service. Episodes are available to watch with a Peacock subscription. See what other shows are coming up soon with our 2022 TV schedule.
