A huge sale of Elizabeth Taylor’s designer clothing and jewellery, known as the Crown Jewels of Hollywood, will be split in two, with nearly 1,000 items selling only online, said Christie’s auctioneers.

The main auction of the late Hollywood mega-star’s glamorous belongings is set between December 13 and16, featuring gifts to Ms Taylor from the likes of Michael Jackson and her two-time husband actor Richard Burton.

However, Christie’s said that starting on December 3, it would run a separate, two-week-long internet sale of 950 items such as jewellery and accessories.

Items will include clothing from Oscar de la Renta and Hermes, 22 handbags by Dior and Valentino, and accessories from Cartier, Louis Vuitton and other top fashion brands. Much of the sale will focus on jewels, including Art Deco-era pieces, strings of diamonds and also day-to-day adornments such as a pair of Chanel ear clips estimated to sell for just $100. Christie’s said the extra sale would “ensure the full breadth of the collection is accessible to collectors worldwide.”

Although buyers can bid online during Christie’s live auctions, this is the first time the auction house will run a parallel online-only auction.