Dame Shirley Bassey is putting some of her prized jewellery up for auction, potentially allowing one lucky buyer to possess her dazzling diamonds indefinitely. The collection, valued at over £598,260, includes a special diamond ring gifted to her by Sir Elton John.
The renowned singer, who hails from Cardiff’s Tiger Bay, is famous for belting out tunes like “Big Spender” and the iconic “Goldfinger.” She’s perhaps most famously associated with the theme song of the 1971 James Bond film “Diamonds Are Forever,” starring Sir Sean Connery. Explaining her connection to the song, she remarked that its lyrics deeply resonated with her.
Dame Shirley reminisced about her love affair with jewellery, dating back to her discovery of natural pearls as a budding singer. Her passion swiftly shifted to diamonds, culminating in her recording of “Diamonds Are Forever.” Each piece in her collection holds sentimental value, whether acquired personally or received as gifts.
Among the highlights of the auction are a vintage Van Cleef & Arpels ring from the 1960s, a ruby and diamond heart parure discovered during a stopover in Bangkok, and an emerald parure commemorating her inaugural Royal Variety performance.
The auction will feature remarkable pieces like a diamond necklace, a Cartier diamond and gold parure, a yellow diamond ring, and an aquamarine, sapphire, diamond, and gem set. The event, scheduled for October 4th in Paris, will see the proceeds directed towards charities chosen by Dame Shirley.