Diamonds Are Forever: Shirley Bassey To Auction Off Meaningful Jewels Including Gift From Elton John

Shirley Bassey has confirmed plans to auction off some of her "meaningful" jewels, including a diamond ring gifted her to by Elton John.

Among the items going under the hammer include a diamond necklace, expected to fetch for between €270,000 and €320,000, and a diamond and gold parure by Cartier, which is expected to sell for between €200,000 and €250,000.

Other items include a yellow diamond ring, which is estimated to sell for between €165,000 and €200,000, as well as an aquamarine, sapphire, diamond and gem which is expected to sell for between €60,000 and €70,000.

Music legend Shirley Bassey who is renowned for singing about diamonds for the 1971 James Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever starring the late Sean Connery, said that she accepted the offer to sing the track, as the lyrics "rang true" to her. 

“Collecting jewellery for me is like collecting memories and this collection is full of them", Bassey said. “All the pieces are meaningful and have a story to tell, whether I bought them for myself or they were gifted to me". 

“There is this beautiful 1960s vintage Van Cleef & Arpels ring covered in white diamonds that Elton John gave me after I sang at one of his Aids Gala evenings and which I've worn so many times", she added. 

“Or the ruby and diamond heart parure I spotted in a fine jeweller's window during a stopover in Bangkok on my way to my very first concert tour of Australia". 

Bassey continued, “And perhaps one of the most special pieces in the collection is this emerald parure I bought myself to commemorate my very first Royal Variety Performance in front of the late Queen".

“I fell in love with jewellery when I first discovered natural pearls as an up-and-coming singer and I bought myself my first string of pearls – the first piece of jewellery I'd ever bought". 

“However, I quickly graduated to my lifelong passion for diamonds which preceded the recording of Diamonds Are Forever", the Welsh singer added. “In fact, I accepted to sing the song because it rang true to me and the way I felt about diamonds then and now". 

The jewels will be exhibited at Sotheby's, London from May 24-29, before being exhibited in Paris from October 4 ahead of the live auction, which takes place at Sotheby's, Paris on October 10.