Skip to content

Shirley Bassey breaks record for jewellery auction

Getty Images Gold sparkly dressed Dame Shirley Bassey grinning after a performance, she has curled black hair and has her hands outstretched Getty Images
Dame Shirley Bassey's jewellery collection has sold for a collective price of 2.2 million euros, or £1.8m

Dame Shirley Bassey's jewellery collection has smashed a world record in a Paris auction with all of the lots belonging to the singer selling for a collective price of 2.2 million euros (£1.8m).

Bassey, who grew up in Cardiff's Tiger Bay, famously sang about diamonds in the title track of the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, starring Sir Sean Connery.

She previously said she accepted the offer to sing the track as the lyrics "rang true" to her.

The collection was part of the Sotheby's Fine Jewels biannual sale, which took place on 10 October.

Her vintage 1960s Van Cleef and Arpels diamond ring with brilliant-cut diamonds, which was given to her by Sir Elton John, sold for 48,000 euros (£39,995), more than three times its estimate of between 10,000 and 15,000 euros.

A Van Cleef and Arpels emerald and diamond necklace, bought by her to commemorate her first Royal Variety Performance in front of Queen Elizabeth II, sold for 174,000 euros (£144,985), more than double its estimate of between 50,000 and 70,000 euros.

A vintage diamond brooch from about 1905 also sold for 162,000 euros (£134,991), almost five times its estimate of between 26,000 and 35,000 euros.

PA Dame Shirley Bassey's yellow diamond ring, estimated to sell for between 165,000 and 200,000 EUR at Sotheby's, Paris, on October 10.PA
Shirley Bassey said the ring was given to her by Elton John after she sang at one of his Aids gala evenings

Speaking before the auction, she said: "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.

"In fact, I accepted to sing the song because it rang true to me and the way I felt about diamonds then and now.

"Collecting jewellery for me is like collecting memories and this collection is full of them," she said.

PA Dame Shirley Bassey's emerald and diamond necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels, estimated to sell for between 60,000 and 70,000 EUR at Sotheby's, Paris, on October 10.PA
Bassey bought this necklace to commemorate her first Royal Variety Performance in front of Queen Elizabeth II

Bassey is the only singer to have recorded more than one 007 theme, and was the first Welsh singer to achieve a UK number one single in 1959, with As I Love You.

Dame Shirley went on to have 12 UK top 10 singles and eight UK top 10 albums.

  • This article was updated on 18 October to remove the line "with proceeds going to Dame Shirley's chosen charities". While this is the information provided at the time, the BBC was subsequently informed by auction house Sotheby's that this was not the case