This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 5/16/2007.
Perhaps no other name since Julius Caesar has been so easily recognized worldwide as that of "The King," Elvis Presley. From humble beginnings in a Tupelo, Mississippi shack to the adulation of literally billions, Elvis invented the genre of rock n' roll and changed the face of music forever. Presley was as well known for the breadth of his generosity as for his musical talent; he was known to give away precious diamond rings right off his fingers, simply on the recipient's comment that they liked the ring. He gave away countless Cadillacs to friends, family and even complete strangers. A little known but important event was Elvis' 1961 benefit concert in Hawaii which was instrumental in building the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, an effort which had lost its momentum prior to the event. This size 7-1/4 ring is cast in 10K yellow gold was given by Elvis to his fiancee Ginger Alden in 1976. Meant to be worn on the pinky, it is both flashy to the eye and subtly nuanced upon closer inspection. It features a crown, literally, as the centerpiece is crafted in the shape of kingly headwear, fashioned with 16 glittering diamond stones arrayed around a 1/2" precious Australian fire opal. Opal has one of the best spectral displays of any gemstone; made up of layers of precipitated silica spheres in a jelly-like water mass, the ordering of the spheres sometimes produce a diffraction grating that creates a play of rainbow sparkling light from within the stone, thus the "fire." The centerpiece "crown" is snugly coddled into a U-shaped design with intricate gold grilling on each side, while the two shanks are crafted into a checkerboard pattern. The ring is in superb condition, smooth and pristine surface, vibrant and deep colors, simply MINT. Not just an Elvis ring but an absolutely unique Elvis love token for the woman who would have been Mrs. Presley. Accompanied by a LOA from Ginger Alden, valued at $20,000 intrinsically, let alone its Kingly origin.