A gold and diamond ring worn by jazz icon Sammy Davis Jr is to go under the hammer in Birmingham, England, UK’s Jewellery Quarter this month.
The ring comes from the singer, Rat Pack member, dancer, and actors personal jewellery collection and he carried it with him on his travels around the world.
Leading diamond experts at Steven Stone have taken a close look at the ring, revealing everything you need to know – including how much it would retail for and how it pays homage to his career.
Renowned for his extravagant style and flamboyant jewellery, Sammi Davis Jr was frequently photographed wearing this unique ring throughout his career.
The eye-catching piece features a 10.75ct round cut brownish yellow diamond, set in textured gold.
The two most notable occasions during which he wore it were on his European tour in 1985 and in 1973 when he wore it at the Whitehouse, when he made history by being the first African American to be invited to stay the night by the President.
Our experts estimate that a ring like this would retail from anywhere between £150-200k.
“Sammi Davis Jr was frequently photographed wearing this extraordinary ring, so it’s incredibly exciting to hear that it’s going to auction. Not only did the Jazz icon wear it on his index finger during his European tour in 1985, but he wore it at the Whitehouse in 1973 – when he made history by being the first African American to be invited to stay the night by the president.
The unique ring features a 10.75ct round cut brownish yellow diamond, set in a textured gold. Though its estimated to sell for £50-70k, I’d estimate it to retail at the much higher price of £150-200k.
Sammi Davis Jr was renowned for his flamboyant jewellery and typically adhered to the Rat Pack’s fashion of the 1950s, which included a fondness for the colour orange. As the rings centre diamond possesses an orange tinge, it’s likely that he wore it to pay homage to the legendary group.”
zack stone, diamond expert, steven stone
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