Once upon a time, Kelly Clarkson bought British writer Jane Austen’s gold ring at a Sotheby’s auction.
For over £150,000 ($228,000 USD).
That’s a large amount of British pounds there!
However, the odds don’t seem to be in Kelly Clarkson’s favor with this ring.
The UK’s Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey placed a ban on the ring, preventing her from taking it out of the country.
According to DailyMail, “the ring is one of only three surviving pieces of jewellery known to have belonged to the Pride and Prejudice author, having been given to her sister Cassandra and then passed down through the family before it was sold.”
Vaizey is hoping that a Brit will buy the ring so that the late author’s jewel stays in the UK.
“Jane Austen’s modest lifestyle and her early death mean that objects associated with her of any kind are extremely rare, so I hope that a UK buyer comes forward so this simple but elegant ring can be saved for the nation,” he said.
The ban expires on September 30th. If proof emerges of “a serious intention to raise funds” to match the price of the ring, the export license can be extended until December 30th.
If the Brits manage to keep the ring, at least Kelly still has that first edition copy of Austen’s novel “Persuasion” she also bought in the Sotheby’s sale.
Remember Kelly, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!”
The Whisper Box 
Leave a Reply