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James Bond’s Only Wedding Ring Sells for $77K at Auction
It appeared in the 1969 film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”
The 18-karat gold ring James Bond gave in his only wedding in the 1969 film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” sold for $77,100 at Sotheby’s London.
London—Film buffs went wild for the gold ring given during James Bond’s only wedding when it went up for auction Thursday.
The 18-karat gold ring was part of the Sotheby’s London “Fine Jewels” sale, where it garnered £56,700, or about $77,100 at current exchange rates.
This was nearly three times more than the pre-sale estimate of between £15,000-£20,000 (between $20,400 and $27,200 at current exchange rates).
The ring featured in the 1969 James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” starring George Lazenby as the infamous agent 007 and Diana Rigg as his partner and wife, Contessa Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo.
It was one of two rings created by jeweler Charles de Temple for the movie’s wedding scene—the only time in the movie series that the agent has gotten married.
Born in Mexico in 1929, de Temple became a jeweler in Massachusetts before moving to Britain, where he created one-of-a-kind jewels for women during the Swinging Sixties in London. The jeweler was known for flamboyant statements pieces.
He was also commissioned to create the ring Honour Blackman wore to the London premiere of another previous James Bond Film, “Goldfinger.”
The ring design he created for “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” served as Bond’s wedding band to Tracy, featuring the words “All the Time in the World” in gold around both the exterior and interior. The message is a recurring theme throughout the film and is also the title of the theme song, but the words took on an especially poignant tone at the end of the movie.
In a tragic plot twist, Tracy is murdered by assassins shortly after their wedding. The movie ends with a scene in which 007 is cradling her body and says the ring’s words aloud: “There’s no need to hurry, you see. We have all the time in the world.”
The bi-colored gold ring is characteristic of de Temple’s style, Sotheby’s said, with its bold and sculptural design that reflects his attitude toward modern jewelry design and ability to handcraft.
Sotheby’s said the ring’s striking design and prominence in the film brought the designer “considerable” success. Afterwards, de Temple produced a limited edition 50 rings of a similar design but with the words, “All the Love in the World.”
The owner that put the Bond ring up on the block Thursday had purchased it from a close family friend who is thought to have bought it from Charles de Temple in the early 1970s.
The other ring de Temple made for the movie sold at Sotheby’s in 2019 for £52,500 against a pre-sale estimate of £6,000-£8,000.
The Sotheby’s London Feb. 10 Fine Jewels auction totaled £1.7 million, or about $2.3 million.
The sale’s top lot was a 4.59-carat round brilliant cut diamond ring that garnered £94,500, or about $128,200.
To see the full results, visit Sothebys.com.
Related stories will be right here …
The 18-karat gold ring was part of the Sotheby’s London “Fine Jewels” sale, where it garnered £56,700, or about $77,100 at current exchange rates.
This was nearly three times more than the pre-sale estimate of between £15,000-£20,000 (between $20,400 and $27,200 at current exchange rates).
The ring featured in the 1969 James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” starring George Lazenby as the infamous agent 007 and Diana Rigg as his partner and wife, Contessa Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo.
It was one of two rings created by jeweler Charles de Temple for the movie’s wedding scene—the only time in the movie series that the agent has gotten married.
Born in Mexico in 1929, de Temple became a jeweler in Massachusetts before moving to Britain, where he created one-of-a-kind jewels for women during the Swinging Sixties in London. The jeweler was known for flamboyant statements pieces.
He was also commissioned to create the ring Honour Blackman wore to the London premiere of another previous James Bond Film, “Goldfinger.”
The ring design he created for “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” served as Bond’s wedding band to Tracy, featuring the words “All the Time in the World” in gold around both the exterior and interior. The message is a recurring theme throughout the film and is also the title of the theme song, but the words took on an especially poignant tone at the end of the movie.
In a tragic plot twist, Tracy is murdered by assassins shortly after their wedding. The movie ends with a scene in which 007 is cradling her body and says the ring’s words aloud: “There’s no need to hurry, you see. We have all the time in the world.”
The bi-colored gold ring is characteristic of de Temple’s style, Sotheby’s said, with its bold and sculptural design that reflects his attitude toward modern jewelry design and ability to handcraft.
Sotheby’s said the ring’s striking design and prominence in the film brought the designer “considerable” success. Afterwards, de Temple produced a limited edition 50 rings of a similar design but with the words, “All the Love in the World.”
The owner that put the Bond ring up on the block Thursday had purchased it from a close family friend who is thought to have bought it from Charles de Temple in the early 1970s.
The other ring de Temple made for the movie sold at Sotheby’s in 2019 for £52,500 against a pre-sale estimate of £6,000-£8,000.
The Sotheby’s London Feb. 10 Fine Jewels auction totaled £1.7 million, or about $2.3 million.
The sale’s top lot was a 4.59-carat round brilliant cut diamond ring that garnered £94,500, or about $128,200.
To see the full results, visit Sothebys.com.
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