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This'll Be the Day You Own John Wayne's Ring
A signet ring belonging to the Western film star of Hollywood’s Golden Age will be up for auction at Elmwood’s next month.
John Wayne’s signet ring is crafted from 14-karat yellow gold and features an oval face with his initials, “JW,” engraved in relief as well as an engraved tapered band.
London—A signet ring that once belonged to legendary American actor John Wayne is heading to auction in Elmwood’s “A Private Collection of Antique, Vintage, and Modern Jewels” sale next month.
The signet ring is a remarkable and deeply personal piece of Hollywood history, the UK-based auction house said.
Wayne was not known for the ostentatious jewelry often associated with “Golden Age” fashion.
Instead, his jewels were simple, masculine, and usually had personal significance.
His ring is crafted from 14-karat yellow gold and features an oval face with his initials, “JW,” engraved in relief as well as an engraved tapered band.
It has a pre-sale estimate of £2,000 to £3,000 (about $2,700 to $4,050).
“This is a rare opportunity to acquire a very personal item once belonging to a true film icon,” said Sophie Padfield, head of Elmwood’s jewelry department.
“Pieces of this kind provide collectors with more than just ownership; they create a tangible and deeply personal connection to history and the individuals who shaped it.”
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The signet ring is a remarkable and deeply personal piece of Hollywood history, the UK-based auction house said.
Wayne was not known for the ostentatious jewelry often associated with “Golden Age” fashion.
Instead, his jewels were simple, masculine, and usually had personal significance.
His ring is crafted from 14-karat yellow gold and features an oval face with his initials, “JW,” engraved in relief as well as an engraved tapered band.
It has a pre-sale estimate of £2,000 to £3,000 (about $2,700 to $4,050).
“This is a rare opportunity to acquire a very personal item once belonging to a true film icon,” said Sophie Padfield, head of Elmwood’s jewelry department.
“Pieces of this kind provide collectors with more than just ownership; they create a tangible and deeply personal connection to history and the individuals who shaped it.”
Wayne was one of the most enduring figures in cinematic history.
He is widely known for his work in Westerns and war films from the 1930s through the 1970s.
Born Marion Robert Morrison in 1907, and nicknamed “The Duke,” he changed his name to John Wayne in 1930 for the film “The Big Trail” because studio executives and film director Raoul Walsh said “Marion” was not manly enough.
It wasn’t until the 1939 film “Stagecoach” that Wayne became a major star.
With this film, he cemented his on-screen persona which he carried throughout his career, that of a rugged, self-reliant figure who came to symbolize the mythology of the American frontier.
Over the course of his career, which spanned more than five decades, Wayne appeared in more than 170 films.
He starred in “Red River” (1948), “The Searchers” (1956), and “True Grit” (1969), with the latter earning him an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1970.
His final role in “The Shootist” (1976) mirrored his own life, as he portrayed an aging gunfighter facing a terminal illness.
Wayne died in 1979 at the age of 72 due to health issues, including lung and stomach cancer.
Posthumously he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1980 for his “exceptional contribution to cultural endeavors.”
During his life, Wayne married three times and had seven children.
His signet ring came to Elmwood’s auction through the private collection of Daniel Towell, an avid collector and jewelry dealer based in West Yorkshire, England.
Towell purchased Wayne’s signet ring in 1997 from a previous owner who had put it up for auction at Frasers Auctioneers in London.
Elmwood’s A Private Collection of Antique, Vintage, and Modern Jewels auction is slated for May 13-14.
The live auction will be open online and via phone.
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