One of Elvis Presley's most iconic jewels goes up for auction. The king of rock wore the famous lion's claw necklace for years, both on and off stage, and the Gotta Have Rock and Roll house began bidding for the piece this Wednesday 47 years after the singer's death. The company hopes to sell it for at least half a million dollars.
In addition to having taken the stage at least 30 times wearing the lion's claw necklace, Elvis Presley wore the jewel in some of the most iconic moments of his career. He met Muhammad Ali after a show at the Las Vegas Hilton, when both were already world stars. The king of boxing idolized the king of rock, and they exchanged a rhinestone-encrusted robe and boxing gloves. The curious image that Presley and Ali took, in which the necklace that is being auctioned appears, began a lasting friendship.
Elvis Presley was also photographed wearing the necklace while celebrating his daughter Lisa Marie's fifth birthday with his wife Priscilla. Lisa Marie followed in her father's footsteps: she released three albums paying tribute to the artist who transformed America's soundscape. The couple's only daughter died this same year, at the age of 54.
The dazzling diamond and ruby necklace had been part of the Elvis: dressed to rock collection at Graceland (Memphis, United States), the artist's museum. This is an exhibition that explores Elvis' style on stage between 1969 and 1977, and features more than 100 costume pieces such as jumpsuits, capes, belts, jewelry, and original designer sketches, among other items.
The Gotta Have Rock and Roll auction house opened bidding on the necklace this Wednesday, and it will be available until December 15. They expect it to sell for at least $500,000. The company is known for having auctioned some of the most emblematic objects in the history of music, such as Elvis Presley's Martin D-19 Sun Sessions guitar from 1942, for $1,320,000.
