A collection of 200 pieces of jewelry that Elvis Presley gave to his manager, Col. Tom Parker, will soon be up for auction, Reuters has reported.
For decades, the items — which include gold rings, cufflinks and the guitar Elvis played during his televised 1968 comeback special — were thought to be lost. With support from Elvis’ former wife, Priscilla Presley, the items will now be on display for the first time on Aug. 27.
“There is so much product out there that is not authentic at all and that worries me,” she told Reuters. “I want to know for sure that that is going to go to someone who is going to care for it, love it.”
Although the auction is Aug. 27, online bidding has already begun, Fox Business reported. The guitar from the 1968 comeback special is listed for $750,000, and other high-priced items include a TCB ring with a minimal bid of $500,000 and the 18-karat lion ring that Elvis wore in the documentary “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is” for a minimal bid of $25,000, Daily Mail reported.
Other items, ranging from watches to rings to necklaces, are priced between $1,000 and $10,000.
The auction comes about a month and a half after the release of “Elvis,” a movie that explores the singer’s rise to stardom through the eyes of Parker, played by Tom Hanks. The film, directed by Baz Luhrmann, has seen financial and critical success, per Variety.
Another side of the singer is explored in the upcoming book “The Faith of Elvis,” from Elvis’ stepbrother, Billy Stanley. The book, which comes out in October, explores the King of Rock ’n’ Roll’s Christian faith, noting how he relied heavily on his faith and often prayed before taking the stage.
“When we saw him bow his head, then we knew,” Stanley said, per The Guardian. “It was probably about 15 seconds long. I asked him once, ‘Why do you say the prayer before?’ He said: ‘It kind of settles my nerves but also I want God to help bless this concert, so make it a good one.’ He always turned to God whenever he needed help.”