Hey big spender … a selection of Dame Shirley Bassey’s extensive jewellery collection is up for grabs next month at Sotheby’s

Words: Selma Day

She’s a national treasure who famously sang the title track in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever starring Sean Connery. Now, Dame Shirley Bassey, who grew up in Cardiff’s Tiger Bay and now lives in Monaco, is auctioning off some of her most prized jewellery to raise money for charity. A reflection of her 60-year long career, the extensive collection is as spectacular as the singing legend herself and includes 80 jewels, with pieces from Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Piaget, along with several collectible watches.

The renowned vocalist – recently appointed Member of the Order of the Companion of Honour by The King for services to music – has been collecting jewellery since she was a young singer. Each pieces represents a particular moment in her life, often marking a special episode in her illustrious career.

“Collecting jewellery for me is like collecting memories, and this collection is full of them,” she says. “All the pieces are meaningful and have a story to tell, whether I bought them for myself, or they were gifted to me.

“There is this beautiful 1960’s vintage Van Cleef & Arpels ring covered in white diamonds that Elton John gave me after I sang at one of his AIDS Gala evenings and which I’ve worn so many times.

“Or the ruby and diamond heart parure I spotted in a fine jeweller’s window during a stopover in Bangkok on my way to my very first concert tour of Australia.

“And perhaps one of the most special pieces in the collection is this emerald parure I bought myself to commemorate my very first Royal Variety Performance in front of the late Queen.”

The collection, up at auction in Paris as part of the Sotheby’s Fine Jewels biannual sale on October 10, comprises over 80 pieces spanning various styles, from a number of prestigious jewellery and watch brands such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, with most featuring diamonds – the gemstone most associated with Dame Shirley since she first sang ‘Diamonds are Forever’, a song that has featured consistently in her concerts ever since.

Notably, the singer is the only one in the world ever to sing more than one Bond theme recording Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker between 1964 and 1979.

“I fell in love with jewellery when I first discovered natural pearls as a up and coming singer, and I bought myself my first string of pearls – the first piece of jewellery I’d ever bought,” she says.

“However, I quickly graduated to my lifelong passion for diamonds which preceded the recording of Diamonds Are Forever. In fact, I accepted to sing the song because it rang true to me and the way I felt about diamonds then and now.”

Proceeds from the sale will benefit Dame Shirley Bassey’s chosen charities.