Kelly Clarkson once bought Jane Austen's ring before UK government moved to stop her
Kelly Clarkson once bought Jane Austen's ring before UK government moved to stop her
Averee Nelson Tue, October 13, 2026 at 10:29 PM UTC
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Kelly Clarkson once bought a rare ring owned by Jane Austen and was prompted to sell it back (Image: Getty Images for Live Nation Las)Kelly Clarkson seems to have an eye for high-priced goods, as she once bought a rare ring once owned by Jane Austen, but then U.K. government stopped her.
Kelly Clarkson once purchased a ring belonging to Jane Austen, only for the U.K. government to intervene in an effort to reclaim it as a national treasure.
In 2012, the 44-year-old singer-songwriter acquired a turquoise-and-gold ring once owned by Austen, one of England's most celebrated authors, for £152,450 (roughly $202,077 today). Clarkson had reportedly outbid Jane Austen's House Museum at the prestigious auction house Sotheby's.
This prompted both the British government and the museum to step in and attempt to recover the ring from Clarkson. It comes after Kelly Clarkson was branded "tone-deaf" after "bullying" independent Brooklyn store.
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Clarkson is a fan of Austen and even owns a first edition of Persuasion, which is the author's last completed novel. She had purchased the rare ring, which had remained within the Austen family since the beloved writer passed away at age 41 in 1817.
The ring had originally been passed to the renowned Pride and Prejudice author's sister, Cassandra, who subsequently gifted it to her sister-in-law, Eleanor Austen, upon her engagement to Reverend Henry Thomas Austen. As one of only three known pieces of Austen's jewelry in existence, the British government moved swiftly to halt the shipment of the ring to Clarkson following her purchase, reports the Mirror US.
Kelly Clarkson once bought a turquoise-and-gold ring owned by Jane Austen (Image: Getty Images)
According to the BBC, Ed Vaizey, who served as U.K. Culture Minister at the time, imposed a temporary export ban on the Austen ring, expressing his desire for the "national treasure" to be "saved for the nation."
Jane Austen's House Museum, situated in Hampshire, launched a Bring the Ring Home campaign, collecting donations to match the price Clarkson had paid for the ring in order to buy it back from her.
The campaign even attracted an anonymous £100,000 donation, bringing the total to £157,740 (roughly $209,131 today).
The Jane Austen's House Museum is in the building that the famous author lived in (Image: Getty Images)
Clarkson was willing to allow the museum to repurchase the ring, and said in a statement at the time, according to Billboard, "The ring is a beautiful national treasure and I am happy to know that so many Jane Austen fans will get to see it at Jane Austen's House Museum."
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The museum plays a vital role in preserving Austen's legacy, as the building served as the author's home during the last eight years of her life. It was there that she completed all of her novels, including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma.
Following the acquisition of the ring from Clarkson, the museum now holds all three known pieces of Austen's jewelry in existence. The remaining two pieces are a turquoise beaded bracelet and a topaz cross, according to the BBC.
Kelly Clarkson called out the Art of Play for her experience in the Brooklyn shop (Image: Getty Images)
The Since U Been Gone singer appears to have a keen eye for unique and intriguing acquisitions.
She recently became embroiled in a dispute with Brooklyn store Art of Play after expressing interest in purchasing an expensive mechanical yellow bird that was displayed on the store's wall.
She alleged on X that she experienced treatment reminiscent of Julia Roberts' character in the 1990 film Pretty Woman during a visit to an upscale clothing boutique. Clarkson stated she "was looked at as if I couldn't afford it and was told he could find something comparable for me."
"Wow, dude. You're an idiot and just lost a huge sale. But y'all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman," the singer remarked.
Following Clarkson's viral post, the establishment issued its own Instagram response, asserting that the "one-of-a-kind singing and dancing bird automaton" called Molly "is permanently attached to the wall and isn't for sale."
The online exchange escalated when Clarkson countered on X with a photograph of the item in question, displaying a price tag positioned beside the bird. She wrote in part, "So you're not only rude, you're also a liar."
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
