Sammy Davis Jr's Ring

It's not every day that you get to hold an item as extravagant and historic as this: Sammy Davis Jr's ring. The flamboyant yellow/brown diamond that seems to glow a luminous orange, is set in a stunning textured gold. Unquestionably, it is a specimen that needs to be seen to be believed.

A Brief Look at Davis' Life

Born in 1925 in New York City, Davis started his life in the limelight. His parents, Sammy Davis Sr and Elvera Sanchez were both stage performers, vaudeville dancers. When his parents separated, his father took the young Davis Jr on tour with him. He joined his father along with his godfather, Will Mastin, to become the Will Mastin Trio.

At age 18, during WWII, he was drafted into the army. During this time he frequently suffered from racially charged abuse, particularly at the hands of white soldiers from southern states. He was later reassigned to the Army's Special Services - an entertainment branch of the army that would put on shows for troops. After being discharged from the army, he rejoined the Will Mastin Trio and began recording blues music for Capitol Records. Between 1951 and 1959 he continued performing, he was seen on TV, in film, and on the stage in musical theatre.

In 1959 the Rat Pack was formed and Davis joined. Led by Frank Sinatra, other members included Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford. Together, the group made and starred in several films and often performed on stage in Las Vegas and New York. Davis was actually the first African-American to perform at the Copacabana.

He continued to perform for the rest of his life until he passed in 1990. His career is marked by exceptional performances and his ability to repeatedly defy stereotypes. There were many barriers in his place, he had one eye, converted to Judaism, and was Black. None of this adds up to success in 40s/50s America. But his talent and hard work speaks for itself. There is no denying that his legacy is legendary, he is an icon in music history.

Jewellery and Style

Sammy Davis Jr was known for his extravagant and flamboyant jewellery that perfectly embodied his larger-than-life persona. He adorned himself with an array of stunning diamonds that complemented his unique style and ultimately became an iconic aspect of his image. Typically, Davis adhered to the Rat Pack's fashion of the 1950s, think of a precisely fitted sharkskin suit with narrow lapels, hamburg hats, and briefcases - undeniably iconic.

A defining stylistic choice within The Rat Pack was their fondness for orange. Whenever possible, they would include the colour somewhere in their outfits. For example, Frank Sinatra wore an orange waistcoat. While Dean Martin opted for an orange pocket square. Perhaps for Davis, his orange item of choice was lot 194, his yellow-brown 10.75ct diamond.

Whenever he was not dressed as a member of the Rat Pack, Davis loved expressing himself through his fashion by incorporating individual and unique elements. He was attracted to ruffled shirts, flashy colours, and bold gold jewellery. One of his signature gold rings was a staple piece that he often wore while performing on stage. This very ring featured in our highly anticipated Fine Jewellery Auction.

Sammy Davis Jr's Ring and it's Travels

Davis carried this ring with him on his travels around the world. He wore it on his index finger during his tour of Europe in 1985. In the videos, we can clearly see it on his hand while performing on stage in Germany. It made its way to many places, even to the White House.

Davis first met the then-President of the US Richard Nixon in 1971. Nixon liked Davis and encouraged him to travel to Vietnam. He agreed and went to Vietnam to talk to and perform for the troops in the military's drug rehabilitation program. In March of 1973, after he returned, Davis was invited to a White House reception where he performed. Nixon called the reception, "An Evening with Sammy Davis Jr". On his pinky finger, you can see him sporting the very same ring. This was a historic event, not only a marvellous performance from Davis, but it was the first time that an African-American family was invited to spend the night at the White House.

Just a few months later, Davis returned to the White House. This time, to perform at a gala in honour of soldiers taken as prisoners of war during Vietnam. This year, the Nixon Foundation celebrated the 50th anniversary of this event.

Davis was photographed at many different points in his life and in many different places. Often, with this extraordinary ring on one of his fingers. We are thrilled to be able to offer it at auction. This ring is undeniably exciting. Not only is it fantastically glamorous, with an utterly spectacular diamond. But, its remarkable history and provenance make it entirely unique.

At Auction

Additionally to the ring, we're excited to share with you the HUGE photo album that is in this lot. This gigantic, oversized, massive photo album includes beautiful images of Sammy at various points throughout his life, and in many, he is wearing this ring.

Examples of the photographs inside have been scattered throughout this blog. However, that is only scratching the surface. There is so much history to uncover, and so many stories to tell.

In The Press

Of course, this ring is very special. The history attached to it is nothing short of spectacular. But, the addition of the photo album only added to this lot's allure. This was the first time that the ring was sold alongside the photo album and it attracted a lot of attention.

The story was picked up by the BBC and what started as a radio interview quickly spiralled into national coverage. Our MD, Stephen Whittaker, was interviewed by Letitia George which you can listen to here (skip to 1h 28 mins to get to the good stuff!).

This was followed by the BBC coming into our office to film for the evening news! To read their story about the ring and this monumental auction, you can head to BBC News.