In 2012, the singer had her eyes set on a ring valued at AUD $288.6K that belonged to Jane Austen.<\/p>\n
Clarkson, who is worth AUD $24 million, successfully outbid eight other people for the treasure at an auction, only to be banned from taking the ring back to the US.<\/p>\n
Despite the singer and self-proclaimed Austen superfan bidding five times the ring’s estimate to edge out the other bidders, the UK’s culture minister of the time, Ed Vaizey hit the precious item with an export ban to keep it in the country.<\/p>\n
The ring was regarded as a “national treasure” and donations even poured in around the world to match Clarkson’s bid for the ring in an attempt to “Bring the Ring Home,” a campaign launched by Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton, Hampshire.<\/p>\n
One anonymous donation reportedly came in at \u00a3100k (nearly AUD 200k).<\/p>\n
As for why Clarkson was so motivated to buy the ring, the Austen fanatic has always been a big fan of the author’s work and even owns a first edition of Austen’s 1817 novel Persuasion.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the donations, the Austen musem was able to earn the ring back from Clarkson, bringing it home to Austen’s Chawton Cottage, which doubles as a museum.<\/p>\n
The silver and turquoise ring is accompanied by the only other two surviving pieces of jewellery known to belong to Austen<\/p>\n
Though Clarkson lost out on the auction, Clarkson did not act like a sore loser.<\/p>\n
![\"\u2018Ungrateful\u2019:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/6b9474c6729bb4edf15e660ee8b532a2.jpeg\")
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The singer-songwriter, who was 31 at the time, said in a statement, “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.”<\/p>\n
Isabel Snowden, an assistant for the museum, told NBC News in a statement in 2013, “We do feel sorry for her because she paid for it in good faith,” but noted that a temporary export ban for a national treasure is not a new phenomenon, and has been around for 60 years.<\/p>\n
Snowden also said that while the situation was unfortunate for Clarkson, “she has been incredibly gracious.”<\/p>\n
“She is happy for the ring to be in the museum and we hope she comes and visits – we would be delighted to have her,” Snowden continued.<\/p>\n
The American Idol star reportedly settled for a replica of the ring instead.<\/p>\n
![\"Kelly](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ccf17a401698c1695b7cbce7c6736b64.jpeg\")
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The diplomatic auction is a stark departure from recent news that saw Clarkson in a 1-on-1 beef with Brookly home good shop Art of Play.<\/p>\n
Clarkson took to X last weekend to announce<\/a> her dissatisfaction with the store: “Just drove all the way to Brooklyn to check out this store I thought looked really rad and had a few things in mind to buy and literally was looked at as if I couldn\u2019t afford it and was told he could find something comparable for me.”<\/p>\n The singer continued, “Wow, dude. You\u2019re an idiot and just lost a huge sale. But y\u2019all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman. For sure, check it out”<\/p>\n Clarkson is referring to a famous scene from Pretty Woman in which Vivian, played by Roberts, is accosted by sales assistants in a snobbish high-end store on Rodeo Drive.<\/p>\n The sales assistants refuse to tell Vivian the price of their clothing, assuming based on the way she’s dressed that she can’t afford it.<\/p>\n That’s apparently how the singer felt when she entered a curiosity shop to purchase a mechanical bird.\u00a0<\/p>\n The store issued a statement on Instagram, claiming that Clarkson wanted to purchase Molly, a mechanical bird attached to the wall which plays an “important role” in the shop’s magic shows.<\/p>\n The shop insisted they encourage everyone who comes in to make a purchase or look around to feel welcome and that they are free to “pick things up and play.”<\/p>\n The shop fired back at online detractors who took Clarkson’s side, “Imagine our surprise when our small local business was suddenly attacked by 8 million people who have never visited our store.” They called the outrage following one mention by a celebrity “surreal” and said they hope to clear things up with the singer someday.<\/p>\n Clarkson, however, wasn’t buying it, and fired back at their explanation in a second tweet<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Sure, it wasn’t for sale,” Clarkson wrote sarcastically, adding that the conversation she had about the sale must have never happened.<\/p>\n Clarkson claims she asked if it was for sale because there was a price tag on the wall and that she was met with a conscending response: “yes, it’s for sale but it costs (USD) 15,000 dollars so if you’d like me to find something comparable for you I can.”<\/p>\n The former talk show host also added that she “obviously” supports small businesses “because [she] was literally at a small business trying to purchase things.”<\/p>\n In yet another statement<\/a> posted by the shop, Art of Play referred to the entire bitter back-and-forth as a “misunderstanding.” and claimed the singer was only in their store for a whole of five minutes.<\/p>\n Leaked security footage<\/a> obtained by journalist Pablo Torre confirms Clarkson spent 4 minutes and 50 seconds and appears to show the singer talking to the shopkeeper while pointing to something on the wall.\u00a0<\/p>\n Their entire interaction lasts only seconds, but shortly after Clarkson is seen storming off from the store, but not before seemingly scolding a worker behind the cash register.<\/p>\n Doubling down on the claim that Molly is “permanently attached to the wall and serves as a de facto mascot for our shop,” the store claimed a nearly identical automaton was offered to her for the same price as well as a “different singing bird automoton” for the cost of USD $2000.<\/p>\n Read related topics:Kelly Clarkson<\/a>