Leave it to Sir Elton John to find the sparkle in surgery. The music icon revealed how he turned his kneecaps into wearable jewelry keepsakes while sharing an intimate look into his personal life and glitter-drenched career in a new documentary short film, Touched By Gold.
“When I had my kneecaps removed, the left one first and then the right, I asked my surgeon if I could keep the kneecaps, which he was rather startled about — then I rang you,” Elton, 78, said in Us Weekly‘s exclusive clip ahead of the film’s Monday, September 15 debut, noting that he gave jewelry designer Theo Fennell creative liberty to do “what you want with them” after his double knee replacement.
Fennell said his team “baked” his kneecaps to “dry them out” — noting the process makes the bones raw like pumice stone and porous, following which they can be painted with acetate and polished up.
Elton’s right patella was ultimately transformed into a sparkling gold-plated necklace. “My surgeon said I had the worst knees he’s ever operated on,” noted the chart-topping performer. “That hole was actually in my kneecap. It looks a bit like an old artifact from Egypt.”
The “Rocket Man” hitmaker praised Fennell for going a step further, revealing he “brilliantly had the necklace chain made out of bones.”
Fennell then chimed in, “I just thought it would be more fun to have a necklace that reflected the thing at the end of it.”
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On the back of the necklace is a Latin phrase that translates to, “I will no longer bow to any man.” The jewelry designer pointed out that’s something “you can’t do with a kneecap missing.”
Later in the clip, Elton shared that his left and smaller kneecap was turned into a brooch as they couldn’t do “so much with it.”
“I honestly think these are timeless pieces that will last for centuries,” he proudly shared.
Elsewhere in his documentary, Elton spoke about his love of wearing 8-inch platforms, highlighting that it was no surprise he had two knee transplants later in his life.
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He also further explained how his life has been touched by gold in fascinating ways, both on and off stage. Elton added, “The gold is so important … the gold shoes, the gold glasses, the gold outfits, the gold capes … they’re so much a part of who I became.”
Touched By Gold premieres Monday, September 15, on the World Gold Council official website.
