Elvis gave this bloodstone ring as a Christmas gift to Sam Thompson as relayed in the accompanying letter from Sam. Bloodstone (Heliotrope) is known for its mystical properties and is believed to provide vitality, strength, passion and courage. The stone, one of the jasper family, has deep red colors that in historic times were claimed to originate from the blood of Christ. Given his attraction to spirituality and religion, Elvis was likely attracted to this gem for its visual appeal, exalted properties and deep meanings.
The ring, size 10, comes with the letter from Sam which states in part, “I was at Graceland during December of 1972, and Elvis has just returned from a road tour where he had played Tucson, Oakland, El Paso and Long Beach. It was Christmas, and although we had only met a month earlier, Elvis called me up to his room and gave me a yellow gold man’s ring with what Elvis said was a ‘bloodstone’ and a small diamond in the corner of that stone. Elvis said he had had the ring for a long time and had not bought me anything for Christmas, and wanted me to take the ring as a gift.”
This handsome ring has a large rectangular cushion-shaped bloodstone set in 10-karat yellow gold weighing 8 grams, with the stone containing a triangular metal insert set with a round diamond weighing 0.04 carats and measuring 2 mm. This stately ring is accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Graceland Authenticated, quoted here.