Beyoncé Donated a Moving, $70K Ring to a Museum Just Because
Celebrity

Beyoncé Donated a Moving, $70K Ring to a Museum Just Because

Beyoncé, generous queen that she is, reportedly donated a Papillon ring gifted to her by Jay-Z to London's Victoria & Albert Museum. It will be displayed alongside the jewels of famous historical figures like Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great and Napoleon's first wife, Empress Joséphine as part of "one of the most spectacular jewelry collections in the world," The Guardian reports.

The ring was designed by London-based jewelry Glenn Spiro in 2014 and is shaped like a life-sized butterfly with moving wings made of titanium and encrusted with green tsavorites — which are 1,000 times rarer than emeralds. They're also surrounded by diamonds for a little extra glitz.

Yonce told Vogue UK that she "love[s] butterflies" but this ring is "something special," and when she heard that the museum was looking for "exciting examples of contemporary jewelry," she immediately offered to donate it. "She and Jay Z buy beautiful things," Spiro told Vogue UK. "Not just jewelry but also art; they are collectors."

Clare Phillips, the museum's jewelry curator, expressed excitement over the addition to the collection. "Beyoncé is a figure whose personal style the V&A is proud to represent and a gift from whose personal collection we are honored to receive," Phillips said. "The Papillon ring she has gifted is an exquisite example of contemporary jewelry design by one of Britain's master jewelers."

Image via BFA