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Elvis: The King of Rings - Volume 2 - by Paul Belard Linden Press, USA, 2022, Softcover (21.5 x 27.8 cm), 258 pages, Illustrated, ISBN-13: 979-8985235579 Reviewed by Nigel Patterson - September 2022 Author-researcher, Paul Bélard recently published the concluding volume of his two books focusing on Elvis’ rings. They say first impressions last! The cover image of Elvis’ famous TCB ring is truly striking and sets the tone for what is an impressive examination of another 100+ rings that Elvis owned during his lifetime. As a photo-journal, Elvis The King of the Rings Volume 2 is more than a photobook, and while the mostly color images dominate, the narrative component contains valuable and interesting information. The description for each ring is detailed, providing its history, design, gold purity (karat), weight (carat), value, and other relevant information. For example, after detailing Elvis’ Lapis lazuli, Gold & Diamond ring (pp150-151), Bélard adds an excerpt from a letter from Charlie Hodge:
For many rings, such as an unusual Turquoise and Siver ring (pp 158-159), the description provides finer detail to enhance the reader’s understanding and appreciation of the ring:
For those rings sold at auction (most have been), the author includes details of rings sold at auction including the date of sale, price estimate, and actual sale price. Elvis’ TCB ring has four pages devoted to it, while other rings are covered over one-two pages. The author also includes many Letters and Certificates of Authenticity for particular rings. A number are comprehensive and very interesting to read. These include letters by J.D. Sumner, Janice Fadal, and James P. Byers. The stories in the book also highlight Elvis’ great generosity to others and the positive feelings it brought him. Regarding an imposing Diamond & Gold ring (pp112-115) gifted by Elvis to his friend and karate instructor, Ed Parker, Parker wrote in his book, Inside Elvis:
The story behind a Gold-Plated ring with four panels is fascinating, including the symbolic nature of four faces and a half a page overview by Elvis’ cousin, Patsy Presley (pp190-191). There is also a narrative section devoted to Patsy Presley’s Collection. Elvis gave away a large number of his rings and some of the collections where they were later sourced from included Lowell Hays Jewelers, Eddie Fadal, Charlie Hodge, Patsy Presley, Lamar Fike, collector Tom Salva, Janelle McComb, Sam Thompson, Greg Page (the original “Yellow Wiggle”), Savid Stanley, German Elvis Presley Museum, and several lucky fans. The images of the rings are in full color and as Kees Mouwen and I commented in our review of Elvis The King of the Rings Volume 1 , the amount of bling on show is jaw dropping! Each ring is generally pictured by itself on one page (the pages are roughly A4 size) with supporting information on the facing page, and where available a photo of Elvis wearing the ring (not all of these are in color). Other images feature Elvis wearing rings, but not always the ring being highlighted. Some of the visual highlights (and there are many!) are:
Many of the rings have unusual designs when you see them up close. For example:
Not all of the rings are attractive (at least in this reviewer’s mind), but they do highlight the diverse array of designs, shapes, colors, etc, that attracted Elvis. For example, I found not to my liking:
What is evident in seeing photos of Elvis wearing the rings is how he carefully matched his rings and clothing. A great example is him wearing his Silver & Turquoise ring during rehearsals for Elvis That’s The Way It Is. Elvis’ multi-colored shirt and the ring complement each other superbly (p 163). After finishing my journey through Elvis King of the Rings Volume 2 I had only one concern, that I wished Paul Bélard had used quality gloss paper stock, as this would give each image even greater shine/resonance. While I understand this would involve a significantly higher cost to produce the book, given that Elvis’ jewelry is stunning in both its color and design, I feel it deserves that extra dimension. Verdict: That Paul Bélard has been able to already release two volumes (more than 500 pages) showcasing and documenting just several hundred of Elvis’ rings is testament to the incredible amount of research he has undertaken (a third volume is likely). The result is that both volumes are an impressive visual and narrative record of one of Elvis’ favorite pastimes. What is on display in The King of the Rings Volume 2 leaves no doubt as to the importance of rings in Elvis’ life and offers great insight to his taste and likings when purchasing new pieces. I look forward to the next volumes from the author about Elvis’ jewelry. They will include a third volume around rings as well as books about watches (the early draft of this book look great), bracelets, and pendants. I just hope that Paul Bélard will invest more and publish them using gloss paper stock.
Copies of Elvis The King of the Rings Volume 2 can be ordered directly from the author Paul Bélard at pbelard@hotmail.com or from Amazon. See our review of the first volume of the author’s two-volume set, The King of the Rings, below.
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