Elton John has revealed that he turned his removed kneecaps into gold jewellery, a process documented in his new short film Touched By Gold. The 78-year-old singer underwent a double knee replacement in 2024 and asked his surgeon to keep the bones, which were then transformed into a necklace and a brooch.
In the documentary, released by the World Gold Council, John recalled: “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.” Jewellery designer Theo Fennell explained that the bones were baked to dry them out, then painted with acetate and polished before being set in gold.
John described the necklace as “my right kneecap” and noted that his surgeon said he had “the worst knees he’s ever operated on.” The back of the necklace is inscribed with a Latin phrase meaning “I will no longer bow to any man,” with Fennell adding: “Which of course you can’t do with a kneecap missing.” John’s left kneecap, being smaller, was turned into a brooch.
The singer, who retired from touring in 2023, has faced numerous health issues. Last October, he quipped: “I don’t have tonsils, adenoids or an appendix. I don’t have a prostate. I don’t have a right hip or a left knee or a right knee. In fact, the only thing left to me is my left hip. But I’m still here.”
John concluded the documentary by reflecting on his final performances at Glastonbury and in Stockholm, saying: “I ended on a high, that’s what I wanted to end on.”
