Jane Austen museum in bid to buy author's ring

The Jane Austen House Museum in England says it's in the bidding to buy a ring that once belonged to the Pride and Prejudice author back from singer Kelly Clarkson.

U.K. culture minister Ed Vaizey placed a temporary export ban on the gold and turquoise ring after Clarkson bought it, which will keep it from being taken out of the country until Sept. 30. However, the date can be extended to Dec. 30 if "a serious intention to raise funds to purchase the ring" is made — an intention which the House Museum appears to have fulfilled.

The museum announced Friday via Facebook that it began a fundraising campaign "To Bring the Ring Home." After only one weekend, the museum has managed to raise £103,200 thanks to an anonymous donor’s £100,000 ($159,284 Cdn)contribution.

Clarkson agreed to sell the ring if a buyer or campaign comes forward with £152,450 ($238,096 Cdn), the price she paid for it at a 2012 Sotheby’s auction in London last year.

The Jane Austen House Museum in the English village of Chawton is the same house where Austen spent the last eight years of her life, and is sometimes referred to as Chawton Cottage. While living there Austen wrote three of her most well-known novels: Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion.

The ring is one of three known pieces of jewelry owned by Austen. The House Museum already owns the other two — a turquiose bracelet and a topaz cross — as part of its display.

The museum says that it has tried and failed to get into contact with Clarkson. If the museum is unsuccessful in raising enough money to buy the ring, it says it will use whatever funds it gathered for maintenance of the house and its collection, and for future acquisitions.