Jane Austen's ring fetches $236557 at auction

Washington, July 12 (ANI): A gold ring once owned by celebrated British author Jane Austen has been auctioned off for more than five times its estimate.

The ' Pride and Prejudice' writer's simple piece of jewellery, which features an oval turquoise gemstone, was a big draw at the U.K. Sotheby's auctioneering on Tuesday and went under the hammer for 243,920 dollars (152,450 pounds), Contactmusic reported.

The winning bidder was an anonymous private collector who made his offer over the phone.

" Jane Austen's simple and modest ring is a wonderfully intimate and evocative possession," Dr. Gabriel Heaton, Sotheby's manuscripts specialist, said in a statement released on Tuesday.

"The price achieved today and the huge level of interest it has generated, is a remarkable testament to the author's endu ring appeal and her place at the heart of our literary and cultural heritage," he added. (ANI)