Elton John had his kneecaps turned into jewelry after surgery

Elton John doesn’t shy away from the strange and unusual. In his new documentary “Touched By Gold,” released Monday, the legendary rocker revealed how he creatively preserved two body parts after undergoing surgery.

“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 — then I rang you,” John said during the filming, noting that he gave jewelry designer Theo Fennell a call. “The Rocket Man” singer then gave Fennell his kneecaps and told him to do “what you want with them” after his double knee replacement.

Fennell, who appears in the documentary, said his team then “baked” John’s kneecaps to “dry them out,” which ultimately made the bones raw like pumice stone and porous. The kneecaps were then able to be painted with acetate and polished.

In the end, John’s right kneecap was transformed into a sparkling gold-plated necklace, featuring a diamond-lined hole in the center.

“My surgeon said I had the worst knees he’s ever operated on,” John revealed. “That hole was actually in my kneecap. It looks a bit like an old artifact from Egypt.”

On the back of the necklace, an inscription in Latin reads, “I will no longer bow to any man.” Fennell humorously pointed out that this message is especially fitting considering that John is missing his kneecaps.

Meanwhile, John’s other kneecap, which was smaller, was turned into a brooch as they couldn’t do “so much with it.”. Overall, the 87-year-old hitmaker was very pleased with his new bling. “I honestly think these are timeless pieces that will last for centuries,” he said.

“Touched By Gold” is now streaming for free on the World Gold Council’s official website and YouTube.