16 September 2025 — Sir Elton John has once again surprised the public, this time by transforming parts of his own body into art. In the new short documentary Touched by Gold, produced by the World Gold Council, the music legend reveals that after undergoing a double knee replacement, he asked his surgeon to keep his removed kneecaps. He entrusted them to designer Theo Fennell, who crafted them into unique pieces of gold jewelry.
The process was unconventional. Fennell and his team “baked” the bones to dry them out — a step necessary to make them porous, similar to pumice stone. Once dried, the bones were painted with acetate and polished. The right kneecap, or right patella, was fashioned into a gold-plated necklace with a chain that Fennell designed to resemble bones, giving the piece an artifact-like quality. Engraved on the back in Latin are the words “I will no longer bow to any man.” The smaller left kneecap became a delicate brooch.
Elton John described the pieces as “timeless,” believing they will endure for centuries. He likened them to relics, saying that one day, people might see them and hardly believe they once belonged to him.
In the documentary, John also reflects on his health and the many parts of himself that medical procedures have removed over the years — from his hips and knees to organs. Despite that, he conveys a resilient sense of identity, embracing this artistic reimagining of his physical self as symbolic and perhaps cathartic.
Touched by Gold is now available through the World Gold Council. The jewelry premiered publicly when Elton John wore the kneecap necklace to the UK premiere of his film Never Too Late in October 2024. The brooch, while not as prominent, carries equal symbolic weight.
The reaction from fans and observers has been mixed. Some are struck by the artistry, the daring, the ability of a world-famous performer to reclaim parts of his body with creativity and defiance. Others have found the concept unsettling, even strange. But through it all, Elton John appears wholly comfortable — owning both the vulnerabilities of aging, physical decline, and the power of reinvention.
