Elvis Presley loved adorning himself in the finest fashions and most extravagant outfits. He was of course best known for wearing his iconic white jumpsuits, but he also loved jewellery.
Over the years, he accumulated rings, necklaces and watches worth thousands of dollars.
Elvis had a special connection to one batch of custom jewellery, however: the TCB logo. The lightning bolt and initials stood for “Taking Care of Business in a Flash”, and was one of the star’s mottos as he grew up.
During the late 1960s, Elvis decided he wanted to give this motto a physical form and gift it, as jewellery, to his band, and members of his entourage the Memphis Mafia.
The original idea for the logo didn’t come from Elvis, though; instead, he sought help from his wife, Priscilla Presley.
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Priscilla looked back on Elvis’ life back in 2022 while talking to Vogue. During the chat, she pointed out the incredible TCB logo.
She explained: “I actually designed the TCB necklace. We were on a plane going to Memphis one day, and he said to me that he wanted to have something for the guys that made it just ‘for the guys,’ a piece of jewellery for TCB, specifically.”
As Priscilla mulled this over in the plane, it started to rain outside. And as she looked out the private jet’s window, she saw something that inspired her.
“As it rained,” Priscilla said. “A lightning bolt came across the sky. I looked at it, and I drew a lightning bolt, and then I put the TCB right on it.”
She showed Elvis and said: “Is this what you mean?”
Priscilla said he looked at it and replied: “Oh my God, this is it. This is what I want.”
Priscilla went on: “And the rest is history!”
Elvis went on to commission some rings and necklaces to be made, some of which he gave to his nearest-and-dearest. The first was reportedly designed and gifted to JD Sumner, his close friend and backup singer.
But Priscilla was not completely thrilled with how things turned out. She added: “I’ll be darned, I don’t have a patent on it.”