Austen museum successful in bid to buy Jane's ring

[September 23, 2013]  LONDON (AP) -- A Jane Austen museum says it has raised enough money to buy the writer's ring back from pop singer Kelly Clarkson.

Earlier this year, the British government placed a temporary export ban on the gold-and-turquoise ring Clarkson bought at auction in the hope that money could be found to keep it in Britain.

Jane Austen's House Museum said Monday it had raised 157,740 pounds ($252,436) -- enough to keep the ring in Britain. The funds were raised in just over a month.

The "Pride and Prejudice," author died at age 41 in 1817, and left the ring to her sister Cassandra. It had been in the family until the auction last year.

[Associated Press]

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