A sweeping range of Frank Sinatra memorabilia and jewelry owned by his fourth and last wife Barbara goes on sale in New York on Thursday, likely to be snapped up by mega fans and aficionados all over the world. The single most expensive lot, the enormous 20-karat diamond engagement ring that Sinatra gave Barbara in a champagne glass has already sold, fetching $1.7 million in a battle between two telephone bidders, Sotheby's said.

The jewel was one of two the entertainer tossed on the bed asking the model to pick the one she liked the most, without actually proposing. "She said 'alright I picked the diamond, you pick which finger to put it on' and that's how it became her engagement ring," said Quig Bruning, vice president and jewelry specialist at Sotheby's.