Famous Engagement Rings
When celebrities get engaged, the world waits to see what impressive jewels will adorn their left ring fingers. Here are some of the most famous engagement rings in modern history.
Princess Diana’s Engagement Ring
The engagement ring worn by the People’s Princess was actually somewhat scandalous, since it wasn’t a custom-made piece. It came from a jeweler’s collection and was available for anyone to purchase. The center stone is a twelve-carat oval sapphire surrounded by fourteen diamonds and set in white gold. After Diana’s untimely death, her sons—Princes Harry and William—selected some of their mother’s jewelry as mementos. In 2010, Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with Diana’s ring. The Prince said proposing with his mother’s ring was his way of making sure Diana didn’t miss out on his wedding day.
Elizabeth Taylor’s Rings
With eight marriages over the course of her lifetime, Elizabeth Taylor had an impressive collection of engagement rings. Her smallest ring was a four-carat diamond given to her by her first husband, Conrad Hilton. Just a few months after her divorce from Hilton, she was engaged to Michael Wilding, who gifted her with a sapphire ring. This set off a trend in sapphire engagement rings for the next few years. Her third husband, Mike Todd, proposed with a 29-carat emerald-cut Cartier ring. It remains one of the most stunning engagements rings in celebrity history. Taylor’s fourth husband—Todd’s friend Eddie Fisher—proposed with a bracelet instead of a ring. Still, the bracelet had 50 diamonds weighing 40 carats. While she was still married to Fisher, Taylor began an affair with Cleopatra co-star Richard Burton. Burton also skipped the traditional ring, instead proposing with a necklace of emeralds and diamonds. Over the course of their marriage, he gifted her with lots of jewelry, including the Krupp Diamond. Now known as the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, it weighs 33 carats. Taylor wore it on a ring almost daily. Taylor and Burton divorced briefly but remarried, where Burton presented her with the Grand Duchess of Russia’s emeralds.
Victoria Beckham
The former Spice Girl and current fashion designer has been married to soccer star David Beckham for fifteen years, but that doesn’t mean she’s stuck with just one ring. She has apparently updated her ring thirteen times, almost once every year. David proposed in 1998 with a white marquise-shaped diamond set in a yellow gold band. Throughout the years, she has been seen wearing a large emerald-cut, pear-cut, and heart-shaped diamonds. She’s also been pictured wearing emerald rings. It’s estimated that the total cost of her rings is nearly $6 million dollars.
Jackie Kennedy
Jackie Kennedy Onassis is considered one of America’s greatest style icons. While the details of how John F. Kennedy proposed, the ring is an iconic piece of jewelry. It featured two stones—a diamond and an emerald—each weighing about 2.8 carats. In addition to the main stones, the band itself was lined with round and marquise-cut diamonds. Today, the ring has an estimated value of $1.4 million.
Grace Kelly of Monaco
American actress Grace Kelly met Prince Rainier III of Monaco at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. They announced their engagement in January 1956. The Prince proposed with a stunning 10-carat emerald-cut diamond. The two were married four months later in what was called the wedding of the century. They had two ceremonies—a civil ceremony at the palace and a Catholic Mass in Monaco’s Cathedral.
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