‘Till Death Do Us Part’ has certainly not been a vow taken seriously by many of the world’s rich and famous through the decades. However their engagement rings most certainly solidify De Beers’s famous slogan, “A diamond is forever.” The engagement ring industry has come a long way since 1477 when Archduke Maximillian of Austria commissioned the very first diamond engagement ring on record for his betrothed, Mary of Burgundy. However, we can perhaps assume it was slightly more humble than Mariah Carey’s 2016, $10 million, 35-carat diamond and platinum engagement ring, which she reportedly later sold for a whopping $13.3 million, as sadly she never made it up the aisle with Australian billionaire James Packer. The ring was his parting gift as he never asked for it back! This ring is listed as one of the most expensive proposals of the 21st century. So on that note, let us take a look at 10 show stopping celebrity rings through the decades to give you inspiration.
- Elizabeth Taylor- The Emerald Cut
Let us go way back to the 1950’s and start with the icon that is Elizabeth Taylor and her 1957 engagement to film producer Michael Todd. He proposed with a 30-carat emerald cut diamond. She actually labelled it “ a friendship ring” as at the time she was in the middle of her second divorce and didn’t want to add fuel to the fire. However after they married in a small romantic setting she began to refer to the rather large rock as “my ice skating rink”, a nod to the scale of the diamond. Sadly their whirlwind romance came to an end in 1958, just one year later. The ring sold in 2011 at auction for a staggering $3.7 million. The emerald cut is still a beautiful choice, loved by many women. This art deco shape displays pure craftsmanship. Its elongated shape gives the illusion that the stone is actually bigger than other shapes and its vertical facets create an elevated mirror like effect. Celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Demi Lovato, and Beyoncé have also opted for the emerald cut engagement ring.
2. Mia Farrow- The Pear Cut
An odd pairing indeed, but apparently none the less madly in love, Mia Farrow, an up and coming actress in the mid sixties and legend Frank Sinatra became engaged after a 2 year romance in 1966. He proposed with some real diamond fireworks, a 9-carat pear shaped diamond and platinum engagement ring with tapered baguettes from Ruser. Ruser was a diamond store favourite among the Hollywood elite in the sixties Long before jewelry conglomerates arrived in Los Angeles, it was located on the ever prestigious Rodeo Drive. The stand alone, family store has since been sold. The ring was sold for $85,000 in 1966. The pear shape is a particularly popular engagement ring shape for budding brides these days. Also known as the ‘tear drop’ cut due to its symbolism to a tear of joy or wedding tears. Because the shape is also quite unique in style it has been said to represent the strength, independence and empowerment of the wearer. Each beautifully crafted pear shaped engagement ring will have its own individuality, meaning and timeless history for the lucky owner. Other celebrities who opted for the pear shape over the last number of years include Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Paris Hilton and Margot Robbie.
3.The Royals- Kate Middleton & Megan Markle- The Sapphire & The 3 Tier Diamond Cut
Let’s be honest, we cannot do a blog post on inspirational engagement rings without mentioning our Royal Princesses of the 21st Century. Let’s take a look at Kate and Megan’s prestigious royal rings that set trends the world over. By now most of us know that Kate Middleton’s engagement ring was once owned by her mother in law Lady Diana Spencer. The 18-carat sapphire engagement ring features an oval sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds therefore holds a deep meaning with further connections to Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert , who all also owned the ring previously. An interesting fact is that this ring was actually inspired by a sapphire and diamond brooch beloved by the Queen and made a Crown heirloom by Queen Victoria. The brooch was originally gifted to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1840. The ring is valued at an estimated £300,000. Other celebrity icons who opted for this timeless classic style include Mary- Kate Olsen, Victoria Beckham, Penelope Cruz & Elizabeth Hurley.
Megan Markle on the other hand went for a more modern 3 stone stunner which Harry very romantically had designed himself. The ring features a three-carat cushion cut center diamond from Botswana, a place that holds special meaning to the couple. Harry also made sure to incorporate a part of his much loved mother into the ring. The center stone is surrounded by two round diamonds (estimated at just under a carat each) from her personal jewelry collection, paying tribute to the fact that her presence will follow them on this lifelong journey. The ring is set in a gold band.
4.Lady Gaga- The Love Heart Cut
One of the most influential style icons of the last decade, renowned for her freedom of speech and eccentric style, we just had to mention the wonderful woman that is Lady Gaga. The star has been engaged twice but her first engagement ring was one that took many by surprise. She opted for a super feminine heart cut ring, but one that was certainly the same size as her electric personality, A 6-carat heart-shaped diamond from jeweler Lorraine Schwartz, valued at $500,000. The diamond ring had the phrase “T <3 S” set in diamond pave on the back of the band, a sweet feature that stood for “Taylor loves Stephanie”, Lady Gaga’s real name. Other celebrities who opted for the heart cut ring include Gwen Stefani and Rochelle Humes. An elegant, idyllic choice for a woman looking for that little elevated level of sparkle and fabulous femininity.
5.Blake Lively – The Oval Cut
A delicate piece of heaven, Blake Lively’s oval engagement ring features a solitaire-set oval pink diamond in a light blush shade, the rose gold band compliments the stone perfectly, again a beautifully feminine choice. This 12 -carat rock has an estimated value of $2 million. The oval cut is a very popular choice among millennial brides at the moment. The oval cut is relatively new in comparison to others, being created by Lazare Kaplan in the early 1960s. Its most attractive feature is of course the oval diamond’s elongated shape that makes it look bigger than its actual size. Oval diamonds sit beautifully on the finger and give the illusion of a long, slender finger on all wearers. Other celebrities who opted for the oval shape in recent years include Amber Rose, Katie Holmes and most recently Hailey Baldwin Beiber with her beautiful six to 10 carat oval diamond by Solow & Co.
6.Kate Bosworth – The Asscher/Princess Cut
Director Michael Polish got down on one knee in 2012 and popped the question to the stunningly elegant Kate Bosworth. He chose an Asscher cut diamond, pure craftsmanship, this style first came to fruition in the 1800’s and gained real notoriety in the 1920’s Art Deco movement. A simple, dainty ring like this allows the wearer the option to really accessories their hand with more colour and gives a modern twist as seen in the image below of Kate’s hand.
This style can also be set with the similar princess-cut diamond, which is a “brilliant cut” known to sparkle. The only difference with the asscher is the focus is more so on clarity rather than sparkle but the shape is more less the same. The Princess cut is truly perfect for the consumer looking to blend art deco vintage with modern lines.
7.Kim Karashian- The Cushion Cut
It seemed only right to mention Kim K’s famous baseball pitch proposal to music industry royalty Kayne West in 2013. Kayne proposed with a flawless 15-carat D, cushion-cut diamond from the famous Lorraine Schwartz where Gaga also got her ring made. At the time the ring was estimated at $2 million. Kim’s regular posting of the ring on social media platforms and her whereabouts sadly lead to the robbery of Kim’s ring and other jewelry valued at $10 million in a Paris apartment in 2016 where the star was horrifically held at gunpoint. The cushion cut also known as a pillow cut diamond is a classic twist on the much-loved solitaire round diamond. This style blends the round cut with a worldly facet pattern to give it a real vintage feel and a sensational sparkle for all angles. Other celebrities who opted for cushion cut style include Leighton Meester, Sofia Vegara and Gabrielle Union.
8.Jennifer Annisten- The Radiant Cut
We all cheered when America’s sweetheart Jennifer Anniston gave love a second shot with actor Justin Theroux. He popped the question in 2012 with a sizzling 18-carat radiant cut diamond, valued at an estimated $500,000. A popular choice among future brides, the radiant cut brings together the best of both the emerald cut and classic round cut diamond. The emerald cut brings a clean cut, wonderfully flattering symmetrical shape and the round cut brings many layers of endless sparkle. The perfect combination of diamond heaven. Another timeless classic also chosen by Drew Barrymore.
9. Eva Longoria- The Ruby Stone (Gemstones)
High powered TV executive, José Antonio Bastón proposed to the astonishingly beautiful Eva Longoria in 2016 with a ruby centre stone, surrounded by a halo of diamonds and a white gold band. This classic Princess Dianna inspired gemstone is valued at a whopping $500,000. Eva claimed she is a simple girl and is rarely seen in public with her ring on- it only comes out for special occasions due the nature of its eye-catching charm and size. A gemstone engagement ring is a beautiful choice for any woman looking to exude pure class and luxury. These stones are not trend focused and will never be dated. Other celebrities who opted for the classic gemstone diamond include Halle Berry, Jessica Simpson and how can we forget the beloved Jackie Kennedy with her 1953 baguette emerald, pictured below.
10. Hedi Klum- The Canary/Yellow Diamond
A yellow diamond engagement ring remains a steadfast winner through the decades. Slightly less common than a classic engagement ring the consumer can really satisfy that thirst for a real stand out piece. Hedi Klum’s 2010 engagement to Seal saw him pop the question with a 10-carat canary yellow center diamond set in a gold band of pavé diamonds. This piece of art was valued at $150,000. Other celebrities who fly the yellow diamond flag include Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson.
While sadly less than 20% of the blushing celebrity brides above remained married to the men who proposed with these rings, the rings nonetheless are still totally fabulous. We hope this helped you to feel excited and inspired for your special purchase and here’s hoping it lasts a lifetime.