The engagements of public figures such as princesses and pop stars always cause a stir in the media, but the big question – other than “Who will design the dress?” – is about the engagement rings. How big, how much and how beautiful, to be precise. These are some of the engagement ring’s big moments throughout history.
Platinum Engagement Rings – Royalty
- The first of the royal engagement rings recorded was given to Mary of Burgundy in 1477 by Maximilian I of Austria. The ring was specially commissioned as a symbol of unity between their two countries.
- Princess Mary was to wear the smallest ever of the royal engagement rings – but as she was married by proxy to the Dauphin of France in 1518 at two-years-old this isn’t really a surprise.
- Prince Philip decided to keep it in the family when he ordered his engagement ring’s diamonds to be taken from his mother’s tiara before presenting it to Queen Elizabeth II.
- Lady Diana Spencer must have gasped when prince Charles revealed her ring to be an 18-carat blue oval sapphire encircled by fourteen dazzling diamonds. Engagement rings like that simply don’t come cheap!
- Glamorous Grace Kelly received one of the world’s most classic and admired engagement rings from Prince Rainier – a 12-carat emerald-cut diamond.
Platinum Engagement Rings – Actresses
- Some of the most famous engagement rings of all time found their way onto Elizabeth Taylor’s hand, especially the 69.42 carat Taylor-Burton diamond that Elizabeth had made into a necklace because it was too big for a ring.
- Basic Instinct star Sharon Stone received one of Hollywood’s most stunning engagement rings from her now husband Phil Bronstein. The three-diamond 3.5 carat emerald-cut diamond ring was the talk of Tinseltown for weeks.
- Welsh-born Hollywood queen Catherine Zeta-Jones accepted Michael Douglas’ hand in marriage after he proposed with a 10-carat antique marquise diamond that reportedly cost $2million, making it one of the most pricey engagement rings in Hollywood history.
Platinum Engagement Rings – Pop stars
- The most recent of Madonna’s engagement rings, from now-husband Guy Ritchie, was an antique Edwardian three-diamond ring to represent her, Guy and their son Rocco.
- Christina Aguilera’s fiancée Jordan Bratman did a good job of choosing a vintage-style ring for his girlfriend, who dressed in 1940’s outfits. The $54,000 20-carat diamond ring was designed by jeweller Stephen Webster, who has created many celebrity engagement rings.
- For pop diva Britney Spears only two engagement rings would do. The first she bought herself before her wedding to dancer Kevin Federline, the second he gave to her nine months after their big day.