12 Most Royal and Iconic Engagement Rings

Dear readers,

Everyone knows that September is the ULTIMATE wedding month. Why, you ask? Well, for one, the weather is just right: not too hot (we don’t want the bride having a make-up meltdown), and not too cold (which means you can wear that open back dress without the imminent fear of catching a cold!). Additionally, most people will have returned from their holidays by then, meaning there won’t be the concern that one of the bridesmaids might be gone AWOL (meaning, Absent Without Official Leave, for those of you unfamiliar with the term; you’re welcome!). Another very important point is that by September you will (hopefully) have had a relaxed beach side vacation, meaning that… YOUR. TAN. WILL. BE. ON. POINT- and we all know the importance of having an effortless, sun-kissed look (especially because you never know who you might meet in weddings, I mean, the groom might have super cute friends), and of course, you’ll look 1000x better (ok, maybe only 100x better; untanned skin is cute too) in your obligatory Instagram #weddingposts. By now you should be nodding your head and agreeing with me, but for those more stubborn among you, here is another very valid reason as to why September weddings are the most popular: exotic honeymoon’s are cheaper. Let’s face it, most people want that beach-front, Caribbean, private island honeymoon, but not everyone can afford that lifestyle, especially, in the middle of the Summer when prices are through the roof! Thus, a good compromise is to travel in September; when prices are lower and the weather is still pretty amazing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am nowhere near ready to get married, but I do appreciate the glamour that can be associated with weddings, especially Royalty (be it blue blood or Hollywood) Weddings.

Everybody writes about the most famous and beautiful wedding dresses, and while dresses can in fact be glamorous, fashionable and iconic, I’m much more interested in a much smaller, yet shinier object associated to weddings. You guessed it; Engagement Rings – after all, diamonds are a girl’s best friend. 

If you haven’t already joined the pieces (although I’m sure you have seeing as you’re all wise and canny…and also it’s written in the title), this post is going to feature the 12 Most Royal and Iconic Engagement Rings from real life Royal Princesses, as well as Hollywood Royalty.

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Audrey Hepburn

  

It should come as no surprise to you that Audrey was setting trends when it came to her wedding look. Her first husband, Mel Ferrer, knew Audrey wore very different outfits, depending on what she felt like looking on any particular day. So for their wedding, he decided that one ring wasn’t enough for Miss Hepburn, and instead ended up giving her a two faceted wedding band: one in rose gold, and one in white, so she could switch them to match her outfit. Despite their marriage ending, this stackable ring idea endured due to its simple, practical and elegant look.

Jackie Kennedy

  

Although I wasn’t alive to witness their wedding, I certainly remember the amazing emerald engagement ring that (then senator) future President John F. Kennedy gave to the beautiful Jackie O (in 1953). Apparently, President Kennedy’s father helped him pick out this 2.84 carat emerald set next to a remarkably clear 2.88-carat diamond (so I guess we should say, good job papa Kennedy!). This ring stands out and is one of the most famous and iconic engagement rings due to its combination of baguette stones, diamond accents and emeralds – i’ll have one of those please!

Elizabeth Taylor

 

Of course, Liz Taylor’s ring had to be included in this list. Miss Taylor was married eight times, but with an astounding 33.19-carat Asscher-cut Krupp pure and transparent diamond, this ring (from husband number 6, Richard Burton) is definitely one of the most memorable and remarkable ones! If you’re wondering how much this ring would cost, I’d say it’s about 8.9 million (2015 valuation)…but no amount of money can compare to the beautiful Elizabeth’s love, right? (At least her husband thought so)

Princess Diana (and Kate Middleton)

   

This ring was first introduced to the world back in 1981shortly after Prince Charles proposed to the beautiful Princess Diana. The ring has increased in value over the years, and is now worth about half a million dollars. Nevertheless, I’m sure you’ll all agree that no monetary amount can compete with the emotional value of the beautiful ring, and the heartfelt gesture made by Prince William when he proposed with his mother’s ring to Kate Middleton, now Duchess of Cambridge. Because this 12 carat Ceylon blue sapphire ring once decorated Princess Di’s finger, it is no doubt one of the most famous engagement rings of all time.

Princess Grace Kelly

  

Is it possible to look more beautiful than Grace Kelly? The answer is yes; Grace Kelly with her 10.5-carat diamond engagement ring, presented by Prince Rainier, merely days after they met (breathe!). FUN FACT: He was originally going to propose with a Cartier eternity band of rubies and diamonds…but at the time, big diamond engagement rings were fashionable among Hollywood starlets (still kind of are tbh). 

Marie Antoinette

  

Everyone knows the story of the infamous Marie Antoinette, but do you know about the Hope Diamond? (psst! If not, keep reading!) The Hope Diamond was, until recently, the largest faceted diamond in the world, and is probably the most famous and historically interesting diamond. Allegedly, the diamond was rarely seen, until Louis XVI gave it to Marie Antoinette when they got married, who added it to her jewelry collection – which was vast to say the least. There is a theory that the Hope Diamond is cursed; if you’re interesting in reading more about that, don’t worry, I got you covered..Just follow this link.

Princess Fawzia Fuad of Egypt (Queen of Iran)

  

Princess Fawzia Fuad became the Queen of Iran when she married Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran. She had been educated and brought up luxuriously in Switzerland, and was described as being a shy, pretty girl, with blue eyes and black hair. They married in 1939, and although their marriage was short-lived, ending in 1945, her big and beautiful diamond ring (visible in the first picture) is a perfect addition to this post. Another reason I decided to include Princess Fawzia in the post is due to her fashionista nature. Reportedly, after the divorce was finalised, Fawzia picked herself up and returned to being the stylish Princess she always was and went on a shopping frenzy, ordering “coats, cocktail gowns, evening dresses, fur garments and casual outfit“. She later remarried back in Cairo.

Princess Soraya of Iran

  

Princess Soraya was the second wife of Reza Pahlavi (after Fawzia). Similarly to Fawzia, Soraya too studied in Switzerland. Soon after she completed high school they got engaged. The Shah gave her an amazingly huge 22.37 carat diamond engagement ring. Despite this being another failed marriage for the Shah, this ring still remains one of the most exquisite and beautiful ones out there.

Queen Rania of Jordan

Your probably know Queen Rania from her many worldwide social activist ventures and her striking good looks. But perhaps you know less about her marital life? Queen Rania is married to Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and they have four children together. Unlike the two previous Royal beauties mentioned, the couple married in 1993 just six months after they had meet in a “love at first sight” scenario (sigh..). As nervous King Abullah might’ve been when proposing, he did a good job with the choice of engagement ring, presenting Rania with a yellow almost see-through tourmaline ring with diamonds coating the stone.

Victoria Beckham

Of course I had to include one of the most good-looking couples out there (who are still going strong!) in this post. When the football star David Beckham proposed to Posh Spice, Victoria, he sealed the deal with a massive diamond-encrusted engagement ring. As if this ring wasn’t enough, Victoria is alleged to have several other different size engagement rings, ranging from a tiny 3 carat diamond ring to this big emerald cut diamond (don’t worry ladies, a little jealousy is understandable, and acceptable at this point!)

Beyoncé

JayZ and Bey might just be the top when it comes to Hollywood Royalty. I mean, has any other (amazingly gorge) celeb couple been together as long as they have?! We all know Queen B deserves the best, and apparently, so does JayZ. When he decided to put a ring on it – sorry, couldn’t help myself – back in 2007, after dating for ~7years; he proposed with a gigantic 18-carat platinum diamond ring. The ring was designed by the renown jeweller Lorrain Schwatz, and has been  certified as an exceptional and flawless diamond. This ring has been copied several times now, but if you’re thinking about getting an authentic and exquisite ring likes Beyoncé’s you can…but it’ll set you back $5 million.

Amal Clooney

  

Amal and George are one of the newest semi-Hollywood couples, but just as worthy of being in this list. Clooney has been one of the most eligible Hollywood bachelors for a long time now, and apparently all it took for him to commit to marriage was a beautifully successful human rights lawyer. Clearly, Clooney spared no expense when he found the one. He proposed to Amal with a beautiful 7-carat emerald-cut diamond, set in platinum.

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And that’s it, those are the 12 Most Royal and Iconic Engagement Rings. Sorry if I caused you major ring envy, but in my defense there are many more rings I could’ve shown which would definitely have contributed to the envy factor, such as Kim Kardashian West’s ring, or even Angelina Jolie’s ring…but I didn’t because I’m that kind! – Although if you want to see them, just follow the links! 

If you think I missed an iconic engagement ring please feel free to comment on the section below! These were a few of my favourite rings (and inspiring women) but there are certainly many more breathtaking, jaw-dropping rings and women!

Let me know which ring is your favourite!

Alas, I leave you with a quote..

“It is mine, I tell you. My own. My precious. Yes, my precious.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Love,

Mimi ♡