We know the engagement ring Prince Harry gave to Meghan Markle last November is special: The prince designed the one-of-a-kind ring with Brit jeweler Cleave & Co. using a 3-carat cushion-cut diamond from Botswana, where the couple had spent time, and diamond sidetones that were give to the prince by his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. But how does Meghan’s ring compare to other royal engagement rings? Here are 14 more we love to help you decide.
In recent seasons, modern brides-to-be have started showing a discerning taste for the avant-garde when it comes to engagement rings—unusual shapes, colorful stones, unique settings, and so forth. The classics will always be the classics, but what can those who crave the unexpected expect in an engagement ring in 2018?
For a little guidance, Glamour went to the pros—Eva Zuckerman, designer of Eva Fehren fine jewelry; Gurki Basra, senior buyer of jewelry and watches at Barneys New York; and Katherine Kim, designer of KatKim fine jewelry—to give us an idea of this year’s biggest alternative engagement ring trends, as well as to shed some light on the drift toward eschewing tradition as it pertains to bridal jewelry.
The 2018 engagement ring motto: Anything goes. Kim says she’s noticed a recent shift toward stone cuts that might’ve once been considered unusual for bridal jewelry, such as trillion, marquise, and pear shapes. The same goes for stone types, as gray diamonds have started to emerge as a trend. She’s not the only one to note this: “I have seen more adventurous, modern, and exciting choices from our clients,” says Zuckerman. Among her customers, she says she’s seen a pique in interest in portrait-cut diamonds (when the diamond is thinly cut like a sheet of glass), rose-cut stones (these are flat on bottom with a dome-shaped top), and geometric silhouettes.
“Brides aren’t necessarily pulling away from tradition but more so are making tradition their own,” explains Basra. Among the top engagement ring styles shopped for at Barneys New York right now: multiple bands, colored stones, portrait-cut stones, antique and vintage rings, and a mix of metals.
Consider the ring a reflection of yourself. “We’re in a time where women can express their individuality with all of their choices, especially their jewelry,” Basra notes. “We’re seeing brides becoming less picky about sticking to one metal color and being comfortable mixing and matching”—like with mixed-metal rings. Trends that can be described as “unexpected” for engagement rings represent a shift towards uniqueness and craftsmanship, as opposed to tradition. “When you are picking something that is unique to you, that no one else has, or that perhaps you customize to your liking, it will remain a sound ring choice. You’ll never feel like it was tied to a moment in time.”
You don’t have to commit to that exact ring style. If you’re drawn to an unusual ring, but worry about your taste changing down the road, you have options. Kim says you can always reset your ring. (“We have couples come to us to re-design their engagement rings for their 10-year anniversary,” she notes.) Zuckerman encourages picking out various bands and stacking them so that your rings can be rearranged in unexpected ways: “It’s a great way to achieve a strong, modern, edgy look without committing to an engagement ring that pushes you past your comfort zone.”
“Ten years down the line, if you want to go back to something traditional, its always easy to reset the stone and have your ring look completely different and more traditional and classic,” adds Basra. She recommends a traditional cut like an emerald or oval in an East-West setting, or a square cut like an Asscher, and have it set on a diagonal for a unique look.
Ahead you’ll find the 10 engagement ring trends that you’re bound to see all over Instagram in 2018.
A huge congratulations is in order for Michelle Williams: The All the Money in the World actress is engaged to New York financial consultant Andrew Youmans, Us Weekly reports.
According to the magazine, Williams and Youmans were first spotted together in Rome last July, when she was filming All the Money in the World. She’s incredibly private about her personal life, though, so the two haven’t made a public appearance together yet. However, paparazzi did snap them enjoying New Year’s Day in the Bahamas, where Williams was seen wearing a sparkly ring on that finger. This originally caused all the engagement rumors that, per Us Weekly, are completely true.
Williams wore the same ring to the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, but she told reporters it was just “beautiful jewelry,” brushing off any speculation she was engaged. Check out the ring for yourself, below. Williams wasn’t lying: It’s stunning.
PHOTO: Getty Images
“She wants a good guy and a stable family life,” an insider told Us Weekly. Williams has a 12-year-old daughter named Matilda, whom she had with the late Heath Ledger. “Michelle was totally focused on giving Matilda the best upbringing possible,” a friend told Us Weekly. Another confidante added, “It took her a long time to get over Heath.”
If you recall, Williams and Ledger were together from 2004 to 2007. Ledger tragically and suddenly passed away in January 2008 from an accidental drug overdose. It’s believed this incident is largely why Williams is so guarded about her personal life now.
Williams is one of the actresses behind the Time’s Up movement, which launched January 1 and is striving to end harassment and gender imbalance in the workplace. She was recently in the news over reports that her All the Money in the World co-star Mark Wahlberg was paid $1.5 million during the film’s reshoots, while she received less than $1,000. Wahlberg ultimately donated his salary to Time’s Up.
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Just a few days ago, heiress-turned-reality-star-turned-DJ-turned-perfumer Paris Hilton announced that Chris Zylka had proposed, and that she “said Yas.” You hardly needed Instagram’s zoom feature to get a look at the engagement ring: It’s as sparkly and over-the-top as Hilton’s most iconic fashion. (We’re talking about the woman who pioneered the silver party dress and bedazzled sweatsuits in the early-aughts, after all.) Still, Hilton has been making sure we give the diamond ring the attention it deserves by posting multiple shots of it on social media.
According to People, Hilton’s engagement ring is valued at nearly $2 million, and features a 20-carat pear-shaped diamond. (For comparison: The cushion-cut diamond ring Kanye West gave Kim Kardashian in 2013, which is also estimated to be worth $2 million, was 15 carats.) The center stone is set in a platinum band decked with an additional two carats of diamonds.
Hilton’s new fiancé helped celebrity jeweler Michael Green design the ring, per People, and it came together in only two days. The pear-shaped diamond was Zylka’s idea, inspired by another massive rock in the Hilton family: a ring worn by Paris’s mother.
“The ring was so gorgeous and sparkling,” Hilton told People after announcing the engagement. “I was shaking as I put it on. It is the most beautiful ring that I have ever seen!”
Sentimental though the design may be, it’s also just plain attention-getting. And true to most OTT celebrity engagement rings, Twitter users had a lot of thoughts concerning Hilton’s new bling. As one tweet put it,”Paris Hilton’s engagement ring is bigger and brighter than my future.” (Which, same.)
https://twitter.com/ParisSlaysUrFav/status/948903572623777792
If Hilton’s sparkler reminds you of rapper Cardi B.’s similarly massive engagement ring, you’re not alone. It’s true that both jewels are large, teardrop-shaped, and beyond sparkly. But Paris had pretty much the best response to all comparisons (and to any accusations of copying): “Our future hubby’s obviously both have amazing & similar taste,” she tweeted in reply to a side-by-side edit of their two rings.
“#RingGoals” definitely applies, Paris—even if it calls for fingerless gloves in the snow.
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If you’ve been subtly dropping hints to your S.O. about hopping across the pond to get your own replica of the engagement ring Prince Harry gave to Meghan Markle—casual!—think again: The jewelry company behind the ring won’t be making replicas.
Stephen Connelly, the director of the London-based Cleave and Company, told the Associated Press that the media attention the company has received since the couple’s engagement announcement has been “a bit of a shock.”
“We’re not going to be making replicas of it,” he said. “If you want a ring, then we’ll design you a different one.”
Harry worked with Connelly’s team to design the gorgeous three-diamond ring. The biggest diamond, in the middle, was sourced from Botswana, where the couple spent time at the beginning of their relationship. The two diamonds on either side were chosen from his mother Princess Diana’s collection. And everything is set in yellow gold, Markle’s favorite.
PHOTO: Karwai Tang
According to the AP, David Thomas, a former Crown Jeweler who now works with Cleave and Company, said that working on the couple’s was the “biggest and hardest secret” he’s ever had to keep. He said that the press has bombarded him with questions, but he refuses to answer out of respect for the couple’s privacy. “Jewelers are like doctors: We never discuss our patients!” he said. (He also refuses to share how much the ring cost.)
If you absolutely need to see what the ring would look like on your finger, you can virtually try it on. It’s not the same, but it’ll have to do.
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The fairytale is officially happening, people: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are engaged. Kensington Palace formally announced the news this morning, and the Internet is currently having a meltdown. Markle and Prince Harry, meanwhile, are in total romantic bliss—that’s what these snaps from their royal photo call on Monday (November 27) suggest, at least. Markle and Prince Harry made their first (brief) appearance as an engaged couple at the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, where they posed for several pictures and answered a few questions from the press. Markle showed off her engagement ring, too and it’s—no surprise—a total stunner. Click through this gallery to see it for yourself, along with some other pictures from their photo call.