Royal Ring Fever? Get Your Own Royal Inspired Engagement Ring
In one of the more exciting things to happen on a Monday morning, this past one saw the royal family announce the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Even though we all saw this coming from a mile away, the big question was what the engagement ring would look like, with the assumption being very big and very blue like Kate Middleton and Princess Di before her. Instead, Markle’s engagement ring featured three diamonds set in yellow gold, with two of the diamonds being repurposed jewelry from Princess Diana’s own collection. And just like Diana and Kate, you can bet that Markle’s royal rocks will set off a massive wave of lookalikes for the foreseeable future.
As a Denver custom engagement ring designer specializing in unique jewelry, we’ve got lots of experience creating royal-inspired engagement rings that range from almost-replicas to just a hint of royal vibes. If you want an engagement ring with an air of the aristocratic, check out these engagement rings that are fit for a princess.
Princess Diana Inspired Engagement Rings & Princess Kate Inspired Engagement Rings
The Real Royal Ring
Metal: 18k white gold
Stone: 12 carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire; 14 solitaire diamond halo
Price: $60,000 (in 1981); now valued at $500,000+
The year was 1981, and Diana Spencer knew exactly what she wanted in a ring: to pick her own. How progressive is that? She chose a Ceylon sapphire center stone with a diamond halo set in white gold from Garrard’s. Providing more insight into how Princess Di was a radical departure from most royalty, her chosen ring was a stock item, not custom made. And at a conservative $60,000 (we’re talking royal $$$ here) this meant that her exact ring could be scooped up by anyone with enough cash. After Diana’s death, Prince Harry inherited his mother’s ring and eventually gave it to his brother Prince William to propose to Kate Middleton with. Middleton kept the ring virtually as-is, but for adding two platinum studs to the ring’s interior to size it down a bit.
Get all the ring without any of the royal drama and creative resizing with a ring like The Morgan. Morgan’s fiance-to-be came to us wanting to create a Princess Kate ring, custom made with unique touches just for Morgan. Working from Middleton’s ring as a starting point, we switched up the metal from a softer 18k to the more durable platinum band. A 5.57 carat blue sapphire center stone mimics the massive 12 carat stone, but is more realistic for non-royal everyday wear. A 12 diamond solitaire halo pays homage to Kate’s 14 stone halo, without being too on-the-nose.
For a more subtle take, look to The Annabelle with it’s signature oval blue sapphire center stone and diamond halo. Where it varies from Middleton’s ring is the metal band. We designed The Annabelle to have a bold, unconventional look, and the warm and cool contrast of icy blue with blush rose gold would be too daring for a real royal. Annabelle also opted for a sparkling diamond band as opposed to the bare, exposed white metal found in the more muted royal ring.
Julie wanted a Princess Diana ring “as close as we can get it,” with a few stipulations. One, she’s an active mom and wanted the setting to be super durable with prongs that wouldn’t snag on clothes (read: kid-proof) . Two, she had her own 6.8 carat dark blue sapphire to incorporate (lucky girl)! The Julie borrows from and then builds upon the original with a new spin on the halo– four accent diamonds at north, south, east, and west. We set Julie’s stones in a sturdy band in a unique matte yellow gold finish that truly sets it apart.
Meghan Markle Inspired Engagement Rings
The Real Royal Ring
Metal: Yellow gold
Stone: Botswana-sourced diamond; two diamonds from Princess Diana’s collection
Price: TBD; $120,000+
Custom made by the queen’s jeweler, Cleave and Co. this sentimental engagement ring’s center stone is significant because of its African origins, the locale of the couple’s first big trip together. On either side of the ring are two diamonds repurposed from a brooch of Princess Di’s to complete a classic three stone design. Because little is known about the ring this soon after news broke, we can only estimate the size and cost of Markel’s ring, but because of the royal family diamonds’ significance, it can accurately be labeled as: priceless.
The classic three stone design is popular among royalty and if you’re looking for your own royal replica, a ring like The Cecille is spot on. Just like Markle, Cecille’s fiance came to us with heirloom family diamonds he wanted to repurpose into a new engagement ring. We set three round diamonds in a timeless platinum setting with milgrain on the setting for a vintage feel paying homage to the original jewelry.
Another repurposed diamond ring in a three stone setting, The Amelia is set in yellow gold just like the future Mrs. Prince Harry’s (that’s her technical name now, right?). With a diamond from Amelia’s mother’s own engagement ring, we added new stones on either side of the sentimental center. And for the ultimate nod to a royal ring? A crown shaped wedding band that fits flush with the engagement ring.
Princess Grace Inspired Engagement Rings
The Real Royal Ring
Metal: Platinum
Stone: 10.47 carat emerald-cut diamond; diamond baguettes
Price: $4.06 million
Kind of like the OG Meghan Markle, Grace Kelly improbably crossed over from Hollywood actress to royal bride-to-be. After meeting Prince Rainer III of Monaco at 1955’s Cannes Film Festival, Grace Kelly was engaged to be married within six months. The ring: a vintage Art Deco 10.47 carat Cartier diamond engagement ring that you can catch a glimpse of in her film High Society, which would be her last. They married in 1956 and she never acted again, instead focusing on charity.
Want old Hollywood glam without the bummer vibes of giving up your career? Emerald cut engagement rings like Kelly’s are timeless, classy, and make the stone appear larger. Channel the Princess’ sophisticated vibes with a jaw-dropper like The Erika. With a 2.18 carat emerald-cut emerald, the center stone appears even larger when surrounded by a diamond halo.
If you’re looking for a true princess ring, you can’t get much more on point than The Alanna. With it’s 14k rose gold and matching 5 carat morganite, The Alanna is a true embodiment of all things princess. If you’re trying to reach Grace Kelly proportions of center stone size, opting for a pretty in pink morganite engagement ring is a much more budget friendly option than a diamond of the same carat count, and gives you the same all-eyes-on-the-ring vibe.
Now that you know the shortcuts to a royal-inspired ring (sapphires, emerald-cut stones, and massive priceless heirloom diamonds) contact us to create your own custom engagement ring from scratch.
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