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03.08.22
The 10 Best Celebrity Engagement Rings
While celebrity engagements — not to mention marriages — tend to be, well, less lasting than forever, it’s still super fun to ogle (and be inspired by) celebrity engagement rings. And many of these rings have left a serious mark on style trends over the years, whether that’s a sudden uptick in pink diamonds after the original Bennifer engagement or a surge of crispy ovals a la Kravis… But even before social media took hold, celebs the world over were admired for their stunning sparkle — from Jackie O to Elizabeth Taylor — and we think you’ll see why. Here’s our all time favorite celebrity engagement rings to set your hearts on fire.
Elizabeth Taylor
Okay, so admittedly this one is kind of a given. After all, this queen of the silver screen was engaged 10 times, and had a well-known love for major diamonds and jewelry. But the ring that we want to talk about wasn’t even one of those ten! In fact, the Krupp-Taylor diamond as it came to be known, was just a “gift” from Richard Burton to his already-wife Taylor after he outbid the famed Harry Winston himself at auction in 1968. This gargantuan 33.19 carat emerald cut diamond was set in a simple platinum ring with tapered baguette side stones, and despite the fact that most of us can afford only a fraction of the carat weight when it comes to real life, this ring — and its infamy — would come to set the high bar for sophistication and quality when it came to all other celebrity engagement rings that followed. The three-stone engagement ring look, which has become super classic, is one you can rock in any size.
Princess Diana and Kate Middleton
Don’t get us wrong, we adore Megan Markle’s engagement ring more than most, with its sumptuous cushion center and all. But the ring that really made history? The sapphire stunner that first graced Princess Diana’s hand and now rests firmly on the petite finger of the one and only Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge. So let’s talk about it. Sure, Princess Di’s engagement itself made history but the ring is really something else. And it’s not even about a big diamond! It made its statement with a deep blue oval sapphire encircled by a diamond halo, thereby setting all color trends afoot. When we think of colorful engagement rings today, this one tops the list. And there’s no shortage of similar styles to suit. We love to play it a bit more modern with a toi et moi two stone engagement ring, pairing a blue sapphire with a colorless diamond. Or just go for a single blue sapphire in a modern, simple setting.
Jennifer Lopez
Another celeb who’s had more than her share of engagement rings, J Lo’s jaw droppers tend to be some of the most unique in the game, and yes, we’re talking about the Bennifer engagement rings. Not once, but twice now, Ben Affleck has popped a colored diamond ring onto Jen’s finger and we’re not mad about it. First it was pink, which sent the color up the popularity charts two decades ago. But 2022’s rock made an even bigger wave. How so? Well, this time Ben went with a green diamond! Now, green might not be a surprising hue for other gemstones but a green diamond is super rare, and at 8.5 carats we’re talking the rarest. Will it set new trends? Only time will tell. If you want to rock a green stone of your own, you can explore colored diamonds or (often more affordable) gemstones like emerald, peridot, sapphire, or tourmaline!
Marilyn Monroe
Ever the original and known for her being ultra-glam it might surprise you that Marilyn Monroe’s wedding jewelry was incredibly understated. But it’s a fact we uber-love. In her marriage to playwright Arthur Miller, Marilyn wore a very simple, slender yellow gold band. While baseball giant Joe DiMaggio gave the Hollywood star a simple baguette diamond eternity band. Are Marilyn’s jewels still shrouded in major mystery? Absolutely. But what we do know is that these simple styles are as hot as ever to this day. Baguette diamond bands, in fact, have never been hotter! Want to wear one as your own engagement ring? We say go for it. Alone or in a stack, a band can be your go-to style for any celebration.
Jacqueline Kennedy
No slouch when it came to style, the resplendent Jackie O’s original engagement ring from then Massachusetts senator JFK may as well be the direct ancestor of Megan Fox’s two-stone engagement ring. Jackie’s, tho, was more of what we call a “bypass” style. It featured two stunning main stones — a 2.88 carat emerald cut diamond and a 2.84 carat emerald cut emerald, originally accented by sleek baguette cut side stones. Later, she had the Van Cleef & Arpels ring remade to replace the baguettes with more floral and ornate marquise-cut and round-cut side stones, very appropriate of the time and fashion. This is one of the most famous examples of an emerald engagement ring we have in modern times, and showcases just how influential the first lady’s style would become. We love modern takes on this style that fit the toi-et-moi two-stone trend, and you can even do a subtle bypass style or offset band to get the full look.
Megan Fox
Ok, we were already there, y’all. So let’s talk about Megan Fox’s engagement ring for a second. While this over the top ring has been making its fair share of controversial headlines, it’s not without its jewelry merits. First of all, the two-stone trend is absolute fire, and like we said above, the emerald and diamond pairing — representing the couple’s birthstones — is super stunning. But it takes it a few steps further and is actually two separate bands that nestle into one another, complete with magnets, to form a heart shape with the center stones. Does it also have thorns inside? Seems so. We’ll leave that one to the birds. But the sheer engineering and design of this engagement ring gets a vote for our hall of fame. While we might not suggest you take full on inspiration from this one, we can definitely get behind the nestling rings (which you might replicate with your engagement and wedding ring stack) and two-stone style, not to mention the color! And what we love most? That it’s super personalized to reflect the couple and their love story. Which is how every engagement ring should be, in our book.
Camila Alves
While Camila’s ring tends to fly under the fashion radar, her marriage to Matthew McConaughey, for one, is still going strong a decade later. And the ring? It’s a vintage-inspired masterpiece as unique as this couple. This stunning vintage-inspired diamond engagement ring is actually set with a rose cut diamond, which is just gorgeous and totally unique. A rose cut might not have the unstoppable sparkle of many other celebrity engagement rings, but its subtle glow and rainbow flash make a splash of their own. The large rose cut diamond appears to be cushion-shaped and super low profile (rose cuts are flat, without the pointed bottom pavilion of modern brilliant cuts), with delicate floral accents. When it comes to getting the look, rose cut diamonds can save you a pretty penny, and will look way large for the carat size (we’re talking serious finger spread) since they’re so flat. That means you can get a big look for relatively less and instant vintage appeal.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
This one is a very late-90’s throwback but hear us out. Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones’ engagement ring from Actor Michael Douglas was a master of trend in the most unassuming ways. This giant marquise shaped diamond — which, some might say is totally off trend — is now totally coming back around. And it’s set east-west! That’s right, darling. Catherine’s gorgeous marquise diamond engagement ring is set horizontally, bucking tradition and turning this ring into something so new that it took another 15 years for the trend to truly take off. But I’d argue this is the first major example we have to reflect on. It also features a sort of under-set diamond halo, which you could argue is the precursor to the hidden halo we’re seeing everywhere now. So, Catherine, you might take the cake.
The Kardashians
We’re just gonna lump all these damn Kardashian engagement rings into one cute lil package (that’s obviously not little at all), because they all kind of fit one mold. Big center diamond, whisper thin platinum setting, maybe a splash of pave diamonds to boot. Kim Kardashian’s engagement ring (well, several rings…) from Kanye is probs the most infamous, given its theft, but the giant cushion cut was from the fam’s favorite jeweler and featured a delicate pave setting. Similarly, the same jeweler made Kourtney Kardashian’s engagement ring, a sizeable oval cut. And Khloe Kardashian had a 12.5-carat radiant cut with a domed pave band (major bling factor). Basically the gist is big diamond, tiny ring, major price tag. Want to up your diamond size without losing your shirt? We always love lab diamonds for doing just that. How so? Well, they cost about 40-50% less than a comparable mined diamond which in short order means way, way more for your money.
Ariana Grande
So, we adore Ariana Grande’s (second) engagement ring — a toi et moi two-stone style featuring a jaw dropping elongated oval diamond along with a gleaming white pearl. But please, please, please, don’t copy this look. Unless you’re prepared to basically not ever use your hands, or alternatively, never wear your ring. Why? Well, pearls are supes delicate, dude. No joke. They cannot take the daily wear that most people subject their hands to. You can’t get them wet, or all gunked up with lotions and potions and chemicals. They’re held in place only by glue (which can dissolve over time when exposed to said wetness and chemicals, or just, you know, life…). Who needs all that trouble? The whole diamonds are forever thing is really because diamonds are the hardest material out there. Please don’t pair them with one of the softest. Now, spiel over, you can totes to a two-stone ring with a different precious gem! We love that for you. But if you’re gonna do a pearl ring, you better be prepared for major lifetime care and maintenance.
Now That You’re Savvy on Celebrity Engagement Rings
While you might be ready to drop dollars on a celeb-inspired engagement ring, chances are if you’re out here really shopping for a major proposal moment, you might be a bit overwhelmed. First things first, don’t let the industry (or any headlines) scare you. None of us can afford celebrity rings, darling. Nor would most of us truly want them in our lives. Unless they came with full-time security guards. But we believe buying a diamond should be sweet, not scary. With a little easy learning and some help from your friends (ahem, that’s us), you’ve got this in the bag.
When you’re ready to jump, check out our diamond search where you can view 360-degree images of more than 10,000 diamonds and don’t forget to zoom out (because size can be deceiving), or book an appointment at our New York salon to view certified lab-grown and natural diamonds in person.
Not finding what you’re looking for? We love hunting down the perfect diamond for your dream ring. Email us with what you’re looking for (and a bit about your budget) at hello@frankdarling.com. We’ll curate a list of 5-7 exclusive stones that are just right for you.
