Meghan Markle Engagement Ring: Cost, Carats, Size, Change, Replica
Sep 23, 2024
Fans of British royals and jewelry connoisseurs alike were captivated by the Meghan Markle engagement ring. Here's everything you need to know about this one-of-a-kind beauty.
Close-Up Meghan Markle Engagement Ring
At the center is a cushion-cut diamond from a mine in Botswana. That center diamond is flanked by two round diamonds from the collection of Princess Diana, Harry's late mother.
The three stones are set on a simple 14-karat yellow-gold band. The style is a vintage-inspired one, but expert jewelers have noticed that the diamond setting itself is modern: the prongs holding the diamonds in place are rounded. In vintage settings, those prongs are sharp and clawlike.
A high-quality ring starts with high-quality materials, and you certainly see those materials in Meghan's ring.
How Many Carats Is Meghan Markle Ring?
The central diamond on Meghan's ring is a real show-stopper: it's a full 3 carats! The smaller diamonds on either side are a bit less than one carat each. The ring is fewer carats than some other celebrity engagement rings, but it still has plenty of sparkles.
Add that to its vintage-inspired flair and deeply personal meaning, and it's definitely a ring fit for a duchess.
Meghan Markle Engagement Ring Cost
Some experts estimate that the ring originally cost about $100,000. Other experts have guessed that the value sits closer to $350,000. That being said, there hasn't been a publicly-released number that places a monetary value on Meghan Markle's ring.
If the ring were to hit the market today, it would likely sell for more than that. The two side diamonds would probably be considered priceless by many, as they were once part of Princess Diana's personal collection.
In addition, it was custom-made by Cleave and Company, a court jeweler to the royal family. Meghan's ring is a one-of-a-kind design, so that certainly makes it more valuable.
The Story Behind Meghan Markle's Engagement Ring
Harry is a romantic at heart: he designed the ring just for Meghan! Of course, he had some help. He worked alongside Cleave and Company's expert jewelers to create the ring.
Harry chose yellow gold for the band because it was Meghan's favorite. Yellow gold also coordinates with the classic wedding band gifted by Queen Elizabeth to Meghan: a band made of rare Welsh yellow gold.
The stones included in the ring weren't chosen by accident: Harry selected them specifically for their sentimental value.
The central diamond from Botswana was chosen deliberately because Botswana was the first place Harry and Meghan vacationed together. The smaller diamonds on either side were once part of Princess Diana's personal collection.
Meanings Behind the Meghan Markle Engagement Ring
The individual components of the ring aren't just top-quality. They also have special meaning to the couple.
The diamond from Botswana was chosen deliberately because Botswana was the first place Harry and Meghan vacationed together.
Botswana is also a country that holds great sentimental meaning for Harry. He first visited shortly after his mother's death. Harry found that the country offered him a sense of escape, but he soon started to feel a deep connection to Botswana and its people.
Botswana helped give Harry a new sense of purpose; he even co-founded a charity for kids living with HIV. With that kind of backstory, the ring's central diamond is so much more than just a beautiful stone.
The two round diamonds are also incredibly symbolic. Princess Diana was a central figure in Harry's life and the royal family's history. Harry wanted to carry a part of his mother's legacy with him into the next phase of his life. He selected two matching, smaller diamonds from his mother's collection to go with the larger center diamond.
This was a smart move on Harry's part. After all, when his brother, Prince William, proposed to Kate Middleton, he used Princess Diana's engagement ring. With two of Diana's diamonds, Harry could give Meghan a ring with the same sentimental spirit.
Meghan Markle Changed Her Engagement Ring
Shortly after Meghan became pregnant, fans started to notice that when Meghan and Harry were out together, Meghan wasn't wearing her engagement ring. They thought that might be because weight changes during pregnancy impacted the fit of the ring.
It turned out that during that time, the couple had opted to give the ring a glittery update.
They reached out to Lorraine Schwartz, a celebrity jeweler. Schwartz replaced the initial band with a band encrusted with a shimmering diamond micro-pave.
Allegedly, Harry was the one who came up with the idea to change the ring. He wanted it to match Meghan's newest ring, an eternity ring he gave her for the couple's first anniversary. That eternity ring was also designed by Lorraine Schwartz.
Thanks to that update, Meghan's engagement ring, wedding band, and eternity ring all go together. They make quite a striking ring stack on her finger!
Meghan Markle's Wedding Band
At first glance, Meghan's wedding band looks like a classic, understated piece. It's an unadorned, highly polished gold band made from rare Welsh gold. Its simple aesthetic matched that of Prince Harry's ring, a textured platinum band.
Even though the ring looks simple, anyone familiar with jewelry or precious metals, in general, will be able to tell how valuable it is. It almost appears "golder" than other types of gold, if that's even possible!
As per royal tradition, the Queen gave Meghan Markle her wedding band. The band was also made by bespoke jewelers Cleave and Company, who made Meghan's stunning engagement ring.
A New Trend: Meghan Markle Engagement Ring Replicas
It might not come as a surprise to hear that Cleave and Company, the jeweler behind Meghan's ring, got plenty of requests for replica rings. However, the company director told would-be customers that Cleave and Company would not be making any replicas.
You can't get an identical ring from the actual maker, but that doesn't mean you're out of luck when it comes to finding a replica.
Plenty of jewelry companies offer replica rings made with more affordable (but still beautiful!) diamond alternatives like moissanite, zircon, and white sapphire. Whatever your budget may be, if you want a ring that looks like Meghan's, you'll be able to find one!
Rosery Poetry moissanite engagement ring starting from $79, SHOP NOW.
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