In the world of royalty and celebrities, expensive engagement rings bling takes on a completely different meaning. The gems that feature in the rings of the rich, famous and titled tend to be worth a fortune, literally!
The engagement rings is all about the bling. When someone gets engaged, we all start eyeing out the size of the diamond or other stones and then proceed to ooh and aah over them.
To give you an idea of what a proposal can cost, we’ve put together a list of the 15 most expensive engagement rings in the world. These are designer creations dripping in bling that have become incredibly valuable and treasured, with some even growing in value over time.
1. Grace Kelly – $38.8 million
Grace Kelly’s original engagement ring was made with diamonds and rubies from the crown jewels of Monaco. Prince Rainier then later commissioned a 10.48-carat emerald-cut diamond ring, made by Cartier. The middle diamond is surrounded by two baguette-cut side diamonds. The ring cost Prince Rainier $4 million in 1956 and is now worth $38.8 million.
2. Jackie Kennedy Onassis – $20 million
The 40 carat Harry Winston engagement ring was given to Jackie by Greek billionaire Aristotle Onassis. It was auctioned for $2.6 million in 1996. The diamond was part of the original 601-carat Lesotho III diamond and only 18 stones were ever cut from it. Today, the ring carries a price tag of $20 million.
3. Mariah Carey – $10 million
The 35 carat Wilfredo Rosado ring was given to Marian Carey when she got engaged to Australian businessman James Packer. The platinum set ring has a classic emerald cut design and was sold by Carey for $2.1 million after the engagement ended, despite the original price tag of $10 million.
4. Blue Diamond 5.4-carat BVLGARI – $9.5 million
At one point in time, this was considered to be the most expensive engagement ring in the world, designed by Bvlgari. Blue diamonds, being so rare, make this a unique piece. The middle blue diamond is surrounded by white diamonds and then there are baguette-cut diamonds down the band.
5. Elizabeth Taylor – $8.8 million
This engagement ring is a 33 carat Krupp diamond, given to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton. The diamond was then named after Taylor when she passed away. The stone is a rare IIa diamond and is certainly a memorable piece.
6. Anna Kournikova – $5.4 million
The 11 carat Canary yellow diamond was seen on Anna Kournikova’s finger in 2009 and was either a second engagement ring or “wedding ring” from Enrique Iglesias, even though they aren’t officially married. The value of the ring is now around $7.5 million.
7. Beyoncé – $5 million
Jay-Z proposed to Beyoncé with an 18 carat Lorraine Schwartz ring. The emerald-cut diamond ring has grown in value over the years and now holds a value of $9 million. The diamond is perfect and premium, which contributes to the price tag. He liked it and so he put a (really amazing) ring on it!
8. Paris Hilton – $4.7 million
Although she has been engaged a few times, the most valuable ring is the 24 carat Harry Winston which she received from the Greek shipping heir Paris Latsis. Paris Hilton ended up auctioning the ring to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
9. Jennifer Lopez – $4.5 million
Singer Marc Anthony gave J.Lo an 8.5 carat blue diamond when they got engaged. The rare blue diamond ring was designed by Harry Winston and was the most expensive of all 5 of her engagement rings.
10. Vanessa Bryant – $4 million
Vanessa Bryant’s 8 carat Raffi ring wasn’t her official engagement ring but rather a newer version that her husband Kobe gave to her. The ring was custom designed and has grown in value since Kobe has passed away.
11. Kim Kardashian – $4 million
For her 33rd birthday, Kim received a 15 carat Lorraine Shwartz ring from Kanye when he proposed to her. The solitaire set diamond rock is surrounded by more diamonds and is set on a platinum band. The type 2A diamond was described by the ring designer as being the perfect cushion-cut diamond.
12. Alexa Dell – $3 million
Daughter of Dell Technologies founder received a 12 carat diamond ring when she got engaged in 2017 to Harrison Refoua. The ring is made up of a whopping central diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds and set on a band that is covered with even more diamonds.
13. Anna Kournikova – $2.5 million
Anna Kournikova clearly has quite the bling collection and Enrique Iglesias has enjoyed spoiling her with rings over the years. Although they don’t want to get officially married, he has given her an “engagement ring” on two occasions. The second was the 11 carat Argyle diamond ring, which features a rock from the Argyle mines in Western Australia.
14. Melania Trump – $2.5 million
Donald Trump proposed to Melania in 2004 with a 15 carat Graff diamond ring. Its estimated value is $2.5 million and the ring includes a D-flawless diamond surrounded by a smaller diamond on each side. Melania received an updated ring in 2014 that had a 25 carat diamond from Graff. The updated ring is worth $5 million.
15. Blake Lively – $2 million
When Ryan Reynolds popped the question to Blake Lively in 2012 he did so with a 12 carat Lorraine Schwartz ring. The band of the ring is rose gold with pave diamonds and the rock is a pink diamond. Ryan helped to design the ring himself.
This collection of engagement rings might be the kind of designer jewellery that most of us only dream of. But for some, they’re everyday wear that simply serves as a token of commitment.