Owning a historic royal heirloom like the Princess of Wales' engagement ring comes with its perks and its "challenges", according to experts.
Ben Roberts, Managing Director of Clogau – the brand responsible for the Welsh gold that British royals craft their wedding rings out of – told HELLO! about the difficult upkeep of Princess Kate's ring, which was previously owned by her late mother-in-law Princess Diana.
"Most people don’t know the level of upkeep that wearing an heirloom day-to-day can entail," began Ben. "Even without any alterations, caring for an heirloom of such value comes with its own challenges. Kate and her team will need to employ careful maintenance, with regular inspections and in-depth evaluations, gentle cleaning to restore sheen, and, if necessary, expert repairs to ensure its longevity.
"That way, she can continue to wear it every day and maintain a constant connection to the past while grounding her in the present as a beloved senior member of the Royal Family."
Ben's comments come after the Princess confirmed she had made no alterations to the ring since it was given to her by Prince William in 2010.
It was previously reported that the ring was too big for Kate, and she had turned to jeweller G. Collins and Sons to add small hidden platinum beads inside the band to reduce its diameter without making any dramatic changes such as breaking and resoldering the band.
However, The Mirror reported that Kate denied this during an appearance in Wales in 2023. "It's the same ring and it was exactly the same size when I tried it on," she supposedly told fans. "I'm honoured to wear it, I never sadly got to meet her."
Ben added that Kate's decision to keep the original ring exactly the same "sets her apart" from other royals. Speaking of the Garrard jewel, which consists of a 12-carat sapphire surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds, set in 18-carat white gold, the jewellery expert said: "Alterations to precious engagement rings within the Royal Family have happened in the past. Just last year, Meghan Markle’s infamous 'missing' engagement ring disappeared for months on end as it underwent restoration to restore a loose setting.
"However, the Princess of Wales sets herself apart from the rest of her family by wearing her £390,000 heirloom ring just as she received it. She revealed at a recent public event that she has never altered the ring and it remains the same as it was when worn by Princess Diana."
Kate and William got engaged during a trip to Kenya with friends in 2010, with the Prince admitting that he carried the ring around with him in a rucksack for three weeks before popping the question. He joked to ITV: "I knew if this thing disappeared, I'd be in a lot of trouble."
The couple – who now share three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – got married in April 2011 at Westminster Abbey, where Kate added another beautiful band to her left hand.
Following royal tradition, her wedding ring was made from gold from the Clogau St David’s mine in North Wales, the same rare Welsh gold which is used in the late Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne's bands.