The Princess of Wales' engagement ring from Prince William is one of the best-loved engagement rings. Not only does it carry the incredible legacy of having been first owned by the late Princess Diana but it is so recognisably royal in its unique design.
On 20 October 2010, Prince William proposed to then-Kate Middleton whilst on holiday in Kenya with a ring from his late mother's collection. The infamous style featured a stunning 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 brilliant round solitaire diamonds set on a white gold band.
Only Princess Kate could rock a ring in 2024 that is totally timeless, and yet the most trendy style. according to a new study on Instagrammable engagement rings by Diamond engagement rings and fine jewelry brand Mark Broumand, sapphire engagement rings coming out on top.
Sapphire engagement rings are the most Instagrammable style, with 647,198 hashtagged Instagram posts," the experts tell us. "Sapphire symbolizes wisdom, royalty, power, and strength and is one of the four precious stones, along with diamond, ruby, and emerald. Although blue is the most common sapphire color, the stone is available in nearly every color of the rainbow, including colourless sapphires."
Not only is Kate's ring ticking a major trend, it also carries an amazing history. According to Vogue, the inspiration for the ring that was first seen in public upon Princess Diana's engagement to King Charles in February 1981 came from Prince Albert having commissioned British jeweler Garrard to create a sapphire-and-diamond brooch for his future wife, Queen Victoria in 1840.
The brooch remained in the family with the late Queen Elizabeth having worn it on several occasions, including to Ascot in 2015 with a matching cobalt blue dress and two-toned blue hat.
The recognisable sparkler was bought from the same jeweller decades later in a major break from tradition. Prince Charles opted to buy his future bride's ring from Garrard's catalogue as opposed to getting it made from scratch as his father had done before him and as his son Prince Harry had done after him.
Whilst Prince Philip repurposed used diamonds from a tiara belonging to his mother, Princess Alice of Greece, for Queen Elizabeth's engagement ring in 1947, his son opted for a ring that is synonymous with royalty now but could have been bought by anyone (with a respectable enough budget) at the time.
Princess Kate's sporting of the breathtaking jewel in public has gone on to inspire a wealth of prospective brides, including a handful of famous faces. Austin Powers star Elizabeth Hurley accepted a blue sapphire and diamond number upon her engagement to Australian cricketer Shane Warne in 2011.
DISCOVER: Princess Kate's concealed change to Princess Diana's engagement ring can be reversed
Meanwhile, Ferrari actress Penelope Cruz got engaged in 2010 with a silver and sapphire ring which looked like a take on Diana's iconic piece with the same floral shape.