Nina Dobrev and Shaun White against a glittery background

Nina Dobrev's $250k It-girl engagement ring from Shaun White is 'beautifully versatile'

The Vampire Diaries actress is engaged to snowboarder Shaun White

Deputy Lifestyle Editor
November 4, 2024

Celebrity engagement rings and impressive diamonds go hand in hand, but looking at the recent engagements of Nina Dobrev, Georgia Toffolo and more, rocks are seemingly getting bigger and better.

Will oversized gems reign supreme in 2025? In short, yes, and the experts have explained why.

Let's rewind for a second. Olympic snowboarder Shaun White proposed to The Vampire Diaries actress Nina at the Golden Swan restaurant in New York City. Dressed in a Chanel sequinned mini dress and sheer dotted tights, Nina showed off her oval diamond ring which Mike Fried, CEO of The Diamond Pro, valued at $250k. 

The expert described the ring as "timeless", while Laura Taylor from Lorel Diamonds said it is "beautifully versatile."

© Instagram

Toff showed off her three-diamond ring

Her ring follows the trend of statement rings, such as Made in Chelsea star Toff's unique ring from BrewDog co-founder James Watt. He popped the question during a holiday in Greece with a three-stone ring made up of a large marquise-cut diamond flanked by two pear-shaped diamonds.

© Instagram

Georgia and James Watt got engaged in Greece

Laura described the rock as "distinctive" and estimated it is worth around £200k ($260k.)

Ovals and trilogies

Experts from Budrevich Jewellery told HELLO! that large diamonds such as ovals and trilogy rings are timeless in the engagement ring industry, and with It-girls such as Hailey Bieber, Zoe Kravitz and Nina Dobrev embracing the trend, they're set to stay. 

"In the luxury segment, we believe solitaires with large diamonds will continue to gain popularity in 2025. Fancy shapes such as ovals, elongated cushions, and radiants remain trendsetters in solitaire ring design. This is, of course, understandable, as clients want the main focus on the prominent central stone, especially for the investment they’re making," they explained.

"The reason behind the preference for larger diamonds (particularly natural diamonds) is simple – social status and celebrity influence. Since Hailey Bieber received her 6-carat engagement ring in 2018, this style has only grown in popularity. 

"The preference for big diamonds remains strong, with subtle shifts in setting styles over time (e.g., button-back settings). In short, the trend for large diamond solitaires is timeless, with diamond shape and setting style evolving over time, much like cyclical trends in fashion."

As well as "fancy cuts" such as ovals, elongated cushions, and radiants being sought-after, the jewellers said trilogy rings that use coloured gemstones will maintain popularity in 2025.

"Emeralds and sapphires, in particular, are highly requested, especially when combined with diamonds in trilogy rings. These combinations create a 'wow-effect' and often carry personal significance for clients, whether it’s a favourite colour or birthstone," they said.

Hidden halos have declined in popularity, according to Budrevich Jewellery, but tapered baguette-cut diamonds as side stones, as well as bezel and button-back settings are expected to stay next year. 

Lab-grown diamonds

Lab-grown diamonds will continue to be popular in 2025

Finally, they noted that lab-grown diamonds continue to resonate with their buyers, despite the fact that "while wholesale prices for lab-grown diamonds are gradually decreasing, the retail price remains the same."

Conversely, Ella Citron-Thompkins from Diamonds Factory said that one of the draws of lab-grown diamonds was the fact they were pitted as a more affordable and ethical option than natural diamonds.

"Lab-created diamonds can be up to 30% cheaper than the natural variety, and are an eco-friendly alternative, having a much smaller environmental footprint in comparison to mined diamonds. 

Additionally, lab-grown diamonds are almost always colourless or nearly colourless, putting them on par with the more valuable natural diamonds on the market," she said.

Moral of the story? Shop around for price comparisons before you buy.

Previous celebrity and royal influence

© Rodin Eckenroth

Zoe Kravitz's ex Channing Tatum gave her a cushion cut diamond ring

While we've already covered some of the most popular celebrity rings over the past few weeks, it's important to note the long-lasting influence of celebs and royals.

For example, although Zoe Kravitz and Channing Tatum got engaged in 2023, her cushion cut ring continues to inspire engagement ring trends. She was given an 8-carat Jessica McCormack ring thought to be worth around $550k.

Lenny Kravitz's daughter – who reportedly split from the Magic Mike actor in October 2024 – has caused online searches for her ring to soar 1200%, according to data from Purely Diamonds.

Sales Director Stephanie Tyler said: "It’s been a while since Zoe Kravitz announced her engagement ring, but with search interest still increasing, it would be no surprise if we saw cushion cut diamonds being a popular choice in 2025 for engagement rings.

© Ernesto Ruscio

Lady Gaga's ring could encourage future trends

"I believe the oval will be the dominant diamond cut for newly engaged couples in 2025. However, I do think the cushion cut will begin to rise in popularity more, especially as we have previously mentioned about vintage styles making a comeback."

Meanwhile, Lady Gaga's giant oval ring has caused a 1550% spike in searches, following on from stars such as Kourtney Kardashian (who got engaged to Travis Barker in 2021) and Hailey Bieber (who announced her engagement to Justin Bieber in 2018).

LOOK: Katie Holmes' 'jaw-dropping' $2.5m engagement ring from Tom Cruise 

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