Duchess Meghan selected some very meaningful pieces of jewelry for her and Prince Harry's Oprah Winfrey sit-down from March 7. Eagle-eyed fans might also have noticed that Oprah chose a gorgeous butterfly ring from Ecksand for the landmark interview. And it has connections to the Duchess of Sussex and Canada!
The media mogul sported the Ecksand Diamond Trio Butterfly Ring ($2,250) in Rose Gold on her left ring finger for the sit-down chat. The gorgeous style is part of the brand's Wild collection and is also available in yellow gold and white gold. This Ecksand Wild Ring is described as a "playful jewel inspired by nature" and it has been "cast in sustainable gold to suit all skin tones." As of this writing, the butterfly ring is still available to buy.
What a show-stopping diamond and rose gold piece! Photo: © Ecksand
Ecksand was started in 2010 in Montreal, and it specializes in high-end, ethical fine jewelry and bridal rings. The brand is guided by three core pillars: Everlasting Canadian craftsmanship, sustainable business practices and honest, inclusive pricing.
Ecksand Co-founder and Creative Director Erica Bianchini spoke with HELLO! Canada about seeing the ring on Oprah during the milestone interview and also told us about the meaning behind the collection. Erica said it was a complete surprise to see the media mogul in the ring. They had "no idea" Oprah even had an Ecksand ring.
"We were in such awe when we realized that Oprah was wearing the Wild Trio Ring," Erica explained.
"My friend sent me a close-up still of the ring being worn by Oprah during the interview. It was quite ironic because it was a still taken from video. Same thing happened a couple weeks ago; I received a still from the video where Meghan was wearing our Mosaic pink sapphire ring."
Oprah's ring! Photo: © Ecksand
"All our products are so precious to us, some people prefer certain designs but for us they are all different but require the same amount of effort to craft," she continued.
"I didn't think to look closely while watching the interview, but I'll always be keeping an extra eye out now. You never know!"
Erica added that it was an honour to see women like Oprah and Meghan show their support for the brand.
"We're honoured that such exquisite women like Meghan Markle and Oprah have chosen to wear our brand," said Erica. "It truly makes a difference in supporting sustainable growing artisanal brands like ours."
Of the impact of seeing a sustainable, ethical, Canadian brand on a global platform, Erica said, "It's encouraging to know that all that work we put in to assuring our Canadian craftsmanship beholds lifelong value and pretty awesome values is resonating with the iconic Oprah.
Meghan spoke to Oprah separately for CBS Presents Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A Primetime Special. Photo: © Harpo/Joe Pugliese
"This interview is a true milestone moment and the story behind the Wild collection that Oprah chose to wear is beautifully appropriate for the symbolism of new beginnings, freedom and transformation."
"There is no species as distinctive as the butterfly for the way it represents transformation and new beginnings," Erica said.
MORE: How to get the gorgeous ring by Canadian designer Ecksand that Duchess Meghan wore in her surprise appearance
According to a press release from Ecksand, the three butterflies represent the past, present and future, as well as new beginnings. The Wild collection, which launched in 2019, takes further inspiration from the butterfly and draws on values of renewal and freedom.
"The rose gold Wild ring is elegant while the subtle rose hues are unassuming," stated Erica of Oprah's rose gold butterfly ring. "It looked like it was part of the secret garden setting of the interview!"
"The trending collection launched in 2019 and has been a success to this day," continued Erica. "It’s even more of a meaningful collection to us with the culmination of it being worn by Oprah."
The Duchess of Sussex chose Ecksand for another memorable recent appearance. Meghan selected a ring from the Canadian brand for her first event since she and Harry announced they're expecting their second child on Valentine's Day.
Meghan wore an Ecksand Pink Sapphire Cocktail Ring in her first appearance after the Sussexes announced they were expecting! Photos: © Ecksand and YouTube/Spotify
The soon-to-be mom of two made a surprise appearance with Harry on the Spotify Stream On event where they chatted about their hopes for their Archewell Audio podcast.
The 39-year-old glowed in a lemon-patterned maternity dress from Oscar de la Renta and the Ecksand Pink Sapphire Cocktail Ring with Diamond Pavé.
Meghan has worn Ecksand jewelry for some milestone moments in her life including when she was pregnant with Archie to the 2018 Invictus Games in Sydney.
Erica previously told HELLO! Canada that people tried to guess the birth month of Archie based on the rings the duchess was wearing at the time.
