The Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine, is famous for her impeccable sense of style, which is primarily evident in her choice of stunning weekend outfits and incredible jewelry. If you look at earlier photographs of Kate, taken during her studies at the university, then everything was not so good in this area. But the status of Prince William's wife brings new opportunities. Now leading stylists help her, she can afford outfits from famous designers and incredible jewelry with an amazing history. Let's talk about the most famous of them - the sapphire ring.
Kate Middleton's ring
When we talk about the Duchess of Cambridge's jewelry, the first thing that comes to mind is the famous sapphire engagement ring that Prince William gave Kate for their engagement. What is it?
The gold ring with an 18-carat sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds was purchased in 1981 by Prince Charles especially for Princess Diana on the occasion of their engagement. At that time, this amazing ring could be purchased by anyone willing to pay about $60,000 for it. The exact price of this ring is unknown.
Then the choice of Princess Diana caused a real storm of ridicule. At that time, it was believed that an engagement ring for such an occasion must be made to order, and the main stone in it must be a diamond. In theory, the sapphire ring from the Garrard jewelry house catalog could be afforded by any commoner.
The princess, beloved by the people, always had an excellent sense of style, so her choice was original and impeccable. Then this ring received a rather interesting name: “commoner’s sapphire.” 
The ring was actively discussed in the press at that time and after some time it was replicated in a large number of copies. Even today, the number of people wishing to purchase such a ring, even with , is not decreasing. This is not surprising, because this classic ring is truly beautiful.
Princess Diana loved the sapphire ring so much that she wore it very often, even after her divorce from Prince Charles.
After the death of Princess Diana, the sapphire ring was inherited by Prince Harry, who, for some reason, gave it to his older brother. Perhaps he wanted the future Queen of Great Britain to become the owner of the ring that his beloved mother wore.
After many years of dating, Prince William proposed to Kate while on vacation in Kenya. “This ring is a part of my mother, and I wanted her to be a part of today,” Prince William said these words when he asked Catherine for her hand in marriage. This is how the sapphire engagement ring found its new owner.
Since then, at the most important events of the family, Catherine very often wears this ring. So, after the birth of her first child George, she posed for photographers on the steps of the hospital wearing it.
Just like after the birth of his daughter Charlotte. Beautiful and happy.
A diamond is fortunate, a sapphire is a sign of deception. This unspoken and mystical rule haunts members of the British royal family. What secrets and stories are kept by the engagement rings of Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and other Windsors, Express Gazeta tells.
Ruby for a British family - to grief
Maria Tekskaya. Photo: wikipedia.org (James LafayetteElizabeth II's ancestor, Mary of Teck, first became engaged at the age of 24. Her chosen one was Prince Albert Victor with the blessing of her grandmother, the reigning Queen Victoria - the royal lady really liked the “girl with a strong character.” From Albert, Maria received a gold engagement ring with large rubies, but she never became his wife - the prince suddenly died of the flu a month before the celebration. Victoria Maria of Teck later built a happy family with Georg, the younger brother of her late groom.
The blood-red stone did not bring happiness to Margaret, the younger sister of Elizabeth II. The “rebel princess” loved Captain Peter Townsend, but could not become his legal wife - Peter did not have a noble origin, and most importantly, he was a divorced father. Therefore, Margaret gave consent to the marriage to Anthony Armstrong-Jones - the Briton, who received the title of Earl of Snowdon, put a ring with a precious flower on the bride’s finger, in the center of which was a ruby. The couple divorced after 18 years, but there was no harmony in the couple - Margaret was never able to love her husband, forgetting herself at alcoholic parties and in the company of other men.
The last one who decided to seal the marriage with a ruby was Sarah, the beloved of Elizabeth II’s middle son Andrew. It’s not difficult to guess - the mystical secret of the Windsor engagement rings worked this time too. The couple, described as "the unfaithful wife of an unfaithful husband", divorced after six years of marriage.
Sarah and Andrew's marriage, sealed with a ruby, collapsed after 6 years. Photo: Royal Fashion Channel
Kate Middleton's ring: sapphire - for treason
The story of Kate Middleton's engagement ring is full of heartbreaking details. The sapphire at its center belonged to Princess Diana during her lifetime and shone in her wedding decoration. When Diana Spencer died, her sons were allowed to take their mother's things as souvenirs: William chose the watch, and Harry chose the same ring. Years later, he will give it to his older brother when he decides to marry. “So my mother was able to be with me at this important moment for me,” William admitted touchingly.
Kate Middleton's ring. Photo: Paul Marriott, via www.imago-ima/globallookpress.com This is how Kate ended up with the sapphire, another unlucky stone. The public remembered the fate of the decoration after repeated rumors: either the man would be noticed in a nightclub, or the Duke of Cambridge would fly off to a party - of course, without his legal wife - which would give rise to a discussion about his infidelity with Rose Hanbury. Kate, despite all the ups and downs, keeps her face, but sometimes looks unhappy - like other sapphire owners.
We mentioned Diana's ring above: Spencer has always loved shades of blue - of course, in her empowered ring, a precious sapphire took center stage. Immensely expensive - by modern standards, almost 9 million rubles - but not so dear to Diana’s heart: during moments of quarrels with Charles, she more than once threw the ring at her husband. The ending of the story is well known: the couple and the prince were able to go to his mistress Camilla. And Lady Di was not an angel: biographers talk about about 11 lovers of the woman.
Princess Diana's ring is now worn by Kate. Photo: Carol T. Powers/globallookpress.com The only daughter of the Queen Mother closes the trio of deceived sapphire owners, and, in chronological order, opens it. Princess Anne, who had a passion for horses, married equestrian silver medalist Mark Phillips. The couple lived together for 18.5 years, but it turned out that for many years they were only putting a good face on a bad game - Mark was discovered to have a six-year-old illegitimate child.
Meghan Markle's ring: diamonds are a sign of happiness
Meghan Markle recently improved. Now the young mother’s jewelry features not only a large diamond from Botswana and two polished diamonds from Diana’s collection, but also a scattering of small colorless precious stones. We don’t know whether Megan is prone to superstitions, but she wears the “cleanest” stone for the Windsor dynasty.
Meghan Markle's ring holds no sinister secrets. Photo: Andrew Parsons/globallookpress.com In 1947, Queen Elizabeth II received a diamond ring from her fiancé Philip - the largest stone was taken by the Duke of Edinburgh from the tiara of his mother, the Princess of Greece and Denmark. The couple have been together for more than 70 years, although they rarely appear hand in hand in public due to Philip’s age and health.
The diamond did not disappoint Sophie Rhys-Jones, the wife of Prince Edward. Last June, the couple celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary, and Edward, by the way, was the only one of the Queen’s children who did not suffer a divorce.
Our selection presents Kate Middleton's most beautiful and most beloved jewelry: dazzling tiaras, luxurious necklaces, elegant rings and one secret piece of jewelry that the Duchess carefully hides from prying eyes.
In Kate Middleton's personal jewelry collection, there was room for both expensive exclusive jewelry and very modest items.
Engagement ring with sapphire
Kate's famous engagement ring previously belonged to Princess Diana. When Lady Di was still Charles's fiancée, he invited her to choose as a gift any ring from the catalog of Garrar, a jewelry company that made jewelry for the royal family. The 19-year-old bride, without hesitation, chose an 18-karat gold jewelry with a huge Ceylon sapphire and a scattering of small diamonds. This ring, by the way, is not the most expensive and not the largest, at that time it cost £28,000.
In October 2010, Prince William and his beloved Kate went on a romantic trip to Kenya. It was here, against the backdrop of beautiful scenery, that the prince proposed to Kate and gave her his mother’s ring. Since then, she has practically never parted with her jewelry.
Welsh gold wedding ring
The wedding rings of all women belonging to the royal family are made exclusively from Welsh gold. This noble metal costs three times more than gold, which is mined in Africa and Australia.
Kate's ring was made from a bar given by the Queen to Prince William after his engagement. The Duchess never takes off the jewelry and wears it on one finger with her engagement ring.
Earrings with sapphires
The earrings also came from Diana to Kate. The Duchess received them as a gift from her husband some time after the wedding. Kate wears them quite often because they pair with her ring.
Set of tanzanite and diamonds
Heart-shaped earrings and a matching pendant pair perfectly with an engagement ring. Presumably, the set was presented to the Duchess by Prince William.
Queen Elizabeth's necklace
This gorgeous necklace with 13 emeralds and 38 diamonds once belonged to Elizabeth; she received it as a wedding gift from the King of India, and 64 years later, the Queen “gifted” the jewelry to Kate Middleton on the occasion of her wedding to William. The necklace costs an exorbitant amount of money and is intended for special occasions, so Kate rarely appears in it, although if the two lower pendants are removed from the jewelry, it takes on a more modest look.
Diamond tiara
The tiara, set with 888 diamonds, was given to Queen Elizabeth on her 18th birthday by her mother. This royal jewel was also worn by Elizabeth's sister Margaret, and in 2011, the jewel crowned Kate Middleton's head during her wedding to William.
Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara
This is Princess Diana's favorite tiara. She received it as a wedding gift from her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth. After Diana's divorce from Charles, the tiara remained in the royal family. It now belongs to Kate, who sometimes wears it to special occasions.
Brooch from Cartier
The gold brooch, shaped like a shamrock and set with an emerald, previously belonged to the Queen Mother. Kate wears it once a year, on St. Patrick's Day, and this is no coincidence: St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and the shamrock clover is its symbol.
Lauren earrings by Kiki McDonough
Kate loves Kiki McDonough; her personal collection contains at least 15 pairs of earrings from this brand. Most often, the Duchess prefers heart-shaped diamond earrings, which she combines with formal coats and sportswear. According to our exchange rate, they cost about 180,000 rubles.
"167 Button" Diamond Pendant by Asprey
The white gold pendant is decorated with a violet amethyst framed by small diamonds. Kate loves to pair it with light dresses and bright hats. This luxurious decoration costs about 4 thousand dollars.
Necklace from Zara
Kate Middleton does not shy away from wearing inexpensive jewelry: for example, at the premiere of the film about Nelson Manedel, she appeared in a long cream dress and a necklace from the Zara brand, which costs only about 1,500 rubles.
Links of London earrings
These cute earrings were bought by the Duchess for only 130 pounds (about 10,270 rubles), but Kate was not afraid to combine them with an expensive dress from Jenny Packham, estimated at 800 thousand rubles.
Bracelet from Tiffany
Kate is a fan of the famous brand, especially loving the $725 diamond bracelet.
Pearl earrings Annoushka Favorites
Silver drop pearls from Annoushka, despite their modesty, became the favorite earrings of the Duchess of Cambridge. She often pairs them with casual wear.
Favorite secret jewelry - chain with four pendants from Merci Maman
This is Kate's favorite piece of jewelry, which she hides from prying eyes and never shows to the press. The Duchess received it as a gift from her sister Pippa when she gave birth to her eldest son, George. Then there were two pendants on the chain: a figurine of a boy and a heart with the initials of Prince William. After the birth of Princess Charlotte, Kate added two more pendants to the decoration: a figurine of a girl and a disk with the names of the children.
Brooch in the shape of a maple leaf
Kate especially loves to wear this diamond brooch during her meetings with the Canadian Prime Minister. The decoration is a family jewel; in 1939, King George VI gave it to his wife in honor of his visit to Canada.
Diana's sapphire engagement ring has a rich fairytale history. The blue stone surrounded by diamonds was considered by jewelry experts to be rustic and not very suitable for a royal person. But the princess chose it for the most solemn event in her life and subsequently loved this decoration very much. The article tells how the ring came to the girl, and how it became a world-famous jewel. You will also get to know other sapphires from Lady Di’s box.
A fairy tale begins with a choice
The history of this jewel began from the moment when 19-year-old Diana Spencer was asked by her future husband Prince Charles to choose an engagement ring from the collection presented by the British jewelry house Asprey. The girl, although she was a person of royal blood, but her past life was not at all luxurious.
She worked as a nanny in a kindergarten, and in her wardrobe there were only a few modest dresses. However, her impeccable taste and sense of style did not let her down. However, even experts did not immediately understand that the chosen ring would become a real masterpiece of our time.
From the offered assortment, Diana's gaze catches on a ring with a blue sapphire framed by 14 shining diamonds. It reminded her of the one her mother wore. And from that moment on it becomes her favorite.
Description of the ring
The jewelry chosen by the bride was not considered unique. But after its owner became a world celebrity, fame was reflected in all her jewelry.
Here is a list of stones and materials that make up Princess Diana's ring:
- central sapphire weighs 0.36 g or 1.8 carats;
- sapphire shape - oval, dimensions length - 10 mm, width - 8 mm;
- place of stone quarrying - the island of Ceylon;
- carmesine frame (the central stone is surrounded by smaller inserts);
- frame material – 750 gold (by British standards 18-karat);
- cost 28 thousand pounds sterling (at the price for 1981) or 170 thousand rubles;
- framed by 14 diamonds, each 1.5 mm in diameter.
The choice of the future Lady Di disappointed experts. People were whispering around, considering this a bad sign for future family life. According to high society, the bride should not have chosen a standard piece of jewelry, because traditionally jewelry for royalty was always made to order.
Gifts with sapphire and their fate
Love for blue
The blue color suited Diana’s appearance very well; she emphasized her affinity for this range of eyeliner, choosing a dark blue tone for her wings.
Arabia set
Among Princess Diana's jewelry, blue sapphires stand out especially. In addition to the engagement ring, the royal family of Saudi Arabia gave the newlywed a whole set of jewelry with sapphire inserts.
It includes earrings, the design of which resembles the design of a ring - a sapphire in the center and a diamond frame around it. The necklace is made similarly. On a thin string of diamonds, a pendant with a sapphire surrounded by smaller diamond stones. The set is complemented by a bracelet and an original wristwatch with the same selection of jewelry.
As a keepsake from my mother-in-law
The Queen Mother also did not leave her daughter-in-law without a luxurious gift. It was a valuable Welsh brooch, with a sapphire in the center of the jewelry and two rows of diamonds around it.
For some time, Lady Di wore the gift in the form in which she received it from her mother-in-law. But later I decided to turn it into a choker (a necklace that fits tightly around the neck with clasps to adjust the length). For this purpose, seven pearl chains were attached to the brooch. This jewelry was called the “Princess Diana Necklace.”
Unusual Gifts
Another wedding gift from Saudi Arabia is a sapphire headband. Pear-shaped sapphire in the center of the forehead and a diamond strap around the circumference.
The princess's double earrings, in which she shone during a trip to Korea in 1992, are also known throughout the world. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that they are decorated with ruby and pearls on one side, and sapphires and pearls on the other.
Parting
The story of Princess Diana's engagement ring did not end after her high-profile divorce from her husband. According to the rules of the British royal house, Diana had to return this gift to Prince Charles after the divorce.
Until this moment, she continued to wear her favorite jewelry. The last appearance of the sapphire ring with Lady Di took place on September 5, 1996, when the princess visited Eton College, where her children were educated.
The ring entered the treasury of the British kings at the end of September, after the official decree was issued to terminate the marriage ties between Diana and Charles.
Further fate
My youngest son got it
After the tragic death of Lady Diana, the first owner of this sapphire ring, her children were asked to choose something from the jewelry in memory of their mother.
The eldest son William took a gold watch - once his father, Prince Charles, gave it to his wife for her birthday. And her youngest son, Harry, chose her favorite ring with sapphire and diamonds, which had once been an engagement gift from the groom. At that time the boy was 12 years old.
New owner
This talisman with a sapphire, reminiscent of his mother, was with the guy for almost 15 years, until his older brother got married. Then the heir to the ring decided to give it to his daughter-in-law as a wedding gift. So the jewel passed to Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, who became the wife of Lady Diana's eldest son. William himself said later that in this way he seemed to feel the presence of his mother on such an important day of his life.
Now the new owner of the jewel, Kate Middleton, happily wears the famous ring, and jewelers around the world have begun actively making copies, as the fashion for Lady Di’s sapphire is gaining momentum.
Imitation market
Jewelry and real stones
Now this jewelry is called “Princess Diana - Kate Middleton ring.” Imitations of it are very popular among jewelry lovers. Chinese-made jewelry is in use. This is the most budget option, costing approximately $75-80.
But if the imitation is produced by a famous jewelry house, then the prices are hundreds of times higher. For example, one amateur jeweler from the USA (Boston) sold an exact copy of Diana’s ring for 10 thousand dollars. His creation differed only in the smaller size of the sapphire.
The legend of jewelry is available for order in the Bright Spark online store! Here is a simple yet incredibly elegant ring from Princess Diana. The product is made of high-quality moissanites from the USA by talented jewelers. A copy of the world-famous jewelry will be a romantic gift for your beloved. The cherished “yes” will not keep you waiting!
Princess Diana's ring design
The famous piece of jewelry became famous in 1981, when Lady Di chose it in the catalog of the Garrard jewelry house. The design of the piece is quite simple: an 18-carat blue sapphire surrounded by fourteen diamonds. After Diana's death, the jewelry was inherited by Prince Harry, and was later transferred to William. He proposed marriage to Kate Middleton. Thus, the jewelry became a living legend for the second time.
The Kate Middleton style ring from our store is made in the form of a ring with a large hydrothermal sapphire surrounded by high-quality diamond analogues - moissanites. Decoration Features:
- lifetime warranty on stones;
- material - to choose from: white, yellow gold (585 or 750 standard), palladium (950 standard);
- round cut side stones, oval cut central stone (size to choose from).