Engagement ring from Diana, Princess of Wales

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Lady Diana Spencer and Charles, Prince of Wales became engaged in February 1981. My engagement ring is composed of 14 individual diamonds that a 12 carat blue Ceylon - sapphire surrounded in oval shape, set in 18- carat white gold . The ring was designed by the then Crown Jeweler Garrard & Co and cost £ 28,000 at the time of purchase  .

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A replica of the ring

It was unusual for Diana to choose this ring. It was neither custom-made nor unique, but was part of Garrard's jewelry collection at the time of her engagement to Charles, making it available to any solvent buyer.

Some commentators say Diana picked it because it reminded them of her mother's engagement ring . Commented Royal Jewel Connoisseur Leslie Field: “She [Diana] had obviously already said she would like a sapphire; she had half a dozen rings [to choose from] and she chose this one simply because she liked it. "Field continued," Someone came up with the story that she picked up the largest one, but I asked her and she said "He was definitely not the greatest, she just thought he was very beautiful."

Adjustments

Immediately after the official announcement of the engagement of Diana and Charles, photos of the newly engaged couple were taken on February 24, 1981; on this the ring had a prong setting for the sapphire, with 2 prongs in each corner. At the latest towards the end of 1981, however, the version was revised, in the form it still exists today, with a total of 14 claws that surround the sapphire evenly distributed around.

Middleton also had the ring adjusted before her wedding in 2011. She asked G. Collins & Sons, who had been appointed the new crown jeweler in 2007, to attach two small platinum pearls to the inside of the ring in order to obtain the size I.

Meaning as a souvenir

After Diana's death, the engagement ring initially came into the possession of Prince Harry , while Prince William received Diana's valuable Tank Francaise Cartier watch. However, they exchanged the keepsakes. When Prince William asked for Catherine Middleton's hand in the fall of 2010 , he gave her the ring. The ring has a deep personal meaning for Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and her husband Prince William, Duke of Cambridge - the couple said.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ A ring fit for his mother ... and his love: Prince William's sapphire and diamond engagement ring for Kate , accessed January 3, 2017.
  2. ↑ Yank Leslie Field Traces the Rich History of the Queen's Jewels , accessed January 3, 2017.
  3. ↑ Kate Middleton 'withdraws sale' of souvenir replica of Princess Diana's engagement ring , accessed January 3, 2017.
  4. ↑ Queen hires new Crown Jeweler - after 160 years of Garrard , accessed January 3, 2017.
  5. ↑ Kate Middleton 'to have engagement ring made smaller to fit finger better' , accessed January 3, 2017.
  6. ↑ Prince William gives Kate Diana's engagement ring - wedding 2011 , accessed January 3, 2017.
  7. ↑ Prince William gives his mother's engagement ring to his bride Kate Middleton , accessed on January 3, 2017.
  8. ↑ William gives Kate the ring to his mother, Lady Di , accessed on January 3, 2017.

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