Famous Emerald Engagement Rings

By Yaĝé Enigmus

Emeralds have always been symbols of wealth and prosperity, and while many people associate emeralds with monetary wealth and power, emeralds may also serve to represent the wealth of one’s relationships. Emeralds are a great choice for the center stone of a custom engagement ring, and can send a message of love with more nuance than a diamond traditionally would. An emerald engagement ring can display the abundance of feelings that are evoked by a loved one in a unique and bold way. In recent history, bespoke engagement rings featuring emeralds have garnered great attention with their beauty and reminded the world of the splendor of emeralds.

What is perhaps the most famous emerald engagement ring of recent history belonged to Wallis Simpson. The Duchess of Windsor was given a magnificent ring featuring a 19.77 carat step cut emerald prong-set in a halo of round diamonds by her fianceé King Edward VIII on October 27th, 1936. The ring that the King had given to Simpson was crafted by Cartier, and originally featured a platinum setting with an inscription reading “We are ours now 27x36”, but later on was remade with a gold setting at the request of the Duchess; Wallis Simpson kept the original setting given to her by Edward for the rest of her life. This breathtaking ring captivated the hearts of many with its luscious beauty and unconventional design.

Here are some of our favourite unique sapphire engagement rings from the Skyjems catalog:

Further to the west, another emerald engagement ring took the world stage on the finger of Jacqueline Kennedy. The First Lady’s custom engagement ring had been purchased and given to her in 1953, before her husband had taken office, and featured a 2.48 carat step cut emerald set alongside a 2.44 carat step cut diamond with small tapered baguette diamond accents. The ring was originally crafted by Van Cleef & Arpels, and received modifications in 1963 that included the addition of another 2.12 carats of round and marquise diamond accents. This ring was truly a piece of modern art, and exemplified the limitless potential of bespoke emerald engagement rings.

An emerald engagement ring that certainly stands out among engagement rings is one of the fourteen engagement rings owned by former Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham representing her marriage to David Beckham. The first custom engagement ring in Beckham’s collection to feature one of the three coloured precious stones, this marvelous piece of jewellery was crafted with a massive cushion cut emerald set in a stylized spiral platinum setting with diamond accents. Beckahm’s ring drew much attention after she acquired it in 2007, and was likely involved in the inspiration behind two of her next three bespoke engagement rings: one featuring a large ruby acquired by Beckham in 2009, and one featuring a large blue sapphire acquired by Beckham in 2010.

The custom engagement ring given to Halle Berry is a truly fine example of a way in which emeralds can be used to send a deeply meaningful message to a loved one. The actress received this custom engagement ring in March of 2012 from her fianceé Olivier Martinez, featuring a 4 carat bezel set Columbian emerald accented with two round diamonds. The ring’s yellow gold setting was crafted in a traditional Phoenician style and included a special code of subtle symbols specific to the couple which told the story of their relationship and could only be understood by them. The Parisian jeweller who made the ring said it was irreplaceable due not only to its unique design, but also because the emerald used in the ring came from a now closed mine in the Muzo emerald mining district and had what the jeweller described as “perfect” colour. Unfortunately, this incredible custom emerald ring was separated from its owner in 2014 when Berry lost track of the memento in Acapulco, Mexico. Nonetheless, Berry’s bespoke emerald engagement ring remains an immaculate demonstration of how an emerald can convey a message of emotional abundance and pure love.

All of these famous emerald engagement rings are fantastic demonstrations of how emeralds can convey a touching personal message to a loved one. These custom engagement rings also demonstrate the versatile nature of the emerald as a center stone with their highly varied designs. There is no doubt that when designing a bespoke engagement ring, the choice of an emerald engagement ring will stand out and allow for a distinctive expression of one’s deepest emotions.

Here are more of our favourite engagement rings from the Skyjems catalog featuring sapphire gemstones:

© Yaĝé Enigmus