Princess Eugenie's engagement might have been a small affair, but it was extremely expensive, here's why.
The royals love to celebrate even the tiniest events. And this is the case with the ‘royal cousins’ as well, especially Princess Eugenie and her sister Princess Beatrice. Princess Eugenie is King Charles’s niece and Prince Andrew’s daughter.
The princess who is now happily married to Jack Brooksbank, had a lavish wedding back in 2018. And ever since then, the couple have touched many milestones, and even had two lovely children in the last few years. Now, with rumors that Princess Eugenie will be taking on new roles as a royal family member, she is all set to embrace another responsibility.
Amidst all the royal duties, the Princess doesn’t forget to enjoy the finer things in life. This is clearly seen in her choice of jewelry or clothing, but particularly her expensive engagement ring that made headlines. Here’s everything to know about the rare engagement ring that the Princess owns.
The engagement
Before we head to the nitty-gritty about the ring, let’s dive into how Jack Brooksbank proposed to the young royal. Princess Eugenie got married to Brooksbank after dating for over 8 years. The couple met at a ski resort back in 2010 and made their first-ever public appearance as a couple for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding. And in 2018, while holidaying in Nicaragua, Jack Brooksbank went down on one knee and asked for the Princess’s hand in marriage. She said the following about the proposal as per The Express.
"I actually said this is an incredible moment, and then he popped the question, which was really surprising even though we have been together seven years. I was over the moon."
The ring
While the engagement was heartfelt and emotional, the ring just stole the show. The engagement ring was nothing short of opulent. It was a rare pink padparadscha sapphire of close to three carats. The padparadscha sapphires are said to be the most expensive of all the sapphire colors. The pink-orange color tone is extremely rare to find, making every padparadscha sapphire a unique piece.
More about the padparadscha sapphire
Sapphires are formed by a mineral known as corundum, which is colorless in its original state. The colors for a sapphire come from trace elements that are present in it, during the time of its formation. For padparadscha, it is the presence of iron and chromium that gives it that pinkish hue. And iron and chromium are a rare combination to naturally occur in the ecosystem. Hence, the exorbitant price and value for the padparadscha sapphire.
This is how a diamond factory expert described the rare piece of jewelry.
“Surrounded by 10 round diamond solitaires, plus two pear-shaped diamonds on each side where the ring’s band meets the center setting. The ring’s setting and band are yellow gold."
The value of the ring
At the time, it was said to be valued at around £100,000. But this amount can vastly vary depending on how you look at it. As per Tony French, a diamond jewelry expert, this is how much it would be worth right now, five years since Brooksbank popped the question.
"I’d say that there are many varying degrees of reports on this ring. Some specialists say that it can have a value up to £250,000 potentially, and others a more conservative value of £30,000 to £55,000 irrespective of what was paid for it.”
"With our new King on the throne over this past year, and ongoing interest in the Royal Family, along with inflation, I would be comfortable insuring the item for around £130,000."
Read more:
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⋙ Sarah Ferguson is responsible for taking care of some of the Queen's most beloved possessions
⋙ Princess Eugenie in the limelight as she enjoys luxury vacation in Kenya
⋙ Rare photo of royal baby Sienna was shared by Princess Beatrice's husband
