Celebrity Engagement Rings: 6 Iconic Designs to Inspire Your Ring
Celebrity engagement rings often influence the jewellery designs we see for years afterwards. While some make headlines because of extraordinary diamond sizes or values, the most interesting rings usually stand out because of their diamond shape, setting, proportions or personal meaning.
Recent celebrity engagement rings also show just how varied modern engagement ring design has become. Vintage-inspired diamonds sit alongside contemporary east-west settings, classic trilogy rings, elegant emerald cuts and elongated oval diamonds.
For couples choosing an engagement ring in New Zealand, celebrity rings can be a useful source of inspiration without needing to reproduce the original ring exactly. A diamond shape, setting style or small design detail can become the starting point for something completely personal.
Here are six celebrity engagement rings that demonstrate very different approaches to engagement ring design.
| Celebrity / Couple | Centre Stone | Ring Design | Inspiration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce | Old-mine brilliant diamond | Vintage-inspired yellow gold | Antique character |
| Meghan Markle & Prince Harry | Cushion-cut diamond | Three-stone trilogy | Personal symbolism |
| Beyoncé & Jay Z | Emerald-cut diamond | Split-shank pavé | Refined glamour |
| Kate Middleton & Prince William | Oval blue sapphire | Sapphire and diamond cluster | Heritage and colour |
| Zendaya & Tom Holland | Cushion-cut diamond | East-west setting | Contemporary individuality |
| Rita Ora & Taika Waititi | Green emerald | Diamond pavé-set bezel | Bold colour and individuality |
Taylor Swift’s Vintage-Inspired Engagement Ring
Taylor Swift’s engagement ring from Travis Kelce combines a substantial old-mine brilliant-cut diamond with a detailed yellow gold setting. Kelce worked with jewellery designer Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine Jewelry to create the ring, with reports describing engraved detailing around the setting and band.
Rather than selecting the ultra-modern appearance associated with many large celebrity diamonds, the ring draws heavily on antique jewellery design.
Old-mine diamonds are known for their softer outlines, larger facets and individual character. They were traditionally cut by hand, so their proportions can be less uniform than modern brilliant cuts. It is this individuality that gives vintage diamonds much of their appeal.
Design inspiration: Taylor Swift’s ring demonstrates how a large centre diamond can still feel romantic and distinctive when paired with vintage detailing and yellow gold rather than an ultra-minimal setting.
Meghan Markle’s Trilogy Engagement Ring
Meghan Markle’s engagement ring is perhaps one of the best-known modern examples of a three-stone or trilogy engagement ring.
Prince Harry designed the ring around a cushion-cut centre diamond sourced from Botswana. Two smaller diamonds from Princess Diana’s personal jewellery collection sit beside the centre stone, giving the design considerable personal significance. The ring was created with Cleave & Company.
The three-stone arrangement is particularly effective because it provides additional diamond coverage without distracting from the centre stone. Trilogy rings are also traditionally associated with the past, present and future of a relationship.
Meghan’s ring demonstrates another important aspect of custom jewellery: meaningful stones can become part of the design rather than simply choosing a ring based on size or value.
Design inspiration: Consider incorporating inherited diamonds, family gemstones or stones connected to an important place or event into a custom engagement ring.
Beyoncé’s Emerald-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring
Beyoncé’s solitaire engagement ring from Jay-Z features a spectacular emerald-cut diamond designed by Lorraine Schwartz, set on a split-shank pavé diamond band. Published reports differ over its exact carat weight, varying between 18 and 24 carats, but there is little disagreement about the impact of its large emerald-cut centre stone.
The emerald cut creates a very different appearance from a round brilliant or oval diamond. Rather than relying on numerous small facets for intense sparkle, its long step-cut facets produce broad flashes of light and the distinctive hall-of-mirrors effect associated with emerald-cut diamonds.
Because an emerald cut has a large open table, clarity and the quality of the cut become especially important when selecting the individual diamond.
Design inspiration: An emerald-cut diamond can create a sophisticated, architectural engagement ring, either as a clean solitaire or paired with pavé diamonds and side stones.
Kate Middleton’s Sapphire Engagement Ring
Kate Middleton’s engagement ring is one of the world’s most recognisable royal engagement rings. Prince William proposed in 2010 with the ring that had previously belonged to his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
At the centre is an approximately 12-carat oval blue sapphire, surrounded by a halo of 14 round brilliant-cut diamonds and set in 18-carat white gold. The ring was originally created by British jeweller Garrard and became famous after Princess Diana selected it for her engagement in 1981.
Unlike the diamond-centred rings worn by many celebrities, Kate’s halo ring demonstrates the impact a coloured gemstone can have in an engagement ring. The rich blue sapphire creates the focal point, while the surrounding halo of diamonds provides contrast, brilliance and additional presence on the finger.
It is also an excellent example of how jewellery can carry meaning across generations. When Prince William announced their engagement, he explained that using his mother’s ring was a way of keeping her connected to an important moment in his life.
Design inspiration: A sapphire surrounded by diamonds creates a timeless alternative to a traditional diamond engagement ring. The same principle can be adapted using sapphires in different colours or other precious gemstones to create a more individual design.
Zendaya’s East-West Diamond Engagement Ring
Zendaya’s engagement ring from Tom Holland brought renewed attention to the east-west engagement ring setting.
Designed by British jeweller Jessica McCormack, the ring features a reported 5.02-carat cushion-cut diamond positioned horizontally across the finger rather than in the conventional north-south orientation.
Rotating the diamond might appear to be a small change, but it dramatically alters the personality of the ring.
East-west settings work particularly well with elongated diamond shapes, including cushion, emerald, oval and radiant cuts. They can also create a lower, wider appearance across the finger and give a familiar diamond shape a more contemporary character.
Zendaya’s ring is an excellent reminder that creating an individual engagement ring does not necessarily require an elaborate design.
Design inspiration: Changing the orientation, proportions or setting of a classic diamond shape can create a completely different ring.
Rita Ora’s Emerald Engagement Ring
Rita Ora and New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi became engaged during a trip to Palm Springs in 2022 and married in Los Angeles a few weeks later.
Ora later revealed her striking emerald engagement ring, featuring a large green emerald framed by a diamond pavé-set bezel on a gold band. She has also explained that she knew what she wanted and helped guide Waititi towards the ring she liked.
The rich green centre stone makes the design immediately different from a traditional white diamond engagement ring. The surrounding diamonds add brilliance and contrast, while the yellow gold brings warmth to the emerald’s colour.
Design inspiration: A green emerald can create a distinctive alternative to a diamond centre stone, particularly when paired with surrounding diamonds and yellow gold.
What Can Celebrity Engagement Rings Teach Us About Ring Design?
These celebrity engagement rings demonstrate that there is no single formula for creating the perfect ring.
Taylor Swift’s ring demonstrates the character of vintage-inspired jewellery. Meghan Markle’s trilogy design focuses on personal meaning, while Beyoncé’s emerald-cut diamond creates clean architectural elegance. Kate Middleton’s sapphire halo ring shows the enduring appeal of coloured gemstones and heritage jewellery.
Zendaya demonstrates how changing the orientation of a diamond can make a traditional shape feel contemporary, while Rita Ora’s emerald shows how a bold coloured gemstone can create a highly individual alternative to a traditional diamond ring.
Rather than copying a celebrity engagement ring exactly, consider the individual elements that appeal to you:
- Diamond or gemstone: diamond, sapphire, emerald or another coloured gemstone
- Shape: round, oval, cushion, emerald, radiant or another fancy shape
- Setting: solitaire, halo, trilogy, pavé or east-west
- Metal: platinum, white gold, yellow gold or rose gold
- Style: contemporary, classic, vintage-inspired or highly detailed
- Personalisation: inherited stones, engraving or meaningful design details
These choices will have far more influence on how your engagement ring looks and feels than simply following a particular celebrity trend.
Create Your Own Celebrity-Inspired Engagement Ring in New Zealand
If you love elements of a celebrity engagement ring, they can provide an excellent starting point for creating something completely original.
At Polished Diamonds – Jewellery Design, we design and make custom engagement rings in New Zealand using advanced CAD jewellery design and skilled local craftsmanship. Bring us an inspiration image, combine elements from several different rings or start with an entirely original idea.
Choose from natural or lab-grown diamonds, coloured gemstones, platinum and gold, with the proportions and finer details developed around your preferred style, lifestyle and budget.
Visit our jewellery design studios in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, or work with our team remotely from anywhere in New Zealand.
The aim is not to recreate somebody else’s engagement ring. It is to identify the elements you love and use them as inspiration to create a ring that feels entirely your own.
Celebrity Engagement Ring FAQs
Taylor Swift’s engagement ring features an old-mine brilliant-cut diamond in a vintage-inspired yellow gold setting created by Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine Jewelry.
Meghan Markle has a trilogy engagement ring featuring a cushion-cut centre diamond from Botswana and two smaller diamonds from Princess Diana’s jewellery collection.
Kate Middleton’s halo engagement ring features an approximately 12-carat oval blue sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds and set in white gold. The ring previously belonged to Princess Diana.
Zendaya’s engagement ring features a cushion-cut diamond positioned horizontally in an east-west setting, creating a distinctive contemporary appearance.
Rita Ora’s engagement ring features a large green emerald surrounded by diamonds and set on a gold band.
Yes. A custom engagement ring can take inspiration from a celebrity ring’s diamond shape, gemstone, setting, metal or proportions while creating an original design specifically for the wearer.
Celebrity Engagement Rings: Key Takeaways
- Taylor Swift’s ring combines an old-mine brilliant diamond with vintage-inspired yellow gold.
- Meghan Markle’s trilogy ring combines a Botswana diamond with diamonds from Princess Diana.
- Kate Middleton’s sapphire demonstrates the popularity of coloured gemstone engagement rings.
- Zendaya’s east-west cushion setting shows how diamond orientation can transform a traditional design.
- Celebrity designs can provide inspiration for an original custom engagement ring rather than being copied exactly.
