Prince William took a chance when he proposed to his wife Princess Catherine, whereas many couples either buy or design engagement rings that are the ideal size for their other half.
The royal traveled to Kenya in 2010 with his longtime girlfriend at the time, Kate Middleton, where he spent time with friends before popping the question. He gave his fiancée the sapphire and diamond engagement ring that Princess Diana, his late mother, chose from Garrard before she wed King Charles.
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According to rumors, Catherine secretly altered the interior of the band to make it smaller because it was a little too big for her finger at the time. Jewelers G. Collins and Sons added tiny platinum beads inside the band to reduce its diameter, preventing any drastic alterations like breaking and resoldering the band.
The best part, though? In addition to enabling Catherine to wear her engagement ring to almost all occasions, the smaller band also makes it simple to undo the modifications.
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According to Anthony French, a diamond expert at Austen & Blake, “It would be simpler to think that by adding more platinum or working on something, we increase or decrease its value, but…this item of jewellery is truly unique in that its provenance has increased its true value considerably, and so these minor alterations won’t really affect the price in any way.”
Particularly considering that the minor cosmetic modification can be undone if necessary, returning the ring to its “original” state.
According to reports, Princess Diana chose this ring because it resembled her mother’s engagement ring and went well with her eyes.
The Court Jeweller estimates that it would have cost around £28,500 at the time, making it worth £88,725 today according to the Bank of England’s inflation calculator. However, according to other reports, the value could reach a staggering £300–400k.
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William admitted that Catherine was unaware that he had been carrying the ring around for several weeks. During his engagement interview, the royal told journalist Tom Bradby, “I had been carrying [the ring] around in my rucksack for about three weeks before [the proposal].”
“I was keeping a hold of it wherever I went because I knew if this thing disappeared, I’d be in serious trouble.”
At the couple’s official engagement announcement at St. James’s Palace on November 16, 2010, Catherine could be seen sporting her new ring and matching blue dress. On April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey, Catherine and William exchanged vows after waiting five months.
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Though Meghan Markle also altered the priceless ring she received from Prince Harry, Catherine is not the only royal bride to have changed her engagement ring. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge redesigned Meghan’s stunning sparkler in June 2019, which was a year and a half after we first saw it.
The delicate diamond-studded band completely altered the ring’s appearance by taking the place of the gold band. Her large African diamond and the two from Princess Diana’s collection on either side are now perfectly complemented by the glowing band.
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The eternity ring, which HELLO! confirmed was a gift from Prince Harry in honor of the couple’s first wedding anniversary on May 19, 2019, was also noticed by royal watchers as a third addition to the wedding and engagement rings. How considerate!
