Charles chose to include the sapphire and diamond ring in the collection because it reminded him of the brooch he often saw his mother and grandmother wear. Princess Diana reportedly picked the sapphire ring because it matched her blue eyes.
Later that evening in the castle's nursery where he played as a child, Charles proposed to Diana with a ring she herself chose: an oval 12 carat Ceylon blue sapphire framed by 14 round diamonds. The blue sapphire was Diana's favorite gemstone, and she was known to wear a lot of blue to complement her blue eyes.
Diana chose her sapphire engagement ring from Garrard in 1981.
It's no secret Diana was a fan of pearls, and this 11-strand choker is one of her most enviable pieces of pearl jewelry. While she had many pearl chokers, this one, made with 900 pearls and columns of diamonds and rubies, was a favorite of hers to wear to film premieres and nights at the theater.
The engagement ring, which was sourced from UK jewelry company Garrard's, was inspired by a brooch once owned by Queen Victoria. Commissioned by her husband Prince Albert, the brooch featured a diamond sapphire center stone within a halo of 12 diamonds and was set on a gold band.
Perhaps the most famous piece of jewelry Kate inherited from Princess Diana is this sapphire engagement ring. The ring was created by British jeweler Garrard and chosen by Prince Charles for his proposal to Diana in 1981.
Although the former royal butler isn't certain about what happened next, he says the two of them must have made a deal. “Harry obviously gave up his treasure to his brother, so that it could be on the ring finger of his wife who would one day be queen,” Burrell reveals.
Camilla Parker-Bowles went to the races wearing a brooch given to her by her husband - which he had previously given to Diana, Princess of Wales. The diamond Prince of Wales feathers brooch was modified by Diana to be worn as a necklace. Find this Pin and more on Queen Camilla by Maureen Hart.
The late princess continued to wear her engagement ring even after she and Prince Charles divorced in 1996. After her death, Prince William inherited the sapphire sparkler, eventually using it to propose to Kate Middleton in 2010.
After Diana's tragic death at the age of 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash, her jewelry was inherited by her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. The glittering pieces collected by Diana throughout her married life held enormous sentimental value to both the princess and the princes.
Following Diana's death in August 1997, the sapphire ring was inherited by her son Prince Harry, who eventually offered it to his older brother Prince William before he proposed to Kate Middleton with it in 2010.
The Duchess of Cambridge wears the 12-carat oval sapphire engagement ring, surrounded by 14 diamonds, that belonged to Prince William's late mother, Princess Diana.
The yellow gold band has not one but three diamonds: a central rock of three carats from Botswana, where the couple had holidayed together, and two diamonds on either side from Princess Diana's collection. Markle showed off the ring at Kensington Palace when the pair announced their engagement in 2017.
The ring, a gift from Lucia Flecha de Lima, was made by Asprey, and it arrived in Diana's jewelry box around 1996. What is this? That October, she memorably wore the ring with an electric blue Versace gown for a fundraising gala in Sydney, Australia, benefiting the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.
Some people have speculated that Princess Diana chose the blue sparkler because it looked very similar to her mother's engagement ring. However, another theory suggests that she picked it because the sapphire resembled her blue eyes.
Pearl studs
Diana's love for pearls started early in her life. While her school friends often wore diamond studs, the future princess usually chose pearls. At the age of 15, Lady Diana Spencer was first seen wearing a pair of simple pearl earrings; she wore them as a bridesmaid at her sister's wedding.
Despite her divorce from Prince Charles, Diana never stopped wearing her engagement ring. Upon her death in 1997, it was placed in the care of the royal family, where it remained until it landed on Kate Middleton's, now the Duchess of Cambridge, finger in 2010, when Prince William proposed.
Attending the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Kate Middleton wore a necklace which was once borrowed by Princess Diana and worn by the Queen. The new Princess of Wales was seen wearing the four-strand pearl choker which also featured a diamond clasp, in what appeared to be a subtle tribute to the late monarch.
After the princess' death, most of her personal jewelry was inherited by her two sons Princes William and Harry, with pieces loaned to her during her lifetime being returned to Queen Elizabeth II, where they are most likely to have been inherited by King Charles in 2022.
Kate, who also became the Duchess of Cornwall following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, opted for Diana's breathtaking pearl and diamond earrings.
In Spencer, Diana is horrified (though seemingly unsurprised) to discover her husband gave her the same pearl necklace he gave to his then-mistress, Camilla Parker-Bowles. There's no evidence to suggest this gift-giving snafu ever happened (or that she ate them at the dinner table).
Kate Middleton made important adjustments to her engagement ring shortly before her wedding to Prince William in 2011. The Duchess of Cambridge altered the famous sapphire piece - which previously belonged to Diana, Princess of Wales - to avoid "a bride's worst nightmare."
Aquamarine Cocktail Ring
On Meghan's wedding day, she debuted two rings: a simple wedding band made of Welsh gold, and Princess Diana's Aquamarine ring. After the ceremony, Meghan changed to head to her reception at Frogmore House (top) and was first photographed wearing the colorful piece of jewelry.
In the book, referring to Diana's death, Harry said he thinks that he is unable to cry in public because of his family's preference for not showing emotion. According to The Telegraph, Harry wrote, "I disliked the touch of those hands. What's more, I disliked how they made me feel: guilty.
While it is now common practice for both the bride and groom to give each other a ring as a sign of their eternal devotion, a royal aide explained that Prince William's decision not to wear a ring was 'simply down to personal preference'.