Meghan Markle’s Engagement Ring
Not confirmed. Jewellers estimate 3 to 4 carats for the centre stone cushion diamond by Designed by Prince Harry; made by Cleave and Company
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Celebrity engagement rings / Princess Diana
Princess Diana’s engagement ring: what it is, and what it would cost you
PK
Parth KananiOctober 2026 · 4 min read
In short: Princess Diana’s engagement ring is an oval Ceylon sapphire of about 12 carats, surrounded by 14 diamonds in white gold, by Garrard. It reportedly cost about £28,000 in 1981. Prince William proposed to Catherine with the same ring in 2010, and she still wears it.
The ring
The facts, as reported
- Engaged
- February 1981; worn by Catherine, Princess of Wales, since November 2010
- Centre stone
- Oval Ceylon (Sri Lankan) sapphire
- Carat weight
- About 12 carats, as most reports state (never officially confirmed)
- Setting
- Cluster: the sapphire surrounded by 14 round diamonds
- Metal
- White gold (often reported as 18ct)
- Jeweller
- Garrard, London (then the Crown Jewellers), chosen from existing stock
- Reported value
- About £28,000 in 1981; “in excess of £150,000” to buy today (Marie Claire UK, quoting jeweller Susannah Lovis, October 2020)
To scale
How big is it, really?
From above, it covers roughly 5.2× the area of a typical 1 carat round diamond. Drawn from the reported weight and typical proportions for the cut, so treat it as a close estimate.
The story
Why this ring gets talked about
Prince Charles proposed in February 1981 and the engagement was announced on 24 February. Diana chose the ring from Garrard’s existing stock rather than having one made, which was unusual for a royal bride at the time and controversial with some commentators.
Prince William proposed to Catherine Middleton in Kenya in October 2010 with the same ring, and their engagement was announced on 16 November 2010. It has been one of the most copied engagement rings in the world ever since, and searches for “sapphire and diamond” rings still follow it.
What it means for you: sapphire is a 9 on the hardness scale, so it really does last a lifetime of daily wear, as this ring has shown for over 40 years. A sapphire cluster is also one of the best-value ways to get a big, colourful centre stone.
Get the look
What a ring like this costs in Hatton Garden
An oval blue sapphire surrounded by a cluster of small diamonds in white gold. Sapphire rings are priced from real UK listings rather than our diamond model.
Across 11 UK retail listings we checked, sapphire engagement rings ranged from £499 to £6,530, typically around £2,350. Most are far smaller stones than this one.
Sapphire engagement rings: prices and what to checkMore celebrity engagement rings
Or see every ring side by side.
Queen Camilla’s Engagement Ring
About 5 carats, as reported emerald cut diamond by Not reliably reported. A royal heirloom that belonged to the Queen Mother
Read guide
Grace Kelly’s Engagement Ring
10.47 carats, as given in Cartier and Prince’s Palace exhibition captions emerald cut diamond by Cartier
Read guide
Common Questions
How many carats is Princess Diana’s engagement ring?+
About 12 carats, as most reports state (never officially confirmed). The centre stone is an oval ceylon (sri lankan) sapphire. Setting: Cluster: the sapphire surrounded by 14 round diamonds. Metal: White gold (often reported as 18ct).
Who made Princess Diana’s engagement ring?+
Garrard, London (then the Crown Jewellers), chosen from existing stock.
How much is Princess Diana’s engagement ring worth?+
About £28,000 in 1981; “in excess of £150,000” to buy today, according to Marie Claire UK, quoting jeweller Susannah Lovis, October 2020. That’s an estimate, not a confirmed price.
Does Kate Middleton wear Princess Diana’s ring?+
Yes. Prince William proposed to Catherine with his mother’s sapphire ring in Kenya in October 2010, and the Princess of Wales has worn it since.
Sources
Carat weights and values are as reported by the press, not confirmed by the couple or the jeweller unless stated.