Is Pippa Middleton’s Stunning Engagement Ring Worth More Than Her Sister Kate’s?
When we think of famous and beautiful engagement rings, one that comes to mind is worn by the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton). But her sister, Pippa Middleton, also has a stunning sparkler on her finger.
Now, diamond experts have compared the siblings’ rocks and revealed how much each ring is worth.
How Kate and Pippa’s engagement rings compare
Pippa married hedge fund manager James Matthews in 2017. He proposed to his bride with an Asscher-cut diamond surrounded by a halo of smaller round-cut diamonds. The ring is over three carats. Asscher cuts look similar to emerald cuts but they are actually square, not rectangular.
Jeweler Zack Stone of the U.K. retailer Steven Stone explained,“Pippa Middleton’s engagement ring features an Asscher cut diamond, which is a rare choice. Interestingly, this type of cut was invented in 1902 by Joseph Asscher — a prestigious diamond cutter who provided jewels for Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.”
While Pippa’s ring is quite stunning, her sister’s ring is iconic as it was previously worn by the late Princess Diana. Prince William proposed to his wife with the 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire ring set in 18-carat white gold with 14 solitaire diamonds.
At the time, the ring caused some controversy as it was from a Garrard catalog, not custom-made and some members of the royal family didn’t want commoners having the same access to jewels they did. It was even referred to as “the commoner’s ring,” which is ironic given that it is now on the finger of a woman who was a commoner herself before she married the future king.
Kate had to have the ring resized to fit her slender finger but instead of resoldering the band, jewelers decided to add small platinum beads on the inside so the ring would better fit.
Who’s engagement ring is worth more?
Leading diamond experts took a close look at each ring comparing the features on both and how much they would go for on the retail market today.
They said: “Both rings have a vintage feel. However, Pippa’s design is slightly more modern than Kate’s, which was purchased in 1981.”
According to Zack Stone, “Asscher-cut stones have become increasingly popular in recent years. However, they are still not as popular as round, emerald, and oval-cut diamonds.
“The center stone in Pippa’s ring looks to be 3.5 carats and is no doubt of very high quality. It’s surrounded by a pave-set halo of diamonds and the geometrical design offers an elegant vintage style. A ring like this would have a retail value of around £125,000 ( over $155,000 USD) on today’s market.”
Pippa’s ring is not worth as much as Kate’s though as the jewelry expert noted, the Princess of Wales’s ring today would retail for more than $400,000.
