How do you pop the question to a star? By giving them the
biggest diamond you've ever seen, of course. But it won't come cheap…
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have one of the most celebrated marriages in Hollywood. They
met on the set of The Green Lantern in 2010, but the pair didn't strike up a relationship until a
year later. In fact, the actors were in serious commitments with other people; Lively ended her
nearly three-year relationship with Gossip Girl costar Penn Badgley in October 2010,
while Reynolds was married to Scarlett Johansson for two years before separating in December 2010.
Lively and Reynolds secretly wed in South Carolina in September 2012. Kathryn Money,
vice president of strategy and merchandising at Brilliant Earth,
believes Lively's ring had cost Reynolds around $2 million. And in 2015, Lively herself told Vogue:
"My most treasured possession is my engagement ring made by
my dear friend Lorraine Schwartz because of the love and meaning it symbolizes. No,
I didn't have any hand in its design — I married a gentleman."
R&B singer Ciara was first linked to NFL quarterback Russell Wilson in 2015,
when they attended one of former president Barack Obama's White House State Dinners.
The pair soon became one of Hollywood's hottest couples, and it seemed to be a
match made in heaven after the star athlete proposed to the singer the following year.
On Instagram, Wilson shared a video of the two stars with huge smiles on
their faces after the proposal. Ciara also proudly showed off her massive new ring.
"Yes! Yeah! Making this thing happen."
A rep for Ciara told People magazine that Wilson got down
on one knee as they walked along a private beach in the Seychelles.
As for Ciara's ring, it is believed to be 16 carats and has an estimated value of
between $2 million and $2.5 million. That's a lot more than the alleged
$500,000 ring Ciara was given by her ex-husband, rapper Future.
As it turned out, the couple couldn't wait to tie the knot,
and Ciara and Wilson got hitched in England in July 2016.
It's hard to miss tennis star Serena Williams' engagement ring when she
walks the red carpet. Williams' stunning sparkler was given to her
by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian Sr., who proposed in December 2016.
Williams' ring is an oval-shaped diamond with two diamonds on either side,
set on a platinum wedding band. It is estimated to be 17 carats and worth $3
million. Ohanian would later tell Forbes that he managed to pay for the ring after making
$50 million betting on cryptocurrency. Besides her engagement ring, the tennis star's wedding
band is just as glorious. The same month she and Ohanian wed, she shared a photo of their young
daughter Alexis on Instagram — unsurprisingly, most eyes were on those incredible rings.
Remember when Kanye West proposed to Kim Kardashian at San Francisco's AT&T Park on
her 33rd birthday? In 2013, the rapper got down on one knee and asked for the
reality star's hand in marriage with a spectacular diamond ring,
backed by a full orchestra. What you might not know, however, is that Kardashian was
actually given two engagement rings during her relationship with West.
Kardashian's first ring was designed by celebrity jeweler Lorraine Schwartz. A
rep for the designer stated that West was on hand to help create the 15-carat ring,
which had an estimated value of between $2.5 and $3 million.
"He picked the perfect diamond, a D-flawless. And he was really on top,
looking at every aspect of the design."
Then, in 2016, West gave Kardashian a second engagement ring. The rapper reportedly shelled
out an estimated $4.5 million on a 20-carat diamond ring for his wife. Kardashian wasn't
shy in flaunting it, either: That September, she posted an up-close photo of her new bling on
Instagram. However, that same month, Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room.
Approximately $11 million worth of jewelry was taken, including her engagement ring.
Can diamonds repair a broken marriage? That
was the rumor floating around when the late Kobe Bryant and his wife, Vanessa,
were seen picking up a custom 8-carat purple diamond ring after the NBA player was charged
with sexual assault in 2003. The ring came with an estimated price tag of $4 million.
That year, a 19-year-old hotel employee had accused the basketball player of sexual assault,
which he denied. However, he did admit to being unfaithful to his wife. During
a press conference that took place in the aftermath, Bryant said:
"Furious at myself, as I sit here by myself, for making a mistake of adultery.
I love my wife with all my heart. She is the backbone. You're a blessing. You're a piece
of my heart. You're the air I breathe. You're the strongest person I know."
The charges against Kobe were ultimately dropped.
Paris Hilton has been engaged four times,
and all of her proposals came with their own astonishing diamond rings.
Hilton's first engagement was to Jason Shaw in 2002, who gave the hotel heiress
a stunning pear-shaped diamond ring. Despite not knowing the value of the precious stone,
it can be safely assumed that Shaw paid a pretty penny for it. Next came Greek shipping heir Paris
Latsis, who proposed to the star with a massive, 24-carat diamond ring that was estimated to be
worth $4.7 million. Although the two went their separate ways after a quick engagement in 2005,
Brides reported that the ring's value has since increased to $7.1 million.
Hilton would end up with another rock on her finger in 2018, when actor Chris Zylka proposed
to the star with a pear-shaped ring estimated to be worth $2 million. However, their relationship
ended after nearly two years together. Hilton then found love yet again with Carter Reum. In 2021,
Reum asked for Hilton's hand in marriage on her 40th birthday with an emerald-shaped diamond.
This ring is estimated to cost $1 million. Despite costing much less than her prior engagement rings,
her relationship with Reum, whom she married that same year, seems much more promising.
Jennifer Lopez is another celebrity who has worn quite a few different engagement rings
on her finger — six rings from five different men, to be exact. However,
her second engagement ring from Ben Affleck was the ultimate show-stopper.
"So I have a really exciting and special story to share…"
When Lopez and Affleck got engaged for the first time in 2002, Affleck popped the question with a
Harry Winston pale pink ring worth around $1.2 million. Sadly, the couple broke up before they
could wed. Lopez would then marry Marc Anthony in 2004, who topped Affleck's ring with a sparkler
worth an estimated $4 million. The two ended up separating in 2011. JLo was also engaged to
former New York Yankee star Alex Rodriguez, who proposed to Lopez with a ring valued at
over $1 million in 2019. However, the couple never saw the altar and split in April 2021.
Fans rejoiced when Lopez and Affleck reunited in 2021. In 2022, the actor proposed to Lopez again,
this time with a beautiful and rare 8.5-carat green diamond ring flanked
with two trapezoid-shaped white diamonds. It was reported to be worth somewhere between
$5 and $7 million. The couple tied the knot in a surprise wedding in Las Vegas in July 2022,
and held a second ceremony in Georgia in August of that year.
Beyoncé has worn millions of dollars worth of jewelry at events over the years,
including, for example, a $12 million diamond necklace at the 2017 Grammys,
courtesy of famed jeweler Lorraine Schwartz.
So, it's probably no surprise that Beyoncé's engagement ring would be
just as spectacular. In 2007, rapper Jay-Z proposed to the singer with a
24-carat emerald-cut diamond ring with a split band. It was estimated to have cost
$5 million. The pair wed in a super-secretive ceremony in New York City the following year.
Recently, fans have noticed that Beyoncé may have switched up her engagement ring. In November 2021,
the singer showed off a unique marquise-style ring on her finger on Instagram. However,
this could be yet another of the many extravagant jewels in Beyoncé's collection.
Actor Elizabeth Taylor was known for her collection of jewels,
and her engagement ring from Richard Burton was counted among her most exquisite pieces.
Taylor's betrothal to Burton marked her sixth out of 10 engagements over the course
of her life — and the actor didn't actually give her a ring to start off with. Instead,
Burton proposed to Taylor with an emerald brooch, which could be attached to an emerald-diamond
necklace made by Bulgari. Taylor wore the pin on her wedding day to Burton in 1964. However,
it wasn't until around their fourth wedding anniversary that Burton finally gave Taylor
a ring. In fact, Burton found himself in a bidding war with renowned jeweler Harry
Winston for a 33.19-carat flawless diamond ring. The actor paid an estimated $300,000
for the piece and gave it to Taylor in 1968. Despite the couple separating for good in 1976,
Taylor reportedly continued to wear the ring — albeit on her right hand.
Mariah Carey's brief engagement to Australian billionaire James Packer produced one of the
most expensive engagement rings ever made. At an estimated $10 million price tag,
it's no wonder Carey continued to wear the ring even after their split.
Carey and Packer began dating around 2015, and the following year, Packer proposed to
the singer with a spectacular 35-carat emerald-cut diamond ring designed by
Packer's close friend, jeweler Wilfredo Rosado. After Carey debuted her ring,
Rosado told Vogue it was "the most challenging piece of jewelry" he had ever designed. He added:
"I wanted to create the most gorgeous ring for my dear friend, but I also wanted to
create the most stunning ring for one of the most iconic divas of our generation."
"He said that it was one of the most challenging pieces that he worked on,
in part because he's really good friends with Mariah."
However, the couple split just a few months after their engagement. As part of a settlement
between Carey and Packer, she got to keep the ring. Carey reportedly wore the rock on her
finger for over a year after their breakup. In 2018, she finally decided to part ways with it
and sold the ring to a Los Angeles jeweler for $2.1 million. At the time, a rep told Page Six:
"Mariah has been very vocal recently about her choice to move forward in
her life surrounded by positivity. That requires leaving emotional baggage behind,
including an old engagement ring from an ex-boyfriend."
Former first lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis only wore her engagement ring from Greek
shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis twice. Why? Because the diamond was reportedly so heavy.
In 1968, the Greek tycoon proposed to Jackie with a 40-carat Harry Winston
marquise diamond ring named the Lesotho III. Jackie and Onassis would stay married
until Onassis' death in 1975. In 1996, the ring was sold at auction for $2.6 million;
since then, its value has soared to nearly $20 million.
Although Jackie was given a spectacular diamond ring by her second husband, it was the first ring
given to her by former president John F. Kennedy that continues to inspire engagement rings today.
Kennedy presented his soon-to-be wife with a two-stoned design consisting of a 2.88-carat
diamond and a 2.84-carat emerald, which she later redesigned and upgraded years later.
In 1956, Grace Kelly's life forever changed when she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Of
course, it's only fitting that a proposal fit for a princess demands a pricey ring, right?
Prince Rainier III offered Kelly a 10.47-carat emerald-cut diamond ring designed by Cartier,
which reportedly cost him $4 million. Adjusted for inflation, that comes in at about $38.8 million.
However, this wasn't the first ring the prince had purchased to propose to the star. Kelly was given
an eternity band made by Cartier that consisted of multi-colored gems such as rubies and diamonds,
symbolizing the country of Monaco. She reportedly acquired her second ring while starring in High
Society, her last film before giving up acting, in which Kelly can even be seen wearing it.
After Kelly's untimely death in 1982, the ring was given over to Monaco's House of Grimaldi.