We rounded up 10 of our all-time favorite celebrity engagement rings that’ll never go out of style.
When it comes to famous engagement rings, there are diamonds, and then there are diamonds (and in Jacqueline Kennedy’s case, a diamond and an emerald—surrounded by more diamonds!). From Queen Elizabeth II to Queen Bey, we present to you history’s biggest, brightest and most beautiful engagement rings that stand the test of time, plus a few others that are already on their way to being unforgettable. Grab your sunglasses and proceed with caution!
Charles, Prince of Wales, proposed to Lady Diana Spencer in February of 1981, presenting her with an oval-shaped blue sapphire surrounded by a halo of tiny solitaire diamonds on a white gold band. (She chose it herself!) Diana’s ring pick reportedly raised some eyebrows since it wasn’t custom-made, but rather available for general purchase in Garrard’s jewelry collection at the time.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, gave his mother’s ring to Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, when he proposed in 2010, keeping the memory of the beloved Princess Diana alive through the ring’s stunning beauty and symbolic meaning. Talk about timeless! The deep blue sapphire is just as brilliant on Kate’s ring finger as it was on Diana’s.
On June 24, 1953, John F. Kennedy proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier at a restaurant in Boston. And as legendary as the glamorous couple and their tragic story will always be, the unique engagement ring John gave Jackie will never lose its iconic allure. The Van Cleef & Arpels ring boasted a tapered baguette 2.84-carat emerald beside a 2.88-carat diamond with a stunning diamond open-halo setting. Ever the trendsetter, we’re sure Jackie made Camelot-era brides-to-be want an emerald-diamond combo on their fingers too.
In her lifetime, Elizabeth Taylor married eight times (that’s a lot of rings!). But of all the massive baubles in the self-proclaimed jewelry fanatic’s trove, one of the most envy-worthy has to be the engagement ring from her third marriage to film and theater producer Mike Todd. He presented her with a 29.4-carat emerald-cut diamond, and the rock is so huge that apparently Taylor adoringly referred to it as her “ice skating rink.”
Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio gifted Marilyn Monroe a gorgeous platinum eternity band—complete with 35 baguette-cut diamonds. Well, technically it was her wedding band, since DiMaggio gave it to Monroe on their wedding day on January 14, 1954. And although their union sadly didn’t stand the test of time, this ring’s understated and simplistic elegance is exactly why the style is still popular today.
Mia Farrow received a breathtaking engagement ring mounted with a 9-carat solitaire, pear-shaped diamond from Frank Sinatra in June of 1966. The couple kept their engagement under the radar for about a month, then were married shortly after at a hotel in Las Vegas by a Justice of the Peace. Unfortunately, the marriage lasted only two years, but Farrow’s pear-shaped sparkler has remained a staple piece in the lineup of history’s iconic engagement rings.
Although it may not be Her Majesty’s largest piece of jewelry, it’s definitely rich in sentimental and symbolic value (and that doesn’t mean it’s not big enough for the rest of us!). Queen Elizabeth II’s ring is a platinum band mounted with a 3-carat solitaire diamond with five smaller diamonds on each side. The ring, which Prince Philip presented to Princess Elizabeth in 1947, is the epitome of understated elegance and class—and as one of the Queen’s most frequently worn pieces of jewelry, it has to be.
Does Beyonce’s engagement ring from Jay Z remind anyone else of Elizabeth Taylor’s from Mike Todd? Bey’s 18-carat stunner is a dramatic, emerald-cut diamond by jeweler to the stars Lorraine Schwartz. A classic shape and simple band is made dramatic and bold by the incredible size and sparkle! Nothing but the best for Queen Bey.
Newlywed Jennifer Aniston’s ring from husband Justin Theroux is a massive 8-carat diamond on a yellow gold band. The couple keeps their relationship fairly private, but understandably, the Friends alum has no problem flashing her spectacular rock on the red carpet.
Whatever your opinion is of her, can we all agree that the ice on Kim Kardashian’s ring finger is almost too amazing? Kanye West proposed to Kardashian in 2013 with a dazzling, 15-carat, cushion-cut sparkler! Kanye reportedly went to great lengths to ensure the ring was produced completely conflict free with the best diamond possible. The result by Lorraine Schwartz is nothing short of spectacular.
When Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie finally tied the knot in 2014, Pitt was in constant cahoots for an entire year with jeweler Robert Procop to design a custom engagement ring perfectly fitted to Jolie’s finger. The incredible emerald-cut bauble is elegant yet dramatic, and was definitely worth the wait.