Princess Diana's 'enchanting' aquamarine ring passed to Meghan Markle symbolises 'trust'
PRINCESS DIANA'S Asprey aquamarine ring, only worn by the Princess on two occasions before her tragic death, now belongs to the Duchess of Sussex.
Princess Diana 'so present' in the modern day says royal expert
Princess Diana’s jewellery collection is incredible and many of her pieces have since been seen worn by both her son’s wives, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. The sensational ring features an emerald-cut aquamarine flanked by small solitaire diamonds, and the aquamarine itself was gifted to Princess Diana by her friend Lucia Flecha de Lima. This aquamarine was then transformed into a beautiful ring by Asprey in 1996, which the Princess reportedly loved very much.
Princess Diana’s divorce from Prince Charles was finalised in 1996, and this ring was very dear to the Princess according to jewellery experts at Steven Stone.
Since the Princess would no longer be wearing her famous blue sapphire engagement ring, she was now able to wear this newly crafted ring specially made for her which was a beautiful replacement.
This ring was only worn twice by the Princess of Wales before her tragic death in August 1997, however, the ring now belongs to her granddaughter-in-law, the Duchess of Sussex.
Princess Diana’s first time wearing the ring was when she attended the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute Fundraising Dinner in Sydney, in October 1996, a few months after her divorce from Prince Charles.
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She paired the ring with a coordinating pearl bracelet, featuring a huge aquamarine clasp.
The Princess of Wales also wore some diamond and pearl drop earrings which were later worn by the Duchess of Cambridge at the BAFTAs in 2019.
Diana paired the jewellery with a Versace gown that some reporters described as “electric blue,” with a matching clutch bag and shoes.
The one-shouldered gown looked fantastic on Princess Diana along with her diamonds, pearls, and aquamarines.
The ring, set on a 24-carat yellow gold band, was passed down to Prince Harry who gave it to his new wife Meghan Markle to wear for the couple's wedding reception.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had a costume change after their wedding breakfast at Windsor Castle.
Meghan swapped her wedding dress for evening attire and this very sentimental piece of jewellery worn by her late mother-in-law.
While Prince Harry donned a tuxedo, Meghan Markle wore a radiant Stella McCartney sleeveless dress.
Max Stone from Steven Stone said: "Aquamarine is one of the most visually beautiful gemstones.
“With an enchanting pale blue colour, the ring complimented Diana's skin tone perfectly.
"Now having been passed down to Meghan Markle from Harry, it's interesting to know that the Aquamarine’s light blue colour symbolises feelings of sympathy, trust, and friendship.
"While the ring is no doubt priceless, if it were available to buy, it would be worth around £75,000 to £85,000."
The second time Princess Diana was seen wearing this fabulous ring was in June 1997, just two months before her tragic death.
Diana attended a gala reception and preview of her 'Dresses Auction' at Christie's in London on June 2, 1997.
The reception was in support of the Aid Crisis Trust and The Royal Marsden Hospital Cancer Fund.
On this occasion, Princess Diana was photographed with her stepmother Raine, Comtesse De Chambrun.
The Princess of Wales styled the ring with a sensational pale blue cocktail dress designed by Catherine Walker.