Taking a Cue From The Duchess of Sussex, Married Women Are Upgrading Their Engagement Rings

An uptick in married celebrities and royalty enhancing their engagement rings has inspired many married women to give their own rings a make-over, even years after getting married. Reasons for upgrading engagement rings range from celebrating anniversary milestones to simply wanting to amplify the sparkle or give it a little more creative flair.  

Classic engagement ring designs are often selected as a safer choice, leaving the option for spouses to enhance the size of their diamond or alter the design to suit their taste when they can afford to do so. 

Here are some impressive engagement ring enhancements for a bit of upgrade inspiration!

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

In November 2017, Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle with a three-stone ring he designed with the help of the late Queen Elizabeth's regular jeweler, Cleave & Company. The Duchess of Sussex’s custom engagement ring is chock full of sentimental meaning. The bespoke ring has a yellow gold band featuring a sizable cushion-cut center diamond, sourced from Botswana, a meaningful destination for the couple since that is where they took their first vacation together early in their relationship. Prince Harry took special care to source a conflict-free diamond while visiting Botswana in May 2017 as a patron of Rhino Conservation Botswana. The center diamond, which is estimated to be about 3-carats, is flanked with two round side diamonds from Princess Diana's jewelry collection, in tribute to Harry’s late mother, following the lead of his big brother, Prince William, who also paid tribute to Diana by proposing to his wife, Kate Middleton, with Diana's actual engagement ring. Meghan’s three-stone engagement ring is commonly called a trilogy ring. The three stones in a trilogy ring symbolize the past, present, and future, with the largest stone representing the significance of being together in the present moment. Two years following their engagement, after the birth of their son, Archie, the public noticed a change in Meghan’s engagement ring. What was once a yellow-gold band was replaced with a thin, micro-pavé diamond band as the new setting for her diamond trilogy ring. Her upgraded engagement ring fits perfectly in sync with her rare Welsh gold wedding band, gifted to the couple by Queen Elizabeth, and her diamond eternity band, a gift given to her by Prince Harry for their 1st wedding anniversary.

Victoria Beckham, A.K.A., Posh Spice

Victoria Beckham could very well be considered the queen of engagement ring upgrades. Over 23 years of marriage to David Beckham, she has acquired an estimated fifteen engagement rings total! In 1998, the British soccer player proposed to his Spice Girl fiancée with a three-carat marquise-cut diamond set on a simple yellow gold band. Since then, Victoria Beckham’s engagement rings have run the gamut with various cuts, settings, and a few stones other than diamonds, including a sapphire, an emerald, a ruby, and even a moonstone ring.

Jennifer Lopez

Although not an upgrade from the original 6.10-carat cushion-cut pink diamond engagement ring Ben Affleck gave her back in 2002, 20 years later, after rekindling their romance, Affleck gave Lopez yet another show-stopping ring. For the second proposal, Affleck presented Lopez with a three-stone engagement ring with a rare 8.5-carat green diamond center stone flanked by two white trillion-cut diamond side stones.

Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark

In 2003, Prince Frederik of Denmark proposed to Australian-born Mary Donaldson with a ruby-and-diamond engagement ring to symbolize Denmark's national flag's red and white colors. The original ring design featured two emerald-cut rubies flanking a center 1.5-carat emerald-cut diamond. Princess Mary has since updated her engagement ring, adding two additional diamond baguettes to continue the red and white pattern. The princess added the two extra stones to symbolize their four children, with the current upgraded ring having four side stones to represent each child.

Nicole Kidman

A decade after her husband, country music star Keith Urban proposed to her with a diamond-studded $50,000 Cartier trinity engagement ring featuring three large stones surrounded by smaller stones, Nicole Kidman changed it up with a mammoth emerald-cut diamond ring set in platinum.

Mirka Federer

Wife of tennis champion Roger Federer, Mirka, a former professional tennis player, updated her impressive emerald-cut diamond engagement ring with a striking new band. Federer kept the emerald cut stone and added a creative touch, swapping out the traditional ring band for a less conventional, curved pavé diamond band that contours around the diamond before wrapping around her finger.  

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Action film star Jason Statham proposed to his fiancé, British model, and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley with a five-carat round-cut diamond set in platinum. Engaged to Statham since 2016, Huntington-Whiteley has since upgraded her ring to a tilted pear-shaped diamond following the birth of their second child. 

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Now more than ever, couples want bigger diamonds and are upgrading engagement rings with larger, more affordable lab-grown diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds are identical to earth-grown diamonds, making it easier for couples to get the higher-carat weight they desire while still allowing them to stay within their budget.

​Are you interested in upgrading your engagement ring? We would love to help you customize your new look!  Contact us today and let our team help you create the upgraded engagement ring of your dreams!