14 DAY TRIAL // When Prince William popped the question to Kate Middleton (or Catherine, as she will be known from now on), he did it with a very impressive and valuable piece of jewelry: the engagement ring that once belonged to his mother, the late Princess Diana.
After being on and off for the past 8 years, Prince William has finally proposed to Kate, with the Royal Family saying in a statement the wedding will take place in spring or summer 2011, at the latest.
The two have already made their first appearance together since announcing the engagement, with Kate rocking the same ring William’s mother wore when she became engaged to Prince Charles in 1981, and which she stopped wearing when allegations of infidelity started making the rounds.
As Us Magazine can confirm, it’s actually the same ring: a gorgeous piece made of an 18-carat sapphire surrounded by 14 smaller white diamonds.
“It is very special to me. It was my way to make sure my mother did not miss out on today and the excitement that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together,” Prince William told the media of his decision to propose with his mother’s ring.
“The timing is right now, we are both very, very happy,” he added of the engagement. “[It was] a daunting prospect. Hopefully I’ll take it in my stride,” Kate also said on the topic.
Back in the day when it was first offered as an engagement ring, the sparkler was estimated at $65,000. Today, its value may be almost double, of about $100,000, jewelry expert Michael O’Connor believes.
“Obviously, Diana’s ring is priceless, since it’s part of the royal family jewelry collection, but it also has deeper meaning for William and his family because it belonged to his mother,” the expert also says for Us Magazine.
“This is a sign of true love since William is showing the world that Kate is worthy of this special ring... It’s the ideal piece of heirloom jewelry,” O’Connor adds.