Princess Grace,Audrey HepburnandElizabeth Taylorreceived some of the most famous engagement rings in history.
All three actresses tied the knot around the same time: Hepburn married her first husband,Mel Ferrer, in an intimate ceremony in Bürgenstock, Switzerland in September 1954, and two years later Grace, who was known as Grace Kelly before her nuptials, hosteda lavish two-day affairfor her wedding toPrince Rainierof Monaco in April 1956. In March 1964, Taylor married her fifth husband,Richard Burton, in Montreal.
Their engagement rings were unique in design and became iconic pieces in their personal jewelry collections. For Grace and Taylor, though, the engagement rings they’re known for aren’t the ones their husbands initially proposed with. The center stones of their second engagement rings weighed in at over 10 carats and captured the attention of the public.
So, whose engagement ring was the most expensive? Here’s everything to know about Princess Grace, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor’s engagement rings.
How much was Grace Kelly’s engagement ring worth?
Prince Rainier and Gracegot engaged over the Christmas holidaysin 1955 at her family home in East Falls, Penn.
He popped the question with an eternity band, which featured heirloom red rubies and diamonds from his family’s collection. The alternating stones were meant to represent the colors of the Monaco flag, according toVogue.
However, Rainier gave Grace a second ring while she was filmingHigh Society,which is the more well-known of the two. According toBrides, he reportedly offered to buy her a new ring after he learned she was going to wear a large fake engagement ring in the film.
The gifted diamond engagement ring by Cartier featured a 10.48-carat emerald-cut center stone and two bezel-set baguette side stones set on a platinum band.
Grace’s ring was estimated to cost $4 million at the time, which would be about $38.8 million today.
How much was Audrey Hepburn’s engagement ring worth?
Hepburn got engaged to her first husband, Ferrer, in August 1954 at a garden overlooking Switzerland's Lake Lucerne, perGlamour. The actor proposed with a trio of bands instead of a diamond engagement ring.
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The set included a yellow gold band, a rose gold band and a 1.5-carat diamond baguette eternity band. The rings were stackable, but Hepburn would also wear them interchangeably.
It’s unknown how much Hepburn’s ring set would’ve cost in 1954, but the bands are estimated to be worth $10,047 today.
How much was Elizabeth Taylor’s engagement ring worth?
Taylorwas engaged 10 timesover the course of her life, but her diamond ring from her fifth husband, Burton, is the most famous. He originally proposed with a Bulgari emerald brooch and teardrop earrings, but later purchased a diamond engagement ring for his wife in 1968.
The Krupp Diamond, now called the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, featured a 33.19-carat center stone and two tapered baguette-cut side stones set on a platinum band, perOnly Natural Diamonds.
It was first owned by the German actress Vera Krupp and was put up for auction after her death in 1967. Burton purchased the diamond ring for $307,000 the following year.
After Taylor’s death in 2011, the ring wasput up for auctionwith other pieces from her personal collection and was bought by a representative of the Korean E-Land Group for $8.8 million.
Who received the most expensive engagement ring?
All three engagement rings are now considered iconic, but Grace's emerald-cut diamond is the most expensive.
Based on the current estimated value, her engagement ring would cost $38.8 million today. Taylor’s diamond comes in as the second most expensive ring with a price tag of $8.8 million. Meanwhile, Hepburn’s three-ring set is the least expensive, with an estimated cost of $10,047.
After Grace's death in 1982, her engagement ringwent into the possessionof the House of Grimaldi, the reigning family of the Principality of Monaco. It was temporarily put on display at Cartier’s Fifth Avenue mansion in New York City in 2016.
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