Meghan Markle's Engagement Ring: Everything You Need to Know

It's no secret that Meghan Markle has everyone under her sartorial spell. She seems to embody that rare mix of star power and attainability that has everyone completely transfixed and eagerly waiting with bated breath for the next peek at what her vast, color-matching wardrobe holds. From ultra-casual sportswear to curated and polished looks to wedding dresses that broke the Internet, this woman has proven time and time again that she has our full attention. Whether her magnetic reach sought you out from her coveted, office-appropriate ensembles on Suits or if the fascination began, en masse, with her quick foray into the ranks of royalty one thing is for certain: Nothing has been more widely searched, ogled, or analyzed than Meghan Markle's engagement ring. And we're totally here for it (obviously).

We've got the full lowdown on everything you need to know about Meghan Markle's engagement ring. But, of course, we couldn't stop there. We've also got the goods on the Duchess of Sussex's wedding band, eternity ring, and any alterations or additions that were made since the original debut. Read on for all the royal ring tea.

The Original Engagement Ring

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made their media premiere as an engaged couple on November 27, 2017, just over a year after they initially confirmed their relationship to the public. The two love-birds posed hand-in-hand for photos in the Sunken Gardens of Kensington Palace, where Ms. Markle (wearing a stunning white overcoat and nude heels) was boasting quite a hefty bit of sparkle on her ring finger. While there hasn't been much said on how the proposal went down, we do know that it was a very intimate event in the couple's home.

Harry designed the three-stone stunner for his fiancée himself (swoon), which features a three-carat cushion cut center diamond from Botswana, a place that holds special meaning to the couple. While Princess Diana's engagement ring became off the market when Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton, Harry still followed in his older brother's sentimental footsteps by choosing jewels that once belonged to his late mother. The center stone is surrounded by two round diamonds (estimated at just under a carat each) from her personal jewelry collection, paying tribute to the fact that her presence will follow them on this lifelong journey. The design is set on a gold band, Meghan's favorite, made by royal jeweler Cleave and Company. Markle's engagement ring may be quite the contrast from Kate Middleton's 12-carat oval ring, but we think it definitely suits her more understated jewelry style.

While color and clarity of the diamond influence the price and value, gemologist Grant Mobley guesses that Harry would pick a stone that is close to flawless. If that is the case, he estimates the center diamond could cost about $95,000-$155,000 (£70,000 - £115,000). As for the side diamonds, Mobley surmises that these have an intrinsic value of about $5,000 (£3,750) each, but they most likely have an even greater inherent value because they belonged to Princess Diana. "Anything belonging to the 'People’s Princess' is always going to be worth more," says Mobley.

The Redesigned Engagement Ring

Shortly after Harry and Meghan's pregnancy announcement, it became evident that the Duchess of Sussex seemed to be missing a very noticeable piece of jewelry: her engagement ring. While many speculated this was due to Meghan's pregnancy-induced fluctuations in ring size, it was later revealed that the famous bauble had undergone a significant alteration. Harry had enlisted celebrity jeweler Lorraine Schwartz to resize and reset the ring so that the original simple band was replaced with a thin, yellow gold band set with micro-pavè diamonds. The new ring made its public debut, and notable return to Meghan's finger, at the Trooping the Color Parade in June 2019.

Meghan’s Wedding Ring

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry wed on May 19, 2018 at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The fairytale nuptials took place before our very eyes (via TV screen, of course) and no moment was more widely anticipated than the wedding ring exchange where the newly-minted Duchess of Sussex was presented with an elegant yellow gold band. The gold ring, also created by Cleave and Company, was a gift from the queen herself and carried on the century-old royal tradition of being crafted from Welsh gold. The custom began with the queen's mother, Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, on her wedding day in 1923 and has been perpetuated ever since. Welsh gold is currently the rarest type of gold and, not surprisingly, the most expensive as it hasn't been mined in over two decades. Any pieces available are those that are already in circulation. In addition to Meghan and the queen herself, Princess Anne, Princess Diana, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Princess Eugenie have also worn wedding bands of the ultra-rare gold.

Meghan’s Eternity Band

The 2019 Trooping the Color Parade also made headlines for the public debut of another piece of jewelry adorning the duchess's ring finger. A very sparkly eternity ring joined the newly-altered engagement ring and original wedding band to form the holy trinity of ring stacks. The conflict-free diamond infinity band was also designed by Lorraine Schwartz, a favorite of Meghan's, and appears to feature a channel setting with gold trim flanking each side of the ring. The addition had been a surprise from Harry the month prior as both a first anniversary gift and celebration of their first child together. Fittingly, the ring signifies their young family of three and is inlaid with each of their birthstones (peridot, emerald, and sapphire) on the underside.