Princess Eugenie, age 27, had recently just announced her upcoming wedding to James Brooksbank at the Windsor venue that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are also scheduled to be using earlier in the year. While the two royal couples are most likely going to plan some of the most extravagant celebrations in history, we can see an early glimpse of that grandeur from the elegance of their wedding jewelry.
Gem experts and gemologists have valued Eugenie's Padparadscha sapphire engagement ring to be worth around £100,000. Padparadscha is a term in the gem trade that refers to sapphires that possess a pinkish orange to orangey pink hue, and finely intense saturations. This range of color has grown in popularity over the recent decades as a fine variety of fancy sapphire. While blue hues are vastly more common (and popular), Padparadscha hues are more totally associated with the finer markets and high-end jewelry pieces. Some even tout it to be worth more than its high-end blue counterparts, given its scarcity and relatively modern rise to fame.
Eugenie's center sapphire is also surrounded by a total of 12 diamonds, two of which were cut into pear-shapes to give a more contemporary feel to the design. Like her mother's and Princess Diana's ring, this particular center gem was also fashioned into a brilliant oval-cut style, pursuing the classical elegance of royalty, while deviating slightly from the traditional round shape most commonly seen in the trade.
Meghan Markle's own engagement ring, hosting three brilliantly cut earth-mined diamonds, is estimated to be worth around half of Eugenie's, probably fetching around £50,000 at current market prices. Diamonds have indeed come a long way, and are even being transitioned as a commodity investment- like gold or platinum, by some big named companies. Despite their growth, colored stones seem to be pacing faster in terms of overall increase in market reception and demand.
Royal wedding jewelry has since deviated from the realm of large solitaire diamonds, ever since the unveiling of Princess Diana's famous blue sapphire. Her descendants and many other monarchs across the world have been venturing into the realm of sapphires and colored gemstones for their precious gifts.
Corundum varieties like ruby, blue sapphire and Padparadscha colors are all the rage these days, blending beautifully with high fashion collections, royal engagements and even celebrity preferences. Many who choose to use these rare and illustrious stones tend to seek out something just outside the realm of traditional luxury, developing their taste for a more diverse type of lifestyle.
