Unless you have been living off-grid for the past few days, you will be aware that Taylor Swift has got engaged to American football player Travis Kelce. This news, one of the biggest celebrity stories of the year, has inevitably got plenty of tongues wagging, not least because of the engagement ring involved.
Lest anyone try to dismiss this as just what a couple of folk in America are doing and of little interest, one only has to look back at 2024 and the sold-out gigs Swift had in the UK (including here in Edinburgh) as part of her Eras tour to see how many people take an interest in her.
For that reason, there may be many ladies already looking at engagement rings in Edinburgh who might have a particular interest in what Taylor is now wearing - and wonder how close they can come to emulating it.
Taylor’s Big Rock
The first thing to note is that, as might be expected when two celebrities with huge incomes are involved, the ring is highly opulent. As the BBC has noted, there is a ‘celebrity trend for big rocks’.
This is certainly a continuation of that trend, with managing editor at Retail Jeweller Magazine Ruth Faulkner telling the broadcaster the cost will have been anything from £500,000 to £4 million. It is fair to say that the average Swiftie won’t have that kind of budget.
If anyone is to go for a ring that is similar to Taylor’s, it will clearly need to have a few differences. That can include smaller stones, or perhaps less expensive alternatives.
The diamond may be a good place to start. Ms Faulkner noted that it appeared to be an 80-10 carat vintage stone, which is “unusual”. Jewellery journalist Rachel Taylor said the stone appeared to have a “softer” sparkle, likely due to it being cut by hand rather than by machine.
What Is An Old Mine Brilliant Cut?
According to Cosmopolitan, the diamond is an ‘Old Mine Brilliant Cut set in a stunning gold band”.
To the untrained eye, it looks like a large, oval diamond and a continuation of the trend noted in the BBC article of big celebrity engagements involving massive diamonds (other recent examples it cited include Zendaya, Dua Lupa and Cristiano Ronaldo’s fiancée, Georgina Rodriguez). But the Old Mine Brilliant Cut is something distinctive.
As Merca 20 explains, an Old Mine Brilliant Cut is a style that dates from the 18th and 19th centuries. It said: “These stones are instantly recognisable for their cushion-like shape, high crown, and smaller table, which create a soft, romantic sparkle”.
It added: “Unlike modern brilliant cuts that maximise light performance, old mine cuts embody a vintage aesthetic, often with a warmer glow.”
This description tallies with the comments of the experts speaking to the BBC about the older look and ‘softer’ sparkle.
Can Lab-Grown Diamonds Help Fans Emulate Their Heroines?
All this still leaves the fact that the price tag may be beyond most buyers. However, that does not mean people cannot go some way to emulating celebrity rings in their own ways. Rhona Fitzpatrick, the founder and CEO of the Diamond Expert, told the BBC that there were instances of jewellers bringing out their own versions of the Georgina Rodriguez ring.
In addition, she noted, the use of lab-grown diamonds can produce the same look at a lower cost.
For these reasons, it may be perfectly possible for Swifties to get engagement rings that look a bit like those of their heroine. The diamond may be lab-grown, does not need to be as large, and can be cut in the same way as Taylor’s ring.
Travis Goes Bespoke
A notable revelation about the ring was that Travis Kelce met with the jeweller to design it together. This was no off-the-shelf product, but a bespoke ring.
That in itself is something you may take inspiration from; even the most wealthy and famous celebrities are keen on bespoke jewellery. Even if what you go for doesn’t look like Taylor Swift’s ring, you can follow in her and Travis’s footsteps by going down that route of choosing your own design.
Of course, some may take that in a very different way, not just because they are not Taylor Swift fans, but because they have a generally iconoclastic outlook and are not swayed by what this or that celebrity chooses to do.
In that case, you may be inspired to do something very different. Perhaps instead of the one big diamond, you will be happier with small stones, a trilogy ring, or possibly something quite unlike anything else.
Whether you want your own version of the Swift ring or something completely different, we can work with you to create a bespoke ring you will be delighted by.