It’s the ring seen ’round the world, garnering almost 12 million likes within the first hour it was posted on Instagram by the Showgirl-turned-bride-to-be.
Taylor Swift said “yes” to Travis Kelce on Tuesday, ending months of speculation of when the high-wattage pair might plan to tie the knot after two years of dating. Amid the images in a slideshow shared by the mega music star and the Super Bowl-winning tight end, depicting the engagement moment in a flower-filled garden setting, was a close-up of Swift’s hand wearing a sizable diamond set in 18-karat yellow gold. (It paired beautifully, it should be noted, with her gold Cartier watch.)
The single close-up of the ring, reportedly designed by Kindred Lubeck of New York-based Artifex Fine Jewelry, has already sent social media into a frenzy of speculation about cut, carat weight and more. A trio of jewelry experts who have spoken with The Hollywood Reporter agree on the details: Swift’s ring in 18-karat yellow gold appears to showcase an antique elongated, cushion-shaped diamond in a brilliant cut, weighing roughly 10 carats and set with both four prongs at the corners and a low-profile bezel. Below the center stone, the sides feature a design that may include carvings that likewise play into the ring’s vintage vibe and are embellished with smaller diamonds.
In short, it’s a thoroughly romantic ring. “It features the personal and romantic qualities that we all feel are perfect for her,” says Rebecca Selva, chief creative officer of Kwiat and Fred Leighton, two jewelry brands Swift has worn on past red carpets. “The soft, elongated cushion shape works beautifully with her long fingers, and both the antique style and the gold give it a lovely warmth.”
“We’ve been seeing a resurgence in [yellow] gold for engagement rings, and this ring unquestionably will have an influence” on future engaged couples, adds Tom Heyman, the third-generation president of New York-based Oscar Heyman, founded in 1912. “What I like most about it is that it looks quite proportionate and elegant on her hand. Let’s face it, this is a couple that could buy any ring out there, and this seems like a thoughtful, considered choice.”
Frank Everett, vice chairman of jewelry for auction house Sotheby’s, agrees. “My first thought was ‘Yay,’ because I love a cushion, and I love a vintage setting,” he says. “Cushions have always been a bit of an insider stone in the industry; ovals right now are quite popular, and marquise-cut stones come in and out. But this is the moment of the cushion, and Taylor’s ring is going to help that along. Overall the ring looks like a great shape, a great size, and a great vintage-style mounting, so I applaud it all around.”
Of course, the question everyone is asking: What is the value of the ring? Not an easy answer to provide based on one photograph, each expert pointed out. “Evaluating a stone you haven’t seen in person is an impossible task — you can guess at a size, but how do you judge color and clarity when you’re not seeing it in person?” Everett asks. “Based on those factors alone, diamonds can really run the gamut [in price]. If you’re looking at a 10-carat diamond with outstanding color and clarity, that could be a million-dollar stone.”
And while details have yet to emerge about Kelce’s search for the ideal ring, each expert also agrees that he acquitted himself well with the choice. “I’m going to make the assumption that he fell in love with this for her,” Heyman says.
“I suspect he did it on his own, and if so he did a fantastic job,” Everett says of the selection process. “And that’s the way it should be, because at the end of the day, this is a gift, a token of a promise and of love. Ultimately we tend to forget that sometimes, and the ring can be thought of it more as an acquisition. But if [Kelce] did this all on his own, I applaud him.”
What was Selva’s response to the question about the ring’s value? She summed it up just as Swift might have: “It’s priceless.”
Taylor Swift Engagement Ring Close Up
Taylor Swift/Instagram