What Duchess Sophie Was Spotted Wearing That Some Are Convinced Belongs to Meghan Markle and Was a Gift From Prince Harry
Meghan Markle acquired some beautiful jewels when she married Prince Harry including a few pieces that belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana.
When the two got engaged in 2017, the duke proposed with a six-carat, cushion-cut diamond ring that features three stones. The center gem is from Botswana, a country close to the couple’s hearts, and the two smaller diamonds on both sides are from Diana’s personal collection.
After the pair tied the knot, Meghan showed off another stunning ring as she and Harry headed to an evening reception following their wedding. That was a huge aquamarine sparkler. That ring had previously belonged to Harry’s mom so fans were very confused after seeing it on another duchess.
When pictures of Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (formerly the Countess of Wessex) surfaced online recently of her wearing the aquamarine rock many were asking how she got her hands on it. Now, that confusion is being cleared up.
The aquamarine ring Prince Harry gave Meghan was a gift from Princess Diana’s friend
In 1996, Princess Diana’s friend, Lucia Flecha de Lima, gave her the beautiful cocktail ring made by Asprey.
The princess wore it on two different occasions before her tragic death in 1997. The first time was at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute Dinner in Sydney, Australia on Oct. 31, 1996. And the second time Diana wore it was at the 1997 Christie’s charity auction of her clothes to raise money for AIDS-related charities.
More than two decades later, Prince Harry gave it to his bride to wear for their wedding reception. So why was Prince Edward’s wife seen wearing it in some recent photos?
Well turns out, it’s not the same ring. Sophie actually has an impressive aquamarine ring as well.
Sophie’s aquamarine ring looks nearly identical but it’s not the same ring
The diamond experts at the U.K. fine jewelry retailer Steven Stone took a closer look at each piece to point out the difference between the two and how much each one is worth.
Maxwell Stone commented: “Sophie’s aquamarine cocktail ring has long been a subject of fascination and occasional confusion, largely due to its striking resemblance to one worn by Meghan Markle — a piece that originally belonged to Princess Diana. Aquamarines and other light blue gemstones have become signature elements of the Duchess of Edinburgh’s jewelry collection, with one of her most memorable appearances being at Princess Madeleine of Sweden’s wedding in 2013. On that occasion, she stunned in a £1 million ($1.2 million) tiara featuring five captivating aquamarines.
“The ring in question, believed to be from Collins and Sons, boasts a remarkable 20-carat aquamarine. Set in platinum, the stone appears to be a cushion-cut stone. I’d estimate its value to be around £80,000 ($99,000).”
Maxwell added that the difference is that “Meghan’s ring features a huge emerald-cut aquamarine, flanked by two small solitaire diamonds. Set in 24-carat yellow gold … if it were available to buy, it would be worth around £85,000 ($105,000) — closely mirroring the value of Sophie’s exquisite piece.”
