Millions of hearts were stolen by one story this Valentine’s Day when Lady Gaga’s long-term boyfriend, actor Taylor Kinney, proposed with a highly bespoke diamond ring. The news first broke after the pop singer posted a ‘relfie’ (ring-selfie) on the online photo-sharing site, Instagram; which quickly garnered over 482,000 likes.
As with any new engagement, all eyes were of course on the ring. Unusually for Gaga, however, on this occasion she was to be out-staged as Kinney succeeded in finding a design just as unique as his fashion-extraordinaire bride-to-be.
Rekindling the heart
Kinney went for the rather unusual choice of a heart-shaped diamond. This he commissioned specially from celebrity jewellery designer Lorraine Schwartz – also the name behind Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian’s engagement rings.
The heart-cut (essentially a modified pear-cut with a triangle cut out of the top) is not only one of the most romantic of choices, but also rare and expensive due to the level of complexity and amount of waste involved in its creation. As Maria Doulton of The Jewellery Editor puts it; like a polo-mint, you’re essentially “paying for the bit that isn’t there”.
Achieving perfection
Achieving the right proportions for a heart-shaped diamond can be very tricky and depends greatly on where the stone’s inclusions are. Most diamantaires are cautious of cutting a large, top-quality stone in to a heart, so not many are made.
Fine diamond expert Lewis Malka told HELLO! Online: “Whilst some heart-shaped diamonds can be cut poorly, the proportions on this one seem perfect, just like the couple in question! I would hope she has this insured for nothing less than half a million pounds.”
Let’s hope so indeed as the ten-carat ring is valued at £500,000.
Not such a Bad Romance
A highly romantic gesture, heart-shaped diamonds are a very obvious symbol of love; making Kinney’s choice well suited to Gaga’s extrovert personality. Kinney was clearly keen to give the ring a personal touch as he collaborated with Schwartz on the design, incorporating the happy couple’s first name initials, TS, spelt out in diamonds on the pavé band. In fact, this is Gaga’s favourite part!
Turning the tides
Traditionally, brilliant round cut diamonds tend to be most popular choice for engagement rings, while the halo style is also particularly fashionable right now.
The excitement that Gaga’s ring has generated, however, may well lead to a surge in popularity towards the more unusual heart-shaped cut. If you’re considering such a choice yourself, check out Chopard’s Passion for Happiness collection, or this flawless 22-carat design from Graff Diamonds.
No matter what style…
The sentimental value of an engagement ring in any style can never be replaced. But these precious items are also often the most expensive in any woman’s collection. To help minimise the potential heartbreak in the unfortunate event that your ring be stolen, lost or damaged, consider our standalone Engagement Ring Insurance policy.
