In all the excitement surrounding the Duchess of Sussex‘s first public engagement following the birth of her first child, Archie Harrison, a small but significant detail was overlooked. A closer look at pictures from Trooping the Colour earlier this month reveals Meghan has had her diamond engagement ring redesigned.
Royal watchers, having been deprived of Meghan sightings during her ongoing maternity leave, were thrilled to see her back in her signature Givenchy to attend celebrations on June 8 to mark the Queen’s official birthday. But it’s only now that a subtle update to the most treasured piece in her jewelry collection has come to light.
The Duchess’s engagement ring is seen left with the original gold band, and right at Trooping the Colour. Photo: Getty
The photos show how the ring Prince Harry presented his then girlfriend within November 2017 – a central diamond from Botswana, with smaller stones chosen from his late mother Princess Diana’s personal collection on either side – now features a slimmer, diamond pavé band. The original band was wider, and fashioned from plain yellow gold.
“The Duchess has reset her ring in a new setting with a thinner, diamond pavé band as opposed to the original band, which was noticeably thicker and plain,” Laura Lambert, of jeweler Fenton & Co, told Vogue. “This has been achieved by removing the centre and accent stones from the original setting and creating a new setting from scratch that is bespoke for those specific diamonds.”
Meghan and husband Prince Harry with baby Archie Harrison, who was born on 6 May. Photo: Getty
It’s likely Meghan, who gave birth to the Queen’s eighth great-grandchild, Archie, on 6 May, would have had her rings resized during her pregnancy, Lambert explained, and the Duchess may have taken the opportunity to “add her own stylistic twist to the design” at the same time. “The heavier, plain band is a more traditional style, whereas a more delicate pavé band reflects her modern, fashion-forward aesthetic,” said Lambert. “Especially if she has used an up-to-date setting technique such as micro-pavé, as opposed to a prong setting.”
Meghan and Harry announced their engagement to the world in November 2017. Photo: Getty
“The Duchess has characteristically taken tradition and put her own spin on it,” Lambert said. “She’s taken what was probably a practical decision and used it to add her own design twist which is lovely. We will be interested to see if more customers come looking for diamond pavé bands.”
Meghan was also sporting an entirely new ring on her wedding finger at Trooping the Colour: a delicate diamond eternity band, prompting suggestions it was a gift from her husband Prince Harry to mark the arrival of their first child, or their first wedding anniversary on May 18.
Originally published on British Vogue
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