Fit for a royal-in-law! One day after Us Weekly confirmed Pippa Middleton‘s engagement to financier James Matthews, the royal-in-law debuted her gorgeous diamond ring.
Duchess Kate‘s sister, 32, unveiled her seemingly vintage-inspired bling outside her London home on Tuesday, July 19. The ring boasts a eye-popping center stone, framed by an octagonal halo of smaller diamonds. She also wore a very bride-to-be, white lace dress and a brown leather satchel bag.
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“Pippa’s vintage-inspired, Deco-style engagement ring is actually very much on-trend,” jewelry expert Michael O’Connor tells Us Weekly. “The Ascher-cut center diamond looks to be about 3.5 carats. It’s set in a platinum bezel setting surrounded by white, brilliant-cut diamonds, adding about another 1.5 carats.” He adds that the ring is the perfect style for Kate’s sporty sister: “The setting not only adds a modern ‘halo’ style, but it also protects the center diamond from damage, giving it long-term wearability.” O’Connor values the ring at approximately $120,000.
The couple of four years confirmed the news of their impending marriage with a short and sweet statement: “Miss Pippa Middleton and Mr. James Matthews are delighted to announce they became engaged on Sunday, July 17, and plan to marry next year.”
Shortly after, Middleton’s family, including her royal sis, released their own statements expressing their excitement. “They make a wonderful couple and we wish them every happiness together,” father Michael Middleton said in a statement Tuesday. On behalf of Kate and Prince William, a spokesperson from Kensington Palace added, “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are absolutely delighted with the news.”
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That said, a source tells Us Weekly that the news took Kate by surprise. “She had no idea they were getting engaged so soon,” an insider shared. “But she’s so happy for Pippa. She knows how much this means to her and how much she loves James.”
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Middleton’s nuptials are sure to be just as newsworthy as her sister’s were back in 2011. After Prince William proposed to Kate in 2010 with his mother’s famed sapphire engagement ring, the longtime couple married the following April in a star-studded affair at Westminster Abbey. Pippa served as the maid of honor (and made headlines for how well her ivory Alexander McQueen dress accentuated her assets).
Kate’s sparkler, which Diana hand-picked after becoming engaged to Princes Charles, houses a 12-carat sapphire center stone surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds set in 18-karat white gold. William said that the ring “was very special to me,” and that giving the ring to Kate was “my way of making sure my mother didn’t miss out on [the wedding].”
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