It was the moment the Royal family had been waiting for, and Jack Brooksbank pulled out all the stops when he presented Princess Eugenie with a dazzling pink-orange padparadscha sapphire ring.
The oval cut, salmon-coloured sparkler, surrounded by diamonds and set on a gold band, is a rare type of gem corundum and an unusual choice for an engagement ring.
At first glance, it bears a striking resemblance to the rock Eugenie’s father proposed to her mother with in 1986 – however Fergie’s ring was set with a pink Burma ruby.
And experts have predicted Eugenie’s distinctive ring cost a relatively modest £7,000 compared to her mother’s rumoured £25,000 sparkler.
Jack Brooksbank propsed to Eugenie with a rare pink padparadscha sapphire ring (left); which echoes the pale pink ruby Andrew proposed to Fergie with back in 1986
However that’s not the only thing that’s similar, as eagle-eyed royal watchers have noticed nightclub boss Jack shares the same floppy hair and rakish grin as his future father-in-law Prince Andrew.
The Duchess of York’s engagement ring, which was made by Diana’s jewellers Garrard, was valued at around £25,000 for the stone alone, according to Hello!, which is the equivalent of £71,350 in today’s money.
Sophie Lomax, head of design at 77diamonds.com, Europe’s largest online diamond retailer, estimates the price of Eugenie’s rock at £7,000, as she believes the colour of the padparadscha sapphire looks stronger than a completely natural one; colour treated gemstones are generally not as pricey as natural untreated ones.
Happy news: The salmon-coloured sparkler, surrounded by diamonds and set on a gold band, is a rare type of gem corundum and an unusual choice for an engagement ring
Blast from the past? The Duchess of York’s engagement ring, which was made by Diana’s jewellers Garrard, was valued at around £25,000 for the stone alone, according to Hello!
Eugenie is in good company with her distinctive pink stone; Liz Hurley and Nicole Richie both wore pink sapphire engagement rings, although they are not believed to be padparadschas – which comes from the Sanskrit/Singhalese word for ‘lotus blossom’.
Celebrities who have sported traditional blue sapphire jewellery include Katie Holmes, Keira Knightley and Helen Mirren.
Nightclub boss Jack proposed to his girlfriend of seven years during a trip to Nicaragua earlier this month, the couple announced on Monday morning.
Sophie Lomax, head of design at 77diamonds.com, told MailOnline FEMAIL: ‘Princess Eugenie’s ring features an oval cut padparadscha sapphire encircled with a cluster of pear shaped diamonds.
‘Padparadscha sapphires are typically found in Sri Lanka and are one of the rarest colour of sapphire, being a beautiful and unique mix of pink and orange.
The happy couple this morning released a set of official portraits to mark their engagement, taken in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace, in which a thrilled Eugenie shows off her engagement ring, padparadscha sapphire surrounded by diamonds
‘The ring style that Jack has chosen Eugenie is reminiscent of the engagement ring Sarah Ferguson was given by Eugenie’s father, Prince Andrew.
‘The ring is a similar but a modern update to her mother’s, with the cluster style being vintage whilst celebrating the centre stone.
‘Coloured gems stones in engagement rings are becoming increasingly popular as women like to wear designs which are more personal to them and their partner.
‘The ring features approximately a 2 carat oval padparadscha with around 1.5 carat of pear-shaped diamond in the cluster, set onto a yellow gold band.’