A 12-carat diamond engagement ring is a serious, massive, rare, and very expensive piece. It denotes opulence and a serious promise of forever from the man proposing to his lovely beau.
Over the years, we’ve swooned over and adored these diamond rings and the celebrity couples involved.
12-carat engagement rings have become the standard for premium, luxury engagement ring jewelry among celebrities and royalty. They are already massive, but not too over the top, and just right for these iconic celebrities and royalty.
1. Kate Middleton
First on our list is one of the iconic British crown jewels, Kate Middleton’s royal engagement ring.
The much-celebrated 12-carat sapphire ring from Prince William is originally from Princess Diana. Prince Harry inherited it from her late mom, and later gave it to his elder brother to honor their wedding and her future succession as the next Queen of England.
Kate’s engagement ring features an oval Ceylon sapphire surrounded by an exquisite halo of 14 solitaire diamonds. Prince William proposed to Kate with this iconic ring when they were on vacation in Mt. Kenya.
Prince Charles originally bought this ring for $38,000 from Garrard & Co. Limited. It is now valued at over $500,000. However, jewelry specialists consider it priceless for its history and being an heirloom piece of the Royal Family.
2. Khloé Kardashian
Khloé Kardashian’s engagement ring is actually more than 12 carats, 12.5 carats to be exact. The stellar cushion-cut diamond is the centerpiece, surrounded by smaller diamonds on a triple-banded platinum pavé ring, costing $850,000.
Khloé and Lamar Odom met in 2009 after being introduced to each other by Odom’s fellow NBA star Ron Artest. The relationship ignited intense love and superfast, and soon the couple became engaged in just less than 3 few weeks. They got hitched in less than a month as well, on Sept. 27, 2009.
Lamar proposed without a ring, then later proposed again with the massive, adorable diamond ring during a family dinner. They later had a reality show entitled Khloé & Lamar.
However, the two separated in 2015 after a tumultuous 7-year relationship. They signed divorce papers; however, at their request, the judge cancelled the divorce.
Khloé cared for him during his near-fatal overdose recovery. She soon refiled the divorce after Lamar recovered.
3. Blake Lively
Blake Lively’s engagement ring from Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds features a solitaire oval cut, 12-carat light pink diamond, with a north-south configuration, on a rose gold band. Top celebrity jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz crafted this luxury piece, estimated to be over $2 million.
Ryan’s proposal was well-kept under wraps to prevent the press and the paparazzi from knowing at once. Blake is one of the few celebrities who wear such a massive oval-cut diamond ring and has since inspired many other buyers to go for heavier-carat oval diamond rings.
4. Serena Williams
Serena Williams is also another proud member of the 12-carat club. Her engagement ring features a center 12-carat, oval-cut diamond with a smaller half-circle diamond flanking it on each side, set on a platinum band. It reportedly costs an equally hefty $2 million.
Her hubby, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, arranged an ultra-romantic and meaningful proposal by organizing a trip to Rome. He brought her back to the same table at the Cavalieri Hotel where they first met on May 12, 2015, got on one knee, and proposed to her.
5. Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow’s engagement ring from her now-husband, screenwriter, director, and producer Brad Falchuk, features a large round, 12-carat, deep blue sapphire with a halo of smaller diamonds on a platinum pave band. Jewelry specialists place the estimate of its value at up to $600,000.
The grandiose engagement ring first made its public appearance on the red carpet of the 2018 Producers Guild Awards. It also appeared with her on the ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ red carpet premiere.
Brad proposed and got engaged to Gwyneth on January 8, 2018, after dating her for 4 years. The lovely couple tied the knot on September 29, 2018.
6. Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith’s engagement ring predates many of the other entries in the 12-carat club. Hubby Will Smith proposed to her with this super-stunning and massive emerald-cut engagement ring in 1997. It has a north-south configuration with a knot motif on each side of its platinum band.
The ring has an estimated worth of over $250,000. She occasionally wears it in select, high-profile events.
The two met on the set of Will Smith’s popular 90s TV show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in 1994. Will proposed to her in 1997, and they got married a month later in the same year.
7. Kourtney Kardashian
Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker certainly rocked Kourtney Kardashian’s world when he proposed to her on October 17, 2021. Her engagement ring features a 12-carat, oval-cut diamond on a platinum band, designed by top jewelry designer to the stars, Lorraine Schwartz.
Experts put the price of the ring in the range of $900,000 to $1 million.
Travis set up a beachfront proposal in the afternoon during sunset at the Rosewood Miramar Beach Hotel in Montecito, California. He had the perfect spot decorated with a heart-shaped flower and candle arrangement, making it super romantic and memorable.
Travis married Kourtney at a Vegas chapel wedding in April 2022. Then, they legally got married in a Santa Barbara courthouse, and then one more time in Italy at the L’Olivetta Villa in Portofino. Talk about getting thrice married!
8. Aryna Sabalenka
Top Belarusian tennis player and the world No. 1 women’s singles champion, Aryna Sabalenka, is a member of the prestigious 12-carat club.
Brazilian businessman and founder of the Oakberry global açaí superfood brand, Georgios Frangulis, proposed to her on March 3rd of this year with a 12-carat, oval-cut diamond ring placed in a north-south configuration, on a platinum band surrounded by smaller emerald gems.
Top jewelry designer Isabela Grutman crafted the stunning ring in close collaboration with Georgios. He included emeralds in the ring because they are Aryna’s favorite.
Aryna and Georgios started dating in 2024. Two years later, they joint-posted together on Instagram, with Aryna captioning it, “I can finally call him something else… FIANCÉ.”
Additional sources:
https://www.estatediamondjewelry.com/diamond-carat-size/
https://theweddingscoop.com/everything-to-know-about-kate-middleton-engagement-ring/
https://theweddingscoop.com/blake-lively-engagement-ring/
https://theweddingscoop.com/kourtney-kardashians-engagement-ring/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVeFL3YAFoX/
