Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
One of two official engagement photos released by Kensington Palace of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, at Frogmore House in Windsor, Britain December 21, 2017. Picture taken in the week commencing December 17, 2017. Alexi Lubomirski/Courtesy Of Kensington Palace/Handout via Reuters

The estimated value of Princess Eugenie’s pink padparadscha sapphire engagement ring surrounded by diamonds is double the estimated value of Meghan Markle’s. A photo of Eugenie’s ring has found its way online, and many noticed its similarity in style to the ruby ring her dad Prince Andrew gave to Sarah Ferguson when he proposed in 1986.

Prince Harry and Markle’s nuptial in May is being dubbed as “wedding of the year.” But with her engagement ring, it looked like Eugenie’s moment will not be overshadowed.

According to an estimate by a gem expert from UK TV show “Posh Pawn,” the estimated value of Eugenie’s ring is at £100,000 (AU$175,112) with its carefully faceted cut and the set off with the whitest of white diamonds. Meghan’s engagement ring from Prince Harry, on the other hand, is estimated to be worth around £50,000 (AU$87,556).

“Like her mother, the Duchess of York and indeed Princess Diana, Eugenie’s ring has a centre oval precious gemstone and this one certainly has not disappointed,” gemologist Deborah Papas of Prestige Pawnbrokers told The Sun. The ring was described as a padparadscha sapphire with 10 brilliant cut diamonds and two pear cut diamonds.

The expert said the gem is known to be among the most valuable and rarest of all the corundum varieties. “Padparadscha sapphires are amongst the rarest and most valuable depending on quality and a little bit of difference in quality can mean a big difference in price,” the gemologist added. She admitted though that putting an estimate on such a valuable gem was difficult without full sight. Padparadscha was said to be the name for the corundum gem that bears a mixture of red and yellow. It is a sort of cross between a yellow sapphire and ruby.

Prince Harry proposed to Markle with a trilogy ring, which he designed himself using two stones that belonged to his late mother Princess Diana and a diamond from Botswana at the centre with a band made of yellow gold. The two outside stones were from the personal collection of the Princess of Wales. Botswana is a country that holds special significance for the prince as he has visited it a number of times since he was a kid.

Princess Eugenie has dated her now-fiancé Jack Brooksbank for six years. There are expectations that her wedding to the 31-year-old will be attended by more prominent people than Harry and Markle’s.

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