Jewellery expert shares which royal engagmenet ring caused ‘controversy’

Princess Diana’s engagement ring boasts a Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 gorgeous diamonds.

And it now sits on the finger of Kate, Princess of Wales, creating a sentimental link between the future Queen and her late mother.

The ring is recognised and adored worldwide, but the royal sparkler may have caused some controversy when Diana wore it.

Jeremy Hinds, Director at jewellery experts F Hinds, spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about the late Princess of Wales’s engagement ring.

The expert stated: “Prince William chose to give his mother’s engagement ring to Kate, Princess of Wales because he saw it as a way to continue Diana’s legacy.”

READ MORE: Kate’s style choice that Diana wouldn’t have gone for – pictures

“After Prince Charles proposed to Princess Diana in 1981, Diana chose this unique ring herself.”

He suggested that Diana went against the grain in selecting her own ring from the House of Garrard catalogue.

Selecting a ring from a catalogue essentially meant that anyone with enough money (£47,000 at the time according to reports) could purchase it.

Jeremey continued: “She was a great lover of jewellery and gemstones, so it only seemed natural for her to choose an engagement ring with a striking 12ct blue sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds.”

But the expert suggested that Diana’s choice of jewel created a trend in sapphire engagement rings.

“Even though it caused controversy at the time, it inspired many women to choose sapphire engagement rings and jewellery, and this love was increased even further when William gave Diana’s ring to Kate when he proposed to her in 2010.”