ENGAGEMENT RING TALES

Wallis Simpson

Discover the story behind the stunning 19.77-carat emerald ring that symbolized a royal love affair and a historic abdication.

The Iconic Emerald Engagement Ring of a Royal Love Affair

Of course one of our favorite jewelry collectors in history had to have had an incredible engagement ring, right? RIGHT.

Wallis Simpson was an American socialite who won the heart of Edward VIII. She had been married twice, and he was British royalty, and that typically doesn’t go hand in hand for the monarch. Their relationship was an unprecedented situation for the royal family and government, and caused such scandal and media attention, that Wallis had to flea the country to escape it all. While she was hiding out, she even tried to call the whole romance off, attempting to end the insanity of it all. But Edward’s  love and devotion to her was so true, he gave up what he had been born to do, and abdicated the throne in order to marry her. 

Soon after the abdication crisis (and she finalized her second divorce), Edward “officially” proposed to Wallis with a gorgeous and chunky emerald engagement ring. It weighed 19.77 carats and was a deep green color set in yellow gold with white diamond baguette accents. Before the married in 1937 in France, he had the ring engraved with “We are ours now”, which is a pretty sweet sentiment considering their journey. In 1958, the Duchess took the ring back to Cartier, who had originally designed the ring, to update the design. They remounted it and replaced the baguettes with round diamonds that encircle the large emerald.

Wallis loved her engagement ring, and over decades added pieces that complimented it to he personal collection. It became a pastime that the couple shared over the course of their 35 year long marriage, and resulted in one impressive assembly of baubles, and it all started with that beautiful engagement ring.

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