Queen Letizia of Spain, 50, tied the knot with King Felipe on May 22, 2004, when she was seen wearing her gorgeous engagement ring. But according to a jewellery expert, the Queen of Spain has not worn this jewel for a very long time.
Diamond expert, Maxwell Stone spoke to Express.co.uk about the royal’s gorgeous ring.
He said: “With the exception of Queen Letizia, who hasn’t been seen with her sophisticated engagement ring since 2012, it’s incredibly rare to see one of the royal ladies without their precious gem.
“Queen Letizia’s engagement ring is very unique in comparison to other royal rings.
“Other royal rings mostly feature a large centre stone and perhaps smaller stones on either side.
“Instead, Letizia’s sophisticated band features 16 vertically set baguette-cut diamonds in either a platinum or white-gold setting.”
The expert also provided a rough valuation of Queen Letizia’s engagement ring.
Mr Stone said: “From looking at the ring, it looks like it has a value of around £20,000 to £25,000.”
Suárez, a Spanish brand established in 1943, designed the beautiful ring.
It was reported that King Felipe’s brother-in-law, Iñaki Urdangarin, helped him pick the engagement ring.
The couple got married within less than a year of their engagement, but since then, the Queen of Spain has rarely been spotted with her engagement ring.
In fact, the engagement ring hasn’t been seen since 2012. The Queen, instead, regularly opts to wear her Karen Hallam gold-plated ring.
There are some reports that Letizia decided to stop wearing it due to its connections to Iñaki Urdangarin, who is currently serving a prison sentence.
But this has never been confirmed by the Spanish Royal Family.
Another expert spoke to Express.co.uk to explain which other royal wears a similar ring to Queen Letizia.
Claire Beatson, General Manager of Ethical Jewellery Brand Nightingale said: “Lady Kitty Spencer’s ring is similar to Queen Letizia of Spain.
“She also bucked tradition and opted for an eternity ring rather than a solitaire style.”
Unlike the majority of royal engagement rings, which feature a centre stone, Letizia’s ring has a different, yet distinctive design.
King Felipe presented his fiancé with a classic diamond engagement ring that had a white gold band and 16 baguette-cut diamonds.
Alongside her engagement ring, the Queen also rarely wears her elegant gold wedding band.
The Spanish Queen admitted this is because she has to meet a lot of dignitaries every day and with the endless handshakes, the ring hurts her hand.
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