Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who has an impressive array of jewelry collections turned 56 on Jan. 20. She has been spotted donning a ring that bears striking resemblance to a jewel worn by Meghan Markle, 39, and Princess Diana.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex is the wife of 56-year-old Prince Edward. The royal has been seen wearing an oversized aquamarine cocktail ring that looks similar to Princess Diana’s jewel, most recently seen on the Duchess of Sussex.
Members of the royal family have a reputation for sometimes dressing up their looks with steeply-priced pieces of jewelry. Living up to the notoriety, Sophie has borrowed a slew of extravagant pieces from Queen Elizabeth II, building up an extensive jewelry collection of her own which comprises an aquamarine cocktail ring.
She has worn the piece during several events while in the royal family. The massive ring houses a square aquamarine jewel perched on a silver band. According to 77 Diamonds managing director Tobias Kormind, there could be an important meaning behind the choice of the jewel.
“These images depicting the nonchalant, empowering glamour of a handsomely sized cocktail ring hold particular allure at the moment, reminding us of times when we can get dressed up and feel special,” Kormind told Express.co.uk. “The meaningful, century-old symbolism behind these gems also brings a sense of hope for the future,” he added.
The expert said, “Princess Diana wore a 24-carat aquamarine gem, worth about £30,000 to £40,000 due to its provenance. Our bespoke service would be able to create this same design by sourcing a similar aquamarine gem for around £18,000.”
The gem was a part of her private collection and was recently spotted on Meghan, who displayed the bold jewel at the reception of her wedding day in 2018. It is likely to have been gifted by her husband Prince Harry and it also has an oversized jewel on a silver band.
Available in bold blue color, aquamarine jewels are believed to represent serenity and calm, Tobias said. “Aquamarine has a mesmerizing light blue color that is very similar to the ocean. This is the reason for its Latin name ‘aquamarina’, meaning ‘water of the sea’,” he stated.
“These gems are known to be symbols of prestige, strength but also serenity and calm. The most sought after aquamarines have an intense ocean-blue color and are completely clear of internal marks or inclusions.”
Sophie has worn her ring on multiple events, and like the ring previously owned by Princess Diana, it could be worth a fortune. “Countess Sophie’s ring is about 20-carat and should be worth around £16,000. Her ring seems to be set with two side gemstones, in a trilogy design,” Tobias said.