Well, we’ve all done it – we’ve made it through yet another year together. Can you believe it? Well, you should at this point. Yes, 2016 is still relatively young, but we’re far enough into it that you can no longer get away with accidentally writing the date as 2015 without feeling completely ridiculous about it.
But while 2015 may be gone and fading in the rearview mirror, that doesn’t mean it’s been completely forgotten. To help remember what was (we hope) a wonderful year for you, we’re looking back at some of our favorites of the last year. So before you completely turn the page to 2016, keep one finger on 2015 with us for just a few minutes longer as we look back on the top celebrity engagement rings of the year with a little help from our friends over at The Knot.
Like any year, 2015 had its trends. And when it came to engagement rings, the big ones were clearly halos and rose gold bands, while the evergreen cushion-cut and solitaire diamonds made their usual appearances.
Alyssa Campanella’s Royal Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring
Former model and Miss USA Alyssa Campanella married into royalty…well, sort of. Fiancé Torrance Coombs plays Sebastian de Poitiers, son of the king of France on the CW’s Reign. So it’s only fitting that her engagement ring has ties to real-life royalty. The incredible, custom royal-blue sapphire and diamond ring was based on Princess Diana’s ring when it was designed by Peter Young of INTA Gems & Diamonds. It also has a unique twist all its own.
“Torrance knows I’m a huge follower of royal history, and everyone knows the iconic ring that Prince Charles gave Princess Diana, which Prince William gave to Kate Middleton,” Campanella, who got engaged this summer, told The Knot. “But he wanted to create something slightly different with my own feel. When he proposed and I saw the ring, the first thought that came into my head was, ‘It’s so perfect. It’s just absolutely beautiful.’ He asked me a long time ago what gems I like, and I really like sapphires because they’re different than diamonds. I don’t own any jewelry – I don’t even have my ears pierced! – so I really wanted my engagement ring to stand out.”
Julianne Hough’s Oval-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring
Most women get a diamond in their engagement rings. Dancing With the Stars’ Julianne Hough, however, got a DIAMOND in her engagement ring. Her fiancé, pro hockey player Brooks Laich, presented her with a mind-blowing oval-cut diamond of more than five carats when he proposed in August. The ring, which has a rose gold band, was designed by Lorraine Schwartz, who’s no stranger to creating shock-worthy jewelry for celebs.
“The ring itself makes me feel very feminine and takes my breath away every time I look down, which I can’t stop doing by the way,” Hough wrote on her website of the ring. “When it comes to taking it off, forget it. I’ll even wake up in the middle of the night to make sure it’s still there!”
Lady Gaga’s Heart-Shaped Diamond Engagement Ring
Subtle isn’t a word that you’ll find in Lady Gaga’s personal dictionary, so you wouldn’t expect the singer/actress to get an engagement ring that’s anything other than a head turner, and this one certainly is. Chicago Fire’s Taylor Kinney bent his knee on Valentine’s Day and presented her with this almost absurdly large heart-shaped diamond engagement ring with a pave band.
Alison Brie’s Double Diamond Halo Engagement Ring
22 Jump Street’s Dave Franco stepped off the big screen and down to the small screen – well, actually, it’s not really a step down at all when it’s Community and Mad Men’s Alison Brie you’re bending a knee for. He presented her with a double diamond halo encircling a round-cut diamond with a rose gold band.
Misty Copeland’s Cushion-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring
Misty Copeland, who’s a principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre, got engaged to longtime lover Olu Evans this past summer. Evans decorated her hand with an absolutely gorgeous cushion-cut diamond surrounded by a halo and set on a pave band, successfully merging a classic look with one of the year’s biggest trends. Well done, Olu. Well done, indeed.
Russian Formula Cubic Zirconia Rings
Of course, we can’t all afford insanely opulent diamond engagement rings like the stars now, can we? Not unless we want to sell off all our worldly possessions. Here’s a bit of good news, though – you don’t have to sell your house and move into a cardboard box in order to afford a beautiful engagement ring. Nope, all you have to do is consider your options. Consider an affordable Russian Formula cubic zirconia engagement ring – the only form of CZ jewelry that captures the light as beautifully as real diamonds.