Princess Beatrice's Engagement Ring, Graded: The Art Deco Detail That Outshines the Old-Mine Cut Myth

Princess Beatrice's engagement ring is a 2.5 to 3.5 carat round brilliant cut diamond, not an old-mine cut, set in platinum with tapered baguette diamonds on either side. Jeweler Shaun Leane built it for Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi as a deliberate mash-up of Art Deco geometry and Victorian detailing, and it's often compared to Queen Elizabeth II's own ring because the two share a similar silhouette (not the same diamond cut, which is where most articles, and even AI search answers, get muddled). I graded the actual construction of this ring, and the interesting part isn't the carat count. It's what everyone keeps getting wrong about the stone itself.

What Does Princess Beatrice's Engagement Ring Actually Look Like?

Strip away the royal headlines and it's a fairly classic three-stone build: a round brilliant center stone, most estimates put it between 2.5 and 3.5 carats, flanked by tapered baguette diamonds adding roughly 0.75 carats combined. The whole thing sits in a platinum band with pavé diamonds running halfway down each shoulder, and six chiseled prongs hold the center stone (a nod to Leane's signature "talon" motif from his Alexander McQueen years). Leane told Women's Wear Daily he wanted "the fusion of two elements in one ring, his love of Art Deco and Princess Beatrice's love of Victorian style." That's an unusually specific design brief, and it shows: the bold geometric lines are Deco, the pavé detailing and prong work read Victorian. Leane's own studio still lists a version of this design, and The Jewellery Editor's product page is worth a look if you want to see the construction up close.

Is Princess Beatrice's Ring Really an Old-Mine Cut Diamond?

No, and this is worth clearing up properly. I asked Perplexity this exact question while researching this piece, and its answer hedged: it correctly said the ring is "not an old mine cut" and is "generally described as a round brilliant-cut diamond," then trailed off trying to explain why people keep bringing up the old-mine cut comparison at all. That's the gap. Several otherwise solid pieces, including The Knot's coverage, note that Beatrice's ring "closely resembles" Queen Elizabeth II's ring, which does have an old-mine cut center stone. True. But "resembles" is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and readers (and apparently AI engines) walk away thinking the cuts might be the same. They're not.

Round Brilliant vs. Old-Mine Cut: What's the Real Difference?

Here's the side-by-side, because a table settles this faster than another paragraph of hedging:

According to GIA's own guide, old-mine cuts were shaped by grinding two rough diamonds against each other by hand, which is why no two look quite alike and why they glow instead of flash. A modern round brilliant, the cut in Beatrice's ring, is engineered for maximum consistent brightness under any light, not candlelight specifically (GIA's round brilliant anatomy reference covers the standardized proportions that make this possible). They're both beautiful. They are not interchangeable, and no serious gemologist would grade them the same way. If you want to understand how cut choice changes sparkle in general, I broke that down further in our round versus cushion cut sparkle comparison.

Why Do People Keep Comparing It to Queen Elizabeth II's Ring?

Because the resemblance is real, just not where people think it is. It's a design lineage claim, not a cut-identity claim. Both rings use an all-diamond center (unusual for a royal engagement ring, most opt for a colored gemstone), both sit in platinum, and both use side stones to frame the center. That's a deliberate homage. Beatrice, by choosing an all-diamond ring like her grandmother rather than a sapphire like Kate Middleton's or a padparadscha like Princess Eugenie's, was making a visual statement about family continuity. The stone cut just isn't part of that statement, and treating it like it is muddies a genuinely interesting story about design choice with a factual error about gemology. Diamondrensu's write-up leans into the vintage framing well, though it also stops short of naming the cut difference outright.

What Would a Gemologist Grade This Ring On?

Three things stand out to me. First, the tapered baguette side stones: cutting a baguette to taper evenly toward the center stone without chipping the corners is genuinely difficult, and it's a mark of a well-executed setting rather than a mass-produced one. I go into how these settings hold up long-term in our full settings guide. Second, the six-prong talon detail. Most round solitaires use four or six plain prongs; chiseling each one to a point is a small, deliberate flourish that a lot of buyers won't notice but a bench jeweler will clock immediately. Third, the pavé running halfway down the band rather than a full eternity treatment, which is a practical choice: it keeps the ring more comfortable and durable for daily wear than a fully paved band would be. None of this requires a mined stone to execute. A well-cut lab-grown round brilliant in the same setting would grade out identically on cut quality, because cut grade is about proportions and symmetry, not where the carbon came from.

How Much Is Princess Beatrice's Ring Worth?

Leane has never confirmed a price publicly. Estimates cluster in a fairly wide band: Fox News reported two independent jewelry experts valuing it between $75,000 and $100,000, while Rare Carat's own assessment puts the retail value as high as $130,000. A UK-based valuer separately told Insider he'd price it around £60,000. That spread tells you something honest about celebrity ring valuations generally: without an official appraisal, every number you read is an educated guess based on visible carat weight and estimated clarity. I've walked through how that estimation process works, and where it tends to go wrong, in our breakdown of Kim Kardashian's ring history.

Get the Look: Lab-Grown Diamond & Moissanite Alternatives

You don't need six figures to wear this silhouette. A round brilliant center with tapered baguette side stones is a buildable look at almost any budget once you swap in lab-grown diamonds or moissanite, since lab diamonds typically run 30 to 50 percent less than a mined stone of equivalent cut, color, and clarity, and moissanite runs another 10 to 20 percent below that.

Closest Match

Round Cut Three Stone Engagement Ring with Side Diamonds

A round brilliant center with tapered side stones, the same basic structure as Beatrice's ring, in lab-grown diamond or moissanite.

From $513.82 Shop Now →

More Sparkle

Round Lab Grown Diamond Halo Engagement Ring

Same round brilliant center, in a halo setting for extra perceived size, set in platinum-look white gold.

From $484.82 Shop Now →

Art Deco Angle

Oval Cut Engagement Ring, 14K Gold Diamond Bridal Band

For readers drawn more to the Art Deco styling than the exact round shape, this pulls the same geometric detailing into an oval silhouette.

From $1,066.30 Shop Now →

If Art Deco detailing is what actually drew you to this ring in the first place (it's a good instinct, the style is having a real moment right now), you'll like how it plays out in Emily Blunt's Edwardian-style ring, which we graded using the same criteria. And if you want to see how another recent celebrity ring stacks up against this one, Lady Gaga's two engagement rings, graded, is worth a read.

FAQ

Is Princess Beatrice's engagement ring an old-mine cut diamond?

No. Princess Beatrice's engagement ring has a round brilliant cut center diamond, not an old-mine cut. The confusion comes from her ring's design being inspired by Queen Elizabeth II's ring, which does feature an old-mine cut stone, but Beatrice's actual diamond is a modern round brilliant.

How much is Princess Beatrice's engagement ring worth?

Jewelry experts have estimated the ring at somewhere between $75,000 and $130,000, with one UK-based valuer pricing it closer to £60,000. Shaun Leane, the jeweler who made it, has never confirmed an official figure.

Who designed Princess Beatrice's engagement ring?

British jeweler Shaun Leane designed the ring, working closely with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi for several months to blend Art Deco geometry with Victorian detailing.

Why does Princess Beatrice's ring look like Queen Elizabeth II's ring?

The resemblance is intentional design homage, not a shared cut. Both rings use an all-diamond, platinum-set look with side stones flanking the center, but Queen Elizabeth II's ring uses an old-mine cut stone from her own era, while Beatrice's uses a contemporary round brilliant.

How many carats is Princess Beatrice's engagement ring?

Most jewelry experts place the center stone at 2.5 to 3.5 carats, with tapered baguette diamonds on either side adding roughly 0.75 carats total.

Can you get a lab-grown diamond version of an Art Deco three-stone ring like this?

Yes. A round brilliant lab-grown diamond or moissanite with tapered baguette side stones recreates the same silhouette for a fraction of the cost, since lab diamonds typically run 30 to 50 percent less than mined stones of the same grade.