THE RUNDOWN
- Lauren Sánchez didn’t wear her engagement ring to her wedding ceremony, but the pink diamond piece is believed to be worth millions of dollars.
- Jewelers spoke to ELLE about why the massive pink diamond is so valuable and why its setting is a technical feat.
- Bezos proposed to Sánchez with the ring in May 2023, and since then, she has worn it to various red carpet events. She also wore it in her wedding shoot for Vogue and with her wedding band after her nuptials.
Lauren Sánchez celebrated her wedding on Friday, but revealed Vogue that she chose not to wear one of her most eye-catching pieces of jewelry during the ceremony: the pink cushion-cut diamond engagement ring given to her by Jeff Bezos.
In photos of her wedding look for the magazine, however, she sported the sparkler, which multiple jewelers told ELLE is worth millions of dollars. She also wore it with her wedding band in photos that were released in the days following the ceremony. People reported that the engagement ring is estimated to be a staggering 30 carats.
Sánchez has kept her remarks about it limited. In November 2023, Vogue revealed in its cover story on Sánchez that Bezos gave her a pink diamond.
Lauren Sánchez wearing her ring at Kering Caring for Women Dinner on Sept. 12, 2023.
A closer look at Sánchez’s ring.
Sánchez discussed the proposal, telling Vogue that Bezos popped the question while they were on a boat that May. The ring was hidden under her pillow for her to find after dinner. “When he opened the box, I think I blacked out a bit,” she said.
Since then, Sánchez has proudly showcased her ring at numerous red carpet events. Here’s everything you need to know about one of the most extravagant celebrity engagement rings.
Sánchez’s cushion-cut pink diamond is so large that estimating its exact carat size is a challenge.
Steph Mazuera, who founded her own namesake brand that creates made-to-order engagement rings, tells ELLE that she “would estimate Lauren’s diamond to be around 25 to 30 carats. With stones of this size, it’s difficult to determine exact carat weight. A diamond’s cut, proportions, and depth can significantly affect the weight and how the diamond presents face-up.”
Lauren Boc, founder and CEO of Hera Fine Jewelry, says that she also believes the ring may be 25 to 30 carats. She notes that “with strong flash photography, [it’s] hard to say how intense the [pink] color looks in real life.”
And Ann Grimmett, vice president of merchandising at Jared Jewelers, points out the diamond’s weight in proportion to the rest of the ring. “It’s a fine balance of distributing the weight, in such a way that the diamond retains maximum brilliance, while maximizing its scale,” she says. “In this case, a fancy pink diamond would need to be cut with the primary goal of accentuating the color. Based on the photos released, this appears to be a beautifully cut diamond that is likely 20 to 30 carats.”
Due to its substantial weight, Sánchez may wear the ring less frequently than most people wear theirs. (She has been photographed wearing other rings on her left ring finger since her engagement.) “Thirty carats is so large it could be pretty uncomfortable to wear on the hand,” Boc says. “I think that might be why she’s wearing a smaller diamond ring on her left hand sometimes. With such a big diamond and a relatively thin setting, the ring is going to be top-heavy, which is why it’s falling over to the side on her finger in all these photos. The larger a diamond gets, the more careful a designer has to be to keep the stone secure. A very large diamond requires a wider band, thicker prongs, and thoughtful construction to make sure the ring stays stable.”
Large stones show everything, according to Mazuera. “A 30-carat diamond is absolutely massive and exceptionally rare, especially a diamond with a pink hue. As diamonds increase in size, every detail becomes more visible, so clarity and cut become even more critical. Flaws are easier to spot, and the setting must be structurally engineered to support the stone’s weight,” she says.
The pink hue of Sánchez’s diamond further elevates its value, with jewelers estimating it to be worth several million dollars.
Bezos gave Sánchez an engagement ring with staggering value. Both Mazuera and Boc estimate the piece to be worth over $5 million. Grimmett, meanwhile, has a far higher figure: $20 to $30 million.
“Depending on the diamond’s origin, color saturation, clarity, and cut, I would estimate the ring to fall somewhere between $3 to $5 million,” Mazuera says. “Pink diamonds are extremely rare and command high prices, usually found in private collections or at auctions.”
Boc has an even greater estimate: “With fancy colored diamonds, the intensity of the color is a major factor in determining price,” she says. “I can’t really tell how vivid this pink color is from the photos. Assuming Lauren’s diamond is the most valuable of the pink colors—fancy vivid pink—this ring could easily be worth $5 million or more. A ring with a 20.19 carat fancy intense pink diamond, which is less valuable than fancy vivid pink, sold at auction for 11.9 million Swiss francs ($14.89M) in 2023.”
Boc adds that the pink diamond will only make the piece gain value over time.
“The diamond is by far the most distinctive feature of Lauren’s ring,” she explains. “Fancy pink natural diamonds, especially in this size range, are extremely rare and valuable. Fancy colored diamonds are so rare that unlike the average diamond, they often appreciate in value over time. Pink diamonds in particular have increased in value since the closure of Australia’s Argyle Mine in 2020, where 90 percent of the world’s pink diamonds came from.”
To illustrate the stone’s remarkable color, Mazuera shared a photo of a fancy vivid pink diamond with ELLE.
A fancy vivid pink diamond.
Sánchez’s pavé band contains even more diamonds.
There’s even more sparkle on the setting of Sánchez’s ring. Mazuera says that “Lauren’s ring appears to be fully encrusted in diamond pavé. Pavé refers to small diamonds set very close together to create a continuous surface covered in small sparkling stones. It gives the whole piece this nonstop sparkle that catches light from every angle.”
Mazuera notes that the ring appears to be held by rose gold claw prongs: “The pairing of rose gold with a pink diamond enhances the stone’s natural warmth and depth. The claw prongs introduce a modern, seductive edge to the timeless cushion cut silhouette. The ring strikes a great balance between classic and contemporary.”
Boc says that the ring “has a double hidden halo and a diamond band.” While the exact metal used for the band is unclear in photos because of all the diamonds, “the band looks very thin for a diamond of this size, so I’m guessing it’s hand-forged rather than cast, which produces a stronger ring.”
Because of its size, Sánchez may rarely stack her ring with her wedding band.
The bigger the ring, the more likely it is to be a standalone piece. As Mazuera explains, “I’ve found that many people who have very large engagement rings opt to only wear them for certain occasions and don’t stack their rings as most people do. When your center stone is pushing 20 to 30 carats, it’s hard to engineer something strong enough to hold your center stone and stack seamlessly with another band.”
Sánchez’s ring exemplifies the ongoing trend of colored diamonds.
Sánchez’s pink diamond only adds momentum to the colored diamond trend. “I think Lauren’s ring is inline with a rising interest in rare, unique, and colored diamonds,” Mazuera says. “I’ve noticed more inquiries this year for fancy yellow and pink diamonds, as well as colored gemstones in general. There’s a growing desire for something unique, and Lauren’s ring certainly taps into that.”
