As for engagement rings, the line between timeless elegance and flashy excess is a fine one. Meant to embody love and commitment, the cherished token is a symbol of personal style and status, and is often also the center of online debates — especially when it comes to celebrity engagements.
Model and influencer Georgina Rodríguez became the latest most-talked-about name on social media after revealing the massive engagement ring she received from soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo on Aug. 11. The piece features an estimated 30-carat oval brilliant as the centerpiece and is worth between $2.5 million to $5 million, according to experts.
While a massive stone can certainly make a statement, it also asks the question: at what point does a bold engagement ring turn gaudy? WWD talked to five professional jewelers, who all agreed on one thing: “gaudy” happens when a ring is out of balance.
You May Also Like
“A bold ring is one that makes a powerful statement while still feeling harmonious in its design. It draws the eye because of its scale, color or silhouette, but it retains a sense of balance and refinement,” said jeweler Briony Raymond, founder of atelier Briony Raymond New York. “A gaudy piece, on the other hand, is when the elements compete rather than complement; it lacks cohesion and the result feels more ostentatious than elegant.”
For Jenny Klatt and Stephanie Wynne Lalin, founders of Jemma Wynne, a ring can be big and still feel refined if the stone and setting work together. “When the proportions or details feel off, that’s when it starts to look gaudy,” they said. “You can have a ring of tremendous scale that still feels chic if the lines are elegant and the details are thoughtfully considered,” Raymond added.
Rodríguez’s ring follows an ongoing trend among celebrities, who’ve been gravitating toward eye-catching stones for the past couple of years. In 2023, Lauren Sánchez made headlines by showing off her 30-carat engagement ring from Jeff Bezos. The piece had an estimated $2.5 million, as previously reported by WWD.
“Celebrities like Lauren Sánchez and Georgina Rodríguez certainly influence the conversation, but I find many clients are increasingly drawn to rings that feel personal and elegant rather than overtly showy,” Raymond said. “It’s less about going as big as possible and more about finding a diamond with real character — an antique cut, a unique shape or something that feels one of a kind,” the Jemma Wynne founders added.
In the history of massive celebrity engagement rings, names like Vanessa Bryant, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter have also left their mark. But at the end of the day, size doesn’t equal impact.
“Getting the largest, whitest diamond you can just to have it feels gaudy. In that case, the only thing that differentiates it from any other stone is simply the size. If you have a large budget, I would think it is more tasteful to source something rare and beautiful, not simply just bigger than everything else,” said Andria Rogers, founder of Andria Barboné Jewelry. “These days with large diamonds being accessible from lab grown, size is not the differentiator. Impact to me, is something that stops strangers in public.”
Avi Hiaeve, founder of Avi & Co., said that “even a 1-carat diamond can look loud if the setting is overly done. The setting is a main deciding factor here. It’s important to keep the mounting quiet: such as having a slim shank; tidy prong work and minimal or no halo. Let the center stone be the star,” he said. “Additionally, step-cuts such as Emerald and Asscher or well-proportioned brilliant cuts such as ovals and cushions are optimal choices for large stones as well.”
Adding a massive stone to a ring without being cautious of porportions can also carry the risk of creating what’s known as the “ring-pop” look, a clear reference to the Ring Pop candy shape. Rogers recommend looking at antique jewelry for inspiration, while trying to avoid a gaudy look.
“You see many large stones in very well-thought-out pieces — true art. I don’t feel like any of those pieces are gaudy — even if it’s a tiara that spouts 50 carats of diamonds. Showy, yes, but not gaudy,” she said.
