Get the Look: Meghan Markle's Engagement Ring

Together with British jeweler Cleave & Company, Prince Harry designed the three-stone engagement ring for Meghan selecting diamonds with extra-special meaning. The center stone is a cushion cut diamond weighing around 3 carats. It was sourced from Botswana, a country where the couple spent significant time building their relationship. The two round side diamonds are about 1 carat each, and come from Princess Diana’s personal jewelry collection.

Aside from choosing the stones, Harry was also intent on the metal selection. Meghan is a big fan of yellow gold for its warm hue that complements her skin tone. The ring’s setting is very low profile, a possible nod to how much royals use their hands when meeting people and interacting with others. A low-profile setting means that the stones are mounted in a setting that sits very close to the finger. These rings are typically less likely to suffer damage when bumped or getting snagged on clothing.

In 2019, Meghan debuted an updated engagement ring. Harry again worked with a jeweler, this time Lorraine Schwartz, to resize and reset the ring. The original smooth yellow gold band was replaced with a much thinner band, still yellow gold, and set with micro-pavé diamonds. It’s a subtle change that adds even more sparkle to the three diamonds and matches the diamond eternity band Meghan also added to her wedding stack.

The three-stone setting is often referred to as a trilogy or trinity ring. The design is typically seen as representing a couple’s past, present and future. The largest center stone is meant to symbolize the present and the importance of being in the moment together. This style is considered a very romantic symbol for couples, while also capable of being designed to look vintage or modern, depending on your aesthetic.

The most important thing to keep in mind with a three-stone diamond setting is to match the color of the main diamond and side stones as closely as possible. More substantial differences in color will be easily noticed as the diamonds are arranged side-by-side. Also, since the side stones are often a bit larger than other accent stones, the three-stone setting can be more expensive than other settings.

Cushion cut diamonds, also known as the pillow cut, offer a lot of variation and choice when it comes to the look you want in your diamond. Cutting styles for modern cushions break down into two categories, the standard and the modified cushion cut. The standard cut has an antique feel with broader facets and more rounded sides. This cut is very rare and is quite difficult to find on the market. The modified cut has an extra row of facets and a more splintery look. The sides are also less rounded, so it exhibits more of a square or rectangular shape.

One key point about cushion cut diamonds is that they show more color than just about any other diamond shape. So if you’re thinking of platinum or white gold for your metal, we recommend a color grade of G or better. If you’re choosing rose or yellow gold, the warmth of the metal will really complement a diamond of a lower color grade like I or J. And because the modified cushion cut is a brilliant faceted cut, inclusions tend to be masked by the sparkle and scintillation of the diamond.

The length-to-width ratio of your cushion cut diamond will have a big impact on the appearance of the diamond. A more square ratio is the favorite choice for a cushion cut, and that is the ratio of Meghan Markle’s center stone for her engagement ring. For a square appearance, look for ratios between 1.00 to 1.05. More traditional cushions are often closer to a 1.10 ratio with even rarer cushion cuts coming in around 1.20 to 1.30 for an elongated rectangular shape.

Cushion cuts are a perfect choice for three-stone rings because their look and variety of proportions make them a great complement to all other diamond shapes.

You can see this in some of our Ken & Dana Design favorites that achieve Meghan Markle’s engagement ring look.

In Shana, a 2.66 carat lab-grown cushion cut diamond is flanked by two pear cut diamonds and set on a yellow gold band. And you can see in Faye how two trapezoidal diamonds perfectly accentuate a 4 carat cushion cut diamond.

Three-stone rings also present a great opportunity to play with color. Lanna uses two bluish- green Montana sapphires to flank a stunning 1.85 carat cushion cut diamond. Violetta also features sapphires as accent stones but adds a halo to the 1.03 carat cushion cut diamond and a pretty pavé band. And if another diamond shape is more appealing for the center stone, you can’t go wrong with an oval cut diamond as we showcase in Hetty.

Three-stone engagement rings are sophisticated and create a timeless silhouette. They represent incredible romantic symbolism, and when you add more personal touches, like with Meghan Markle’s engagement ring, you achieve a ring that’s not only beautiful, but incredibly meaningful.