Hottest Celebrity Diamond Engagement Rings, Past and Present

While many celebrities prefer to keep their private lives to themselves, the one thing they can't seem to resist is flashing their gorgeous diamond engagement rings for the cameras. Throughout the years, celebrity diamond engagement rings have always been a hot gossip topic, often gaining headlines for the diamond engagement ring itself, rather than the details of the actual proposal and the parties involved.

Long considered the queen of jewellery herself, Dame Elizabeth Taylor made her mark of the diamond engagement ring market when she donned a massive 30-carat emerald cut ring bestowed on her by former flame Michael Todd. Never one to be outdone by others, he subsequent diamond engagements rings were breath takers as well.

Said by many to have sparked the coloured diamond engagement ring trend, Jennifer Lopez's proposal from Ben Affleck came attached to a stunning pink diamond engagement ring weighing in at 6 carats and reportedly worth nearly $3 million USD. The relationship itself may not have lasted, but the public's obsession with the bold coloured diamonds did.

Before becoming the beloved Princess Diana, Lady Diana Spencer was presented by a beautiful 18-carat sapphire encircled by 14 diamonds by Prince Charles. Fondly remembered for her kind and caring nature, the regal yet sophisticated look of the blue sapphire is what made her diamond engagement ring such a remarkable piece.

Queen Elizabeth, on the other hand, is known for her much simpler ring, a 3-carat diamond engagement ring set in platinum and surrounded by accent stones. Showing that he does have a knack for jewellery, Prince Charles presented his current wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, with a stunning diamond engagement ring featuring a large emerald as it's centrepiece flanked by baguette diamonds.

Opting for a less common cut for her diamond engagement ring, Katie Holmes choose a luxurious oval shaped stone in a unusual pave setting. Reese Witherspoon, on the other hand, went with an art deco styled diamond engagement ring with the once rare Asscher cut featured prominently in the centre stone.

Jessica Simpson joined the ranks of women opting for unusual diamond engagement rings when she donned a lovely pear shaped gem with shoulder stones. Jackie Kennedy wore a simple ring with a 3-carat centre stone. The fact that it was surrounded on all sides by almost 3 carats of additional accent stones simply added to the overall beauty and timelessness of the ring.

With regards to class and style, Marilyn Monroe set the bar. The great Joe DiMaggio bestowed Marilyn’s 36 stone eternity diamond engagement ring upon her when they began their short-lived marriage by eloping. Believed to have kept the trend going until today, she wore the single eternity ring in place of both a diamond engagement ring and a wedding band. According to records, the ring originally held 37 stones within it but, despite the missing stone, the sheer fact that it once sat on Marilyn's finger skyrocketed the selling price when it went up for auction.