Princess Eugenie & Sarah Ferguson’s blushing ruby & sapphire engagement rings

When it comes to royal engagement rings, tradition is most often at the heart of the design. But some in the royal family like to break the mould, like Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson. We take a closer look at their bold royal engagement rings and the colourful rubies and sapphires that bring them to life.

In January 2018, Princess Eugenie announced her engagement to her longtime boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank. The couple first met while skiing in Verbier, Switzerland in 2010, with the Princess later saying it was ‘love at first sight’. The couple became engaged on a holiday in Nicaragua, on a night when Brooksbank said ‘the sun was setting, birds were flying…’ Princess Eugenie describes the engagement as ‘really surprising even though we’ve been together for seven years.’

The term “padparadscha” derives from the Sinhalese word that describes the colour of a tropical lotus blossom, which bears a rosy peach colour. Padparadscha sapphires straddle the colour boundary between pink and orange, giving them a dynamic and enchanting tonality. Brooksbank chose a padparadscha sapphire ring because it changes colour from every different angle, which is how he sees Eugenie.

We love Princess Eugenie’s padparadscha halo engagement ring, and we can’t help but think that she must have been inspired by her mother, Sarah Ferguson’s engagement ring. Her ring features a fiery red Burmese ruby, which Prince Andrew reportedly chose because it’s reminiscent of the Duchess’s red hair.