The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, has caught the eye of royal watchers with a new piece of jewelry.
In her recent video announcing the completion of her cancer treatment, Kate was seen wearing a new eternity band, which seems to have taken the place of the iconic 18-carat sapphire engagement ring that once belonged to Princess Diana.
Kate Middleton’s Eternity Band
This new ring is adorned with a striking combination of alternating dark gems and diamonds.
It was first noticed on Kate’s finger in August when she and Prince William released a video congratulating Team U.K.’s athletes on their success at the Paris Games.
“The ring that Kate wore is definitely a newer addition to her jewelry box,” Lauren Kiehna, founder of The Court Jeweller blog, shared with People. “It’s a slim, sparkling eternity-style band with alternating light and dark gemstones.”
There has been some speculation that this band might actually be the promise ring William gave Kate during their college years. However, Kiehna clarified in a recent blog post that she is confident the ring is new.
The original promise ring, made of rose gold with garnet and pearl to represent their birthstones—garnet for Kate’s January birthday and pearl for William’s June birthday—was more modest in size. In contrast, this new band appears thicker and features more embedded stones.
Princess Diana’s famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring was given to Kate much later, in 2010, when William proposed.
In her latest appearances, Kate has been seen wearing the new eternity band stacked with her Welsh gold wedding band and the Annoushka white gold and diamond ring that she started wearing after the birth of Prince George in 2013.
Fans are buzzing with excitement and curiosity over the significance of this new addition to Kate’s royal jewelry collection.