Grace Kelly first met Prince Rainier of Monaco when they were inadvertently introduced by the famous director, and good friend to Grace, Alfred Hitchcock, while she was being cast in his movie, To Catch a Thief. It is said that the Prince was almost immediately taken aback by Grace’s refined beauty and elegance. The Hollywood star was the daughter of a model and famous American athlete. While she was quite exquisite to look at, there was also so much more to her. She was also a very accomplished actress who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Mogambo and then won the Best Actress Award at the Oscars for her work in The Country Girl.
Not long after the two had been together, Prince Rainier proposed with a Cartier eternity band with both rubies and diamonds set on it to represent the colors of the flag of Monaco. On January 5th, 1956, they held a press conference at her parents’ home in Philadelphia. The happy couple announced their joyous news for newspapers, newsreel cameras, magazines, and radios, and they let photographers take photos of the ring.
Shortly after the press conference, another Cartier ring appeared on the film star’s hand, however, this ring did not require any close-ups in order to be seen. It was a showstopper of a ring featuring a gorgeous 10.48-carat emerald-cut diamond that was flanked by two baguettes set in platinum. It cost a whopping 4.06 million dollars! It has been said that after Prince Rainier realized that all of the Hollywood stars had huge diamonds on their fingers after being engaged, he immediately went out and purchased another Cartier ring for this bride-to-be because Grace was not one to be outdone. Grace wore this epic ring in many publicity photographs and it was worn by her in her last film, High Society, making it one of the most famous engagement rings in the world.
The wedding was a highly publicized event that took place on April 19, 1956, at Monaco’s St. Nicholas Cathedral. Grace’s wedding dress was quite modest, with a high neckline, long sleeves, and a billowing ballgown skirt. The dress was a gift from MGM studios, who is one of the oldest film studios in the world. Apparently, it took 30 seamstresses and 6 weeks to make the final product! Grace’s wedding gown continues to inspire modern-day brides, including Kate Middleton. Much of Kate’s dress for her own royal wedding was drawn from Grace’s, even 60 years later!
Every woman deserves to feel like a princess on her wedding day. If you have always admired Grace Kelly’s timeless and effortless beauty, there are plenty of engagement rings within the Clean Origin collection to help you emulate her style! Here are just a few:
Symphony Ring
Waverly Ring
Allegra Ring
Along with beautiful rings, we also carry a wide selection of lab grown diamond jewelry. Our beautiful jewelry makes thoughtful birthday gifts, as well as lovely anniversary gifts–no matter if you need a 2-year anniversary gift or a 50th anniversary gift. Shop with us, today!
