NEED TO KNOW
It’s no secret that Taylor Swift is the ultimate influencer.
When the singer announced her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on Instagram on Aug. 26, the internet immediately exploded into a mass hysteria around her antique ring.
Kelce dreamed up the sparkler alongside jewelry designer Kindred Lubeck and Artifex Fine Jewelry, which houses luxury designs retailing upwards of $33,650, as seen with their Deametra ring. The ring boasts a massive old mine brilliant cut diamond, a rectangle-cut diamond with antique references.
Ali Galgano, a New York and Greenwich, CT-based jeweler, gemologist and founder of Serpentine Jewels, tells PEOPLE that the announcement instantly ignited an engagement ring trend.
“Antique cuts also command a premium over modern equivalents, and demand will likely skyrocket in the wake of Taylor’s engagement,” she says. “In fact, within 24 hours of the news breaking, I received hundreds of messages from clients asking about antique cushions.”
Galgano, who estimates Swift’s ring to be between 7 and 9 carats, says that old mine cuts that large are “exceptionally rare.”
“They were cut by hand for candlelight rather than electric light, long before modern symmetry standards, which means no two are alike,” she explains. “Instead of the sharp brilliance of modern cuts, they give off a softer, more romantic glow — and that uniqueness is exactly what makes them so coveted today.”
Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce
While jewelry experts have estimated that Swift’s ring could be worth up to $5 million, Galgano says that “its rarity feels far more important than its price tag.”
“In a world where flawless, lab-grown diamonds are plentiful, there’s something refreshing about an older stone with quirks and imperfections. It feels authentic,” the jeweler says. “Antique cuts also command a premium over modern equivalents, and demand will likely skyrocket in the wake of Taylor’s engagement.”
When it comes to engagement ring trends, Galgano predicts that Swift’s ring “will inspire a move toward chunkier bands and away from the thin, delicate styles that put all the attention on the center stone.”
She also thinks that gold will “have a much larger presence going forward,” with trends shifting away from the traditional platinum.
Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce
“More women today are embracing gold, especially as its rising value lends it an added layer of status,” Galgano explains.
Swift’s ring also points to a rising trend of highly personal engagement rings.
“It’s no longer just about having the biggest, sparkliest diamond with the setting as an afterthought,” Galgano explains. “It’s about finding a stone that speaks to you, and pairing it with a design that feels distinctly yours.”
“What I admire most is that Taylor and Travis passed on the big design houses, opting instead for an independent goldsmith to handcraft a ring that felt uniquely theirs,” she adds. “To me, that choice signals a bigger shift: couples moving away from cookie-cutter brand names and toward one-of-a-kind jewels with designs that truly resonate — and pieces no one else will have.”
