The pear-shaped diamond is having another moment.
When Meghan Markle recently appeared wearing a previously unseen pear-shaped diamond ring on her right hand, jewellery watchers were quick to take notice. The Duchess of Sussex showcased the striking ring while promoting her As Ever lifestyle brand, adding another high-profile name to a growing list of celebrities and royals who have embraced the distinctive diamond shape.
The identity of the ring’s designer and the exact weight of Meghan’s diamond have not been publicly confirmed. However, jewellery experts have noted that the stone appears substantial, and its appearance has once again put the pear-shaped diamond firmly in the spotlight.
And Meghan is certainly not alone.
From Hollywood actresses and pop stars to royalty and sporting legends, some of the world’s most recognisable women have chosen pear-shaped diamonds.
From teardrop to timeless
The pear shape, sometimes called a teardrop cut, combines characteristics of the round brilliant and marquise cuts. Its rounded end gives the stone brilliance, while the pointed tip creates a distinctive elongated silhouette.
The shape dates back centuries, with its development traditionally associated with Flemish diamond cutter Lodewyk van Bercken in the 1400s.
For years, however, the shape carried an unfortunate reputation because of its resemblance to a tear. Some believed that wearing a “teardrop” diamond could symbolise tears or sadness.
Modern jewellery buyers appear far less concerned with the old superstition.
Today, the pear is increasingly associated with individuality, elegance and glamour. Its elongated outline can also create impressive visual spread, making a diamond appear larger than another stone of the same carat weight.
Elizabeth Taylor set the standard
Long before today’s celebrity engagement rings, one woman demonstrated just how spectacular a pear-shaped diamond could be.
Elizabeth Taylor’s legendary Taylor-Burton Diamond weighed 69.42 carats when it was acquired for her by Richard Burton in 1969.
The diamond was cut from a remarkable 240.80-carat rough stone discovered at South Africa’s Premier Mine in 1966. Harry Winston and his cutters transformed it into a 69.42-carat pear-shaped diamond graded E-F colour and Internally Flawless clarity by GIA.
Richard Burton famously acquired the diamond from Cartier for approximately US$1.1 million, after Cartier had purchased it at auction for US$1.05 million.
Taylor initially wore the stone as a ring before having it transformed into a spectacular necklace. The diamond became one of the most recognisable jewels in Hollywood history.
It was later sold by Taylor, and the stone was subsequently recut to 68 carats.
The Taylor-Burton remains perhaps the ultimate example of how a pear-shaped diamond can become much more than jewellery — it can become part of popular culture.
Victoria Beckham’s 17-carat statement
Victoria Beckham has also demonstrated the appeal of the pear shape.
David Beckham gave Victoria a spectacular 17-carat pear-shaped diamond set in platinum. The stone became one of the most recognisable pieces in her extensive engagement-ring collection and was reportedly worth millions of dollars.
Victoria later repurposed the diamond as a pendant, wearing it at the wedding celebrations of her son Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz.
It is a perfect example of another advantage of exceptional diamonds: a great stone can be redesigned and worn in completely different ways without losing its identity.
Anna Kournikova’s extraordinary pink pear
One of the most unusual celebrity pear-shaped diamonds belongs to former tennis star Anna Kournikova.
In 2004, Kournikova was photographed wearing an extraordinary 11-carat natural pink pear-shaped diamond, reportedly from Australia’s Argyle mine. The stone was flanked by two trillion-cut white diamonds.
The ring attracted enormous attention, although Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias never publicly confirmed whether the ring represented a formal engagement.
The combination of a large pear shape and natural pink colour made the ring particularly remarkable — especially given the rarity of larger natural pink diamonds.
Paris Hilton went even bigger
Paris Hilton’s engagement ring from Chris Zylka became another celebrity pear-shaped sensation.
The centre stone was widely reported at 20 carats, surrounded by approximately two carats of smaller diamonds, giving the entire ring a reported total of around 22 carats. The ring was valued at approximately US$2 million at the time.
The enormous pear-shaped stone quickly became one of the most talked-about celebrity engagement rings of 2018.
Cardi B: 8-carat pear with a spectacular setting
Cardi B’s engagement ring from Offset took the pear shape in an entirely different direction.
The centre diamond was reported at 8 carats, with two additional one-carat pear-shaped diamonds on either side. Two diamond halos surrounded the centre stone, including white and pink diamonds.
The entire ring has been estimated at approximately 12 carats of diamonds.
Rather than relying solely on the size of the centre stone, the design uses multiple pear-shaped diamonds and coloured diamonds to create a much larger visual impact.
Ariana Grande chose a more delicate pear
Ariana Grande has also worn one of the most recognisable modern pear-shaped celebrity rings.
When Pete Davidson proposed to Grande in 2018, he presented her with a 3.03-carat pear-shaped diamond, reportedly VVS1 clarity, set in platinum with a small diamond halo. The ring was custom-made by jeweller Greg Yuna and was reported to be worth approximately US$93,000.
The engagement was short-lived, but the ring became one of the defining celebrity pear-shaped designs of its era.
Katherine Heigl keeps it classic
Actress Katherine Heigl chose a considerably more understated version.
Her engagement ring from Josh Kelley features a 3-carat pear-shaped diamond set on a platinum band.
It demonstrates why the pear shape remains so versatile. The same basic cut can look spectacular at 20 carats or elegant and understated at three.
Avril Lavigne’s 14-carat showstopper
Singer Avril Lavigne was presented with an enormous pear-shaped engagement ring by Chad Kroeger in 2012.
Reports put the entire ring at 14 carats, with the centre pear-shaped diamond estimated at approximately 10 carats and around four carats of side diamonds.
The ring was a perfect match for Lavigne’s more unconventional style and demonstrated how the pear can work equally well for a vintage-inspired or contemporary design.
Princess Charlene brings the pear into royalty
The pear shape has also found its way into royal jewellery.
Princess Charlene of Monaco received a 3-carat pear-shaped diamond from Prince Albert II when they became engaged. The stone is surrounded by smaller diamonds arranged in a distinctive geometric design and was reportedly created by Parisian jeweller Repossi.
The ring is particularly interesting because it combines the traditional brilliance of the pear shape with a modern architectural setting.
The celebrity pear-shaped diamond list
Some of the better-known examples include:
| Celebrity / Royal | Reported pear diamond size |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth Taylor – Taylor-Burton | 69.42 carats |
| Paris Hilton | 20 carats |
| Victoria Beckham | 17 carats |
| Avril Lavigne | Approx. 10-carat centre / 14 carats total |
| Anna Kournikova | 11 carats |
| Cardi B | 8-carat centre |
| Ariana Grande | 3.03 carats |
| Katherine Heigl | 3 carats |
| Princess Charlene of Monaco | 3 carats |
| Meghan Markle | Exact size not publicly confirmed |
These figures should be viewed carefully. Celebrity jewellery is often reported from expert estimates rather than laboratory certificates, and some reports quote the centre stone while others quote the total diamond weight of the entire ring.
Why are pear-shaped diamonds becoming popular again?
There is a practical reason behind the renewed interest.
A well-proportioned pear-shaped diamond has considerable surface area for its weight. Its elongated outline can make it appear larger on the finger than a round diamond of the same carat weight.
It also gives buyers something different.
The round brilliant remains the benchmark for traditional diamond engagement rings, while oval, cushion, emerald and radiant cuts have all developed strong followings. The pear sits somewhere between classic and unconventional.
It has the brilliance people expect from a brilliant-cut diamond, but its asymmetrical outline gives it considerably more personality.
For jewellery buyers, that combination is increasingly attractive.
And perhaps that explains why Meghan Markle’s latest appearance has attracted so much attention.
The pear-shaped diamond may once have been dismissed as the “teardrop” cut. Today, it is increasingly being seen as a statement of individuality.
From Elizabeth Taylor’s legendary 69.42-carat jewel to Victoria Beckham’s 17-carat diamond, Anna Kournikova’s rare pink stone and the spectacular rings worn by Paris Hilton and Cardi B, the pear shape has already established an extraordinary celebrity history.
Meghan Markle may simply be the latest star to remind the world that, when it comes to diamonds, sometimes the most distinctive shape is the one that stands out from the crowd.
Sources checked: DCLA, GIA for the Taylor-Burton specifications and history; Vogue and Natural Diamonds for Victoria Beckham; Natural Diamonds for Anna Kournikova; Town & Country for Paris Hilton; Us Weekly and specialist jewellery sources for Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Katherine Heigl and Avril Lavigne; ELLE for Meghan Markle’s current pear-shaped ring.
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