Swift and Kelce announced their engagement on Aug. 26 on Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement on Aug. 26
- Kelce popped the question with a ring he designed with Kindred Lubeck
- Jewelry experts are weighing in on an estimated ring cost, with one saying it could be worth up to $5 million
It’s a love story, and Taylor Swift said “yes”!
Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement on Instagram on Aug. 26 with a flower-laden photo shoot and a massive engagement ring that already has Swifties drooling.
Kelce, 35, popped the question with a ring he designed with Kindred Lubeck at Artifex Fine Jewelry. He opted for an Old Mine Brilliant Cut diamond ring on a gold band, which Swift, 35, showed off in the engagement announcement photos. While posing for the loved-up pictures with her now-fiancé, Swift held up her ring for a close-up shot of the sparkler.
While Kelce and Lubeck haven’t provided a ton of details on the ring as of yet, plenty of jewelry experts are already dishing on what they believe some of the key points to be for Swift’s new accessory. They also shared what they believe to be the price tag for a piece like this — and it’s a pretty wide range!
Hannah Florman, a fine jeweler who specializes in bespoke, high-end engagement rings, said in a press release that she believes the ring’s diamond could be around 8 carats with quite a large price tag because of the old mine stone, which makes it antique.
“High-color antiques are extremely rare,” she said. “Because of the technology available at the time, stones were often cut in a way that resulted in a lower color grade than what you see here, so I imagine sourcing this quality and size of stone led to an inflated cost.”
She added that the shape is more of a “pillow” than a modern “oval,” again because of the antique setting and stone.
Ann Grimmett, VP of merchandising at Jared Jewelers agreed with the assessment on the size of the diamond, saying in a press release that she thinks it could be anywhere from 7 to 9 carats.
“The center stone appears to be a bezel set 7 to 9 ct elongated old mine cushion cut, set in 18k yellow gold. The side stones look to be a half-moon plus a small round, which contribute to its more vintage look,” she said, adding that her estimated price tag for the piece is in the neighborhood of $250K-$500K.
Neil Dutta, Managing Director of jeweler Angelic Diamonds, shared, “This antique-inspired style is very on trend right now, and the choice of yellow gold gives the ring a warm, romantic feel that suits her perfectly.”
He added that the “vintage” feel of the ring also suits her and is not a typical choice for celebrities. His final choice for a price tag? $1.3 to $1.5 million.
One of the most interesting aspects of Swift’s antique diamond is that it means it’s one of a kind, because of the way these diamonds were mined. No two are ever the same, Marrow Fine founder Jillian Sassone shared in a statement. Sassone added that the ring is “effortless, classic” and very Swift.
But the biggest price estimate of all comes from celebrity jewelry George Khalife, aka George the Jeweler. He believes the diamond could be closer to 20 carats and cost anywhere from $3.5 to $5 million.
“The ring seems to come with some serious history! Old Mine diamonds are rare and hard to come by,” he shared. “It means the diamond is naturally occurring, and hand-cut, using techniques that we rarely see anymore! The whole look feels really antique, which I think suits Taylor perfectly.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Kelce and Swift’s love story began in July 2023 when he attended Swift’s Eras Tour at Arrowhead Stadium, where he plays football for the Kansas City Chiefs. A few weeks after attending the concert, Kelce revealed that he actually tried — and failed — to meet Swift.
He also admitted to being “a little butthurt” that he wasn’t able to execute his plan to deliver a personalized bracelet with his number to Swift. “I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made for her,” he said on his New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce podcast.
A few months later, Swift and Kelce sparked dating rumors when she made a surprise appearance at his Chiefs game in September 2023, watching from the tight end’s suite alongside his mother Donna. She was seen cheering as Kelce scored a touchdown, and the two walked out together after the game.
Earlier this month, Swift made her New Heights podcast debut, which Guinness World Records revealed broke a new world record for “the most concurrent views for a podcast on YouTube” on Aug. 13 with a total of 1.3 million.
Swift not only announced her upcoming 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, but she also opened up about her relationship with Kelce, including hinting that they live together.
“I knew that he wasn’t crazy the first couple of times that we talked. I was just like, he’s truly getting to know me in a way that’s very natural, very pure, very normal,” the “Style” singer said, adding that Kelce could make her “laugh so immediately, about normal things.”
The pop star went on to describe the football player as a “vibe booster in everyone’s life that he’s in.”
