“You can’t put a price on love,” the clever marketers they say, and when it comes to the women of the Trump family, it’s pretty safe to say none of them are sporting budget engagement rings. However, according to a diamond expert who spoke exclusively with Nicki Swift, some of the ladies’ sparklers were a little less expenny than others.
The Diamond Pro CEO Mike Fried starts by emphasizing that all the rings are gorgeous in their own way. However, he adds that from the pictures he’s seen, Ivanka Trump’s engagement ring seems to have a smaller stone than those sported by her stepmother, sister, and sister-in-law. As such, he tells us, “It’s likely the least expensive.” Fried estimates that Donald Trump’s eldest daughter’s cushion-cut ring is around 5.5 carats and a natural diamond, and may have set Jared Kushner back around $150,000, though he cautions that without seeing the bauble IRL, it’s tricky to know exact numbers.
As for Tiffany and Lara Trump, Fried believes they are tied for second place in the price stakes. “Lara’s diamond looks to be 7 carats, likely valued at around $200,000, while Tiffany’s diamond appears similar in size and price point,” he says. Based on one picture of Lara and Tiffany at the latter’s lavish baby shower, that certainly tracks: The bands are so similar they could almost pass for friendship rings. That said, it’s a little tough to compare their rings with Ivanka’s: Though hers appeared a touch smaller than Tiffany’s on the younger sister’s wedding day, Ivanka seems to regularly skip wearing hers (or other jewelry in general, for that matter) in family pics. Perhaps Kushner kept his missus’s preference for keeping things simple in mind when purchasing her ring and figured they could splurge their massive net worth on other expensive things instead.
Melania Trump’s ring outshines them all
Okay, so if there’s any conversation about who has the cheapest engagement ring, Melania Trump likely wants no part in it. After all, she’s had two engagement rings over the years (and neither of them is even close to being on the cost-effective end of the spectrum).
Speaking of the second ring Melania was given by Donald Trump, Mike Fried tells us that compared to those worn by her stepdaughters and stepdaughter-in-law, hers is “the clear showstopper.” Fried goes on to describe the sparkler as “a colossal emerald-cut diamond,” which he estimates to have set the president back approximately $1.5 million. “Its sheer size and clarity command attention from across a room,” Fried says. As an aside, it’s worth noting that Donald didn’t exactly try to balance things out with a smaller wedding band for his third wife. On the contrary, Melania’s wedding ring is massive, too — though as many will know, it’s caused some controversy in the past, with some pointing out that she’s rarely seen wearing it.
Ultimately, while Melania’s ring is undoubtedly the most expensive amongst the Trump women, Fried points out that a bigger ring doesn’t always equate to a better quality one. “Some big diamonds have lower clarity or color grades,” he explains. That said, he adds that for those who do prefer the idea of a massive sparkler but don’t have a Trump budget, lab-grown diamonds are a good alternative, noting, “Lab-grown diamonds have the same physical, chemical, and visual properties as natural diamonds, and the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye.”
