Wealthy Chinese and Russian couples snap up replicas of Princess Diana’s sapphire and diamond engagement ring

Prince William gave the famous engagement ring to Duchess of Cambridge
Orders for the ring have soared, according to Royal family’s favourite jeweller
Jeweller will make similar versions, the smallest of which costs £5,000

Published: 15:55 GMT, 15 January 2017 | Updated: 01:09 GMT, 16 January 2017

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Wealthy Chinese and Russian couples are behind a surge in demand for replicas of Princess Diana’s iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring.

Orders for the famous ring, which Prince William gave to Kate Middleton, have soared, according to the Royal family’s favourite jeweller.

Garrard, which made the original piece ordered by Prince Charles, said there had been ‘a significant uplift in sales’ in recent months.

Wealthy Chinese and Russian couples are behind a surge in demand for replicas of Princess Diana’s iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring

Garrard, which made the original piece ordered by Prince Charles, said there had been ‘a significant uplift in sales’ in recent months

Chief executive Joanne Milner said: ‘The Diana ring is our most popular piece of jewellery.

‘In one week alone in December, we had three orders for them and had to work flat out to make them in time for Christmas.’

The surge in popularity has been put down to the spending power of the growing Russian and Chinese middle classes.

The 14-diamond and 12-carat sapphire ring was reportedly worth £28,000 when the Prince of Wales picked it out in 1981.

Prince William gave Kate Middleton the famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring

In today’s money it would cost around £108,000,

The jewellers behind the classic ring will not make an exact replica, but rather similar versions – the smallest of which costs £5,000.

The jeweller’s chief executive added: ‘We would never make an exact replica because we treat that ring like a bespoke piece and every bespoke piece is strictly a one-off.’

Yet Diana’s ring was not strictly bespoke as Charles chose it from the Garrard’ s catalogue - possibly because it reminded him of a sapphire and diamond brooch bought from the jeweller’s by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria.