- Meghan Markle appears to have made a design change to her engagement ring.
- It looks like the duchess swapped out her solid yellow gold band for a sparkly micro-pavé design.
- The team of gemologists at the diamond-centric search engine Rare Carat told INSIDER that a similar setting would cost around $5,000.
- Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.
In November 2017, Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle with a diamond engagement ring featuring three diamonds set on a solid yellow gold band. Now, it appears that Markle has had the ring redesigned with a trendy new band.
As noted by Town and Country, Markle seems to have swapped out the solid yellow gold band for a thin micro-pavé design. Markle first wore the design during her press photo-call with newborn baby Archie Harrison in May.
She also wore the ring during an appearance at Trooping the Colour on June 8, where she debuted the new eternity ring that People confirmed was an anniversary gift from Harry. Her wedding band made of Welsh gold per royal tradition completes the three-ring set.
A micro-pavé band is made with tiny diamonds for maximum sparkly effect. The thin design of the band also makes the central stones seem larger by comparison, as the Daily Mail pointed out.
Gemologists from Rare Carat, a search engine that helps educate consumers about diamonds, along with the company's founder and CEO, Ajay Anand, told INSIDER that a similar setting would cost $5,000.
The team also noted that the prongs appear to be more subtle, and that there may have been some additional filigree under the basket. According to Brilliant Earth, an ethically-sourced jewelry company, "a basket setting features prongs that secure the gemstone in a basket shape."
The gemologists at Rare Carat also think Markle could spark a new trend in wedding ring designs.
"This was not a trend that we had noted prior," Anand told us. "But, if the trends we see towards cushion cuts and three-stone rings indicate Meghan Markle's sway over engagement ring choices, we expect dainty micro-pavé bands to surge in popularity as well."
The original three diamonds are still present in the ring's design. The center cushion cut diamond was chosen by Harry from a conflict-free supplier in Botswana, while the two round diamond stones on either side are from Princess Diana's personal collection.
Representatives for Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.
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