Pleased with your sparkler, Carrie?
PM’s pregnant fiancee gives f irst glimpse of stunning antique diamond and emerald ring
BEAMING Carrie Symonds debuted her emerald engagement ring yesterday as she and fiance Boris Johnson cheered on England’s rugby team at Twickenham.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the Prime Minister opted for a vintage ring, in keeping with Ms Symonds’s passion for sustainable living.
And judging by our pictures, the mother-to-be is delighted with his choice of a rectangular gemstone, surrounded with diamonds in the shape of petals.
Ilias Skoufis, of the Mayfair jeweller Bentley & Skinner, said of the emerald – possibly originally mined in Colombia: ‘From what I can see it’s a significant stone.’
It was the first time 31-year-old Ms Symonds had given a proper flash of her impressive sparkler since the couple became engaged at the end of last year.
Mr Johnson, 55, is thought to have popped the question during their Christmas holiday to the Caribbean island of Mustique.
Her baby bump was also on show
Carrie flashes her emerald at Twickenham yesterday. Left: Beaming with Boris during the match. Right: Her baby bump on show on Thursday as England achieved a 33-30 victory over Wales, a week after she announced she was expecting her first child in the summer.
Ms Symonds wore a £119 wool blend coat from Marks & Spencer as she watched the match from a VIP box.
The bump was also evident in pictures of Ms Symonds released after her appearance with the Prime Minister at an International Women’s Day event at Downing Street on Thursday, when she wore a £160 maxi dress from high street chain Anthropologie.
The PM’s choice of a vintage gem highlights a growing trend for couples who support sustainable living to opt for second-hand rings in an attempt to lower carbon foot prints–one of Ms Symonds’s passions. The gemstone industry has been criticised for damaging the environment through deforestation and soil erosion, resulting in the relocation of local people, vanishing wildlife and desolate landscapes.
Halle Berry, Victoria Beckham and Jackie Kennedy all wore emeralds – said to symbolise love, fertility and new beginnings – after marriage proposals.