The €1m rock of love
NBA star’s ring for Caroline Wozniacki makes her golfer ex, Rory McIlroy, look cheap
The couple browsed for rings in New York
TENNIS star Caroline Wozniacki announced her engagement to basketball star David Lee this weekend – and it seems that she has traded up in more ways than one.
Ms Wozniacki was previously engaged to golfer Rory McIlroy, who broke up with her in 2014, months before their wedding.
The engagement ring McIlroy gave her was valued at around €150,000.
But an expert told the Irish Mail on Sunday yesterday that her new ring from NBA star Lee would have cost more than €1m.
The estimate came from Séamus Fahy, owner of Dublin city jeweller Voltaire Diamonds.
He said: ‘The diamond has been reported as being 8.8 carats and is a D-colour flawless diamond. They are very rare. The stone would cost over €1m.
‘It is an opal-cut diamond with scallop-set shoulders. It is very similar to actress Blake Lively’s,’ he said.
An 8.8 carat diamond is highly sought after by wealthy Chinese buyers because they consider the number eight to be extremely lucky.
Ms Wozniacki’s nails were perfectly manicured for her engagement moment. She was reportedly shopping with Lee last month for her perfect rock.
The couple browsed rings from New York-based Hamras Diamonds ahead of last month’s Women’s Tennis Association Finals in Singapore, where she defeated Venus Williams to claim the biggest title of her career. The win was also worth more than $7m to her.
‘She came into the office with David and then she went on tour in Singapore,’ owner Joey Hamra told gossip website Page Six.
Mr Hamra finalised the ring’s style and shape with Lee, 34, while Ms Wozniacki, 27, was away.
At the time of Ms Wozniacki’s engagement to McIlroy, Mr Fahy said of the ring: ‘A ring like that would cost in excess of €150,000– and I’d say €150,000 plus depending on the colour and the clarity, which I’m not going to know from looking at the picture.’
Mr Fahy said McIlroy picked five carats, which was popular at the time. ‘It’s very beautiful, it’s very popular at the moment – it’s a halo style.’
McIlroy called off the engagement, saying he was not ready for the ‘all that marriage entails.’
He married American Erica Stoll this summer.