The world has spun into a frenzy with the news of the Kate Middleton and Prince William engagement.  Causing even further stir, the Prince of Wales proposed to his on-again/off-again girlfriend of eight years with the same engagement ring worn by his late mother Princess Diana. 

Prince William told the public that giving Kate the 18-carat white gold blue sapphire and diamond engagement ring enhanced with 14 diamonds was to ensure that his late mother would be part of the ceremony and that her memory would be kept alive. 

"It is very special to me. It was my way to make sure my mother did not miss out on today and the excitement that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together," he told the press at St. James' Palace.

There's much meaning behind this very special 12-carat oval Ceylon blue sapphire.  Lady Diana Spencer chose the ring after getting engaged to Princess Charles in February 1981.  She went against tradition because she picked the ring out of a Garrard catalogue rather than getting a ring passed down from the Queen's family as the Queen herself and other other royal members have in the past.  The Queen's own engagement ring had beenr remodeled from a diamond ring given worn by Prince Phillip's mother Princess Andrew of Greece. 

Back then the ring cost £28,000.  It was not made especially for Diana and was open for the public to buy. Now the ring is worth upwards of £250,000 following Diana's 1997 car crash which took her life.

Prince Harry and Prince William were allowed to go through Diana's possessions at Kensington Palace when she died and it was Harry who took the blue sapphire engagement ring while Prince William took a yellow good Cartier Tank Francaise watch.  Prince Harry was more than thrilled to give the ring back to Prince William when he decided to get engaged.

"Our website crashed, phones are ringing like crazy," said Michael Arnstein, CEO of the Natural Sapphire Co.

Also popular among engagement ring sets are diamonds flaunted by sapphire sidestones on a channel, common prong, or pave set wedding band.

It's obviously a highly emotional, but well-thought out choice, much like Prince William's engagement to Kate.  Princess Diana would be proud of her boy today.

For more on the Prince William engagement, read up:

Part I: Prince William Engagement To Kate Middleton

Part 2: Prince William Engagement Location And Other Wedding Details

Part 3: More Prince William Engagement And Wedding Details

Read about other celebrity engagement rings. 

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