That ring … it could be 10 carets (engagement rings are usually one)

Lisa Levinson, head of UK at the Natural Diamond Council, estimates that Taylor Swift’s engagement ring could be 10 carats. The most popular diamond weight for engagement rings is one carat.

According to Marie Claire magazine, what also makes this stone special is the cut. Levinson believes the diamond is an elongated cushion antique cut, a flattering shape that combines the soft curves of a standard, pillowy cushion cut with a length that is closer to that of an oval diamond.

The antique element of the cut doesn’t just allude to the old-world aesthetic that this diamond most definitely softly emits, writes Rachael Taylor. It means that this stone was likely first cut more than 100 years ago - a time when diamonds were cut by hand, with “perfectly imperfect facets that make each one an individual work of art”. Antique diamonds also have a softer sparkle than modern round brilliants, as they were cut to glitter under candlelight.

“The choice of an antique diamond reflects an interest in story and provenance,” says Levinson. “This diamond could have had many lives and experiences before it was chosen to be their engagement ring.

“Many old-cut diamonds have been re-fashioned, which means their rarity increases by the year. The size of the diamond already makes it exceedingly rare, for diamonds that are larger than five carats, we recover less than the volume of a basketball each year, globally.”