Proposal scenes in movies and TV have been setting unrealistic jewelry expectations for people everywhere for many decades now. But, which rings really raised the bar? Which gems brought us to our knees saying, “Yes, yes, a million times yes!”
Whether you're a fan of the black diamond seen on Carrie's finger (above) or a fan of rings that are more traditional, there's a little something on this list for everyone. These are my choices for the most iconic wedding and engagement rings in movies and TV—based not only on the size of the gems, but also on the sentiments behind them. (But also, you know, on the size, too.)
Daisy Buchanan’s Engagement Ring (The Great Gatsby)
The ring that She Said star Carey Mulligan wore in The Great Gatsby is reportedly a Tiffany ring worth over $3 million. That means the ring probably took up a greater portion of the budget than some of the actors on set.
Jokes aside, Daisy’s ring is, of course, an important literary device, too—we’re introduced to the enormous rock on her finger before we even see her face or learn anything about her. Check out how vital the first impression of the ring is in this iconic scene:
The face Nick makes is the exact same face I made when I saw the ring. It's definitely that thing where your eyes want to bug right out of the sockets, but you also know you're not supposed to be fazed by it, 100%.
Holly’s Engagement Ring (The Office)
While we don’t necessarily get that good of a look at Holly’s ring in this heartwarming moment on NBC's The Office, we get a great look at Pam’s reaction to the ring, which kind of says it all. You know what they say:
Two year’s salary.
Holly’s ring is dwarfed by many of the multi-carat rocks on this list, but Michael definitely spent a hefty portion of his savings on the purchase. In a sense, Holly’s ring is kind of the most expensive ring here—$3 million is a drop in the bucket to Jay Gatsby, but $100K is an insurmountainable amount of money when you’re Michael Scott.
However, the thing that makes this ring truly iconic is the fact that Michael’s engagement was one of the biggest moments of the show. Michael and Holly’s proposal scene was well worth the wait, too.
Bella’s Engagement Ring (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)
Bella’s “1920’s-inspired” ring kind of makes the list based on how iconically bad it is. This ring is pretty much universally hated, but in a way, doesn’t that make it kind of camp? (Kind of like the whole Twilight film series, actually.)
Basically, Bella’s ring is a huge silver setting with dozens of tiny diamonds encrusted across the face. I get that it’s supposed to be Edward’s mother’s, and he’s sentimental, but the ring pictured in the Twilight films looked so costume-y. Couldn’t his mother’s ring have been made into a brooch, and we could have gotten Bella a nice ruby (to symbolize blood) or even a topaz (to symbolize Edward’s eyes)?
Critiques aside, Bella’s engagement ring is one of the first that comes to mind when I think of rings from film and TV, which elevates it to icon status.
Aunt Eleanor’s Ring (Crazy Rich Asians)
Aunt Eleanor’s enormous emerald from the 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians would be iconic enough based on size alone, but it’s her matriarchal speech that really brings the ring to the next level.
Eleanor (Everything Everywhere All At Once leading lady Michelle Yeoh) explains to Rachel that the ring is symbolic of her commitment to her family. Aunt Eleanor becomes even more intimidating when we understand the symbolic importance of the ring and what it represents to her. There’s just something about an emerald cut gem that’s so timeless and elegant, much like Aunt Eleanor.
Monica’s Engagement Ring (Friends)
Monica’s engagement ring is special for a few reasons—for one, Monica’s long-awaited “happily ever after” had been a running joke on Friends since Season 1 of the sitcom.
Secondly, Chandler picked a unique ring with blue sapphires on either side of the central diamond, and we love to see unconventional ring choices. But I also love this ring because Phoebe helped to pick it out, and I think it’s cute when people ask their partner’s friends for advice picking out engagement jewelry.
Vivienne’s Engagement Ring (Legally Blonde)
We could have included Elle’s pink engagement ring from Legally Blonde 2, but let’s be honest: the real star of the jewelry game in the Legally Blonde cinematic universe is the “6-carat Harry Winston” worn by Vivienne Kensington (Dancing With the Stars Season 31 alum Selma Blair).
Vivienne wears the ring so smugly, too—she knows it kills Elle to see the ring on her finger, so she’s sure to put it on full display.
I love Vivienne as an anti-hero, but I also love the fact that this ring gets to be the symbol of Warner’s failures at the end of the film when Vivienne gives it back.
Melanie’s Tiffany Ring (Sweet Home Alabama)
Bear with me here. I know Melanie and Andrew’s proposal is NOT the romantic height of this movie. But, oh my god. He proposes in the middle of Tiffany’s and literally tells her to pick out the ring she wants.
And pick one out, she does: Melanie (Reese Witherspoon) chooses an absolutely gargantuan solitaire ring that literally has her friends and family’s jaws on the floor.
The ring ultimately becomes unimportant, since Melanie and Andrew don’t end up together—but damn. It was beautiful while it lasted.
BONUS: Carrie’s Shoe (Sex And The City: The Movie)
Big actually does propose to Carrie with a real (black) engagement ring in Sex and the City 2— but since we all pretend that movie never happened, let’s focus on the far superior proposal that happened in that beautiful closet.
In the truest Carrie Bradshaw fashion, the proposal comes in the form of a shoe (specifically a Manolo Blahnik). We know it’s not an engagement ring per se, but it DOES count as an iconic engagement item. Fair enough?
If this marriage-themed feature put you in the mood for romance, check out our list of the best romantic comedies of all time.
