In a 13-second video shared with the fans of her On the JLo newsletter, a teary-eyed Jennifer Lopez gazes down at her brand new 8.5-carat natural green diamond engagement ring from Ben Affleck and whispers, “You’re perfect.”
Affleck, 49, picked a green diamond because the color holds such a special place in Lopez’s heart.
“I always say the color green is my lucky color,” the 52-year-old Lopez affirmed in an earlier newsletter item. “Maybe you can remember a certain green dress (Versace, 2000 Grammys). I’ve realized there are many moments in my life where amazing things happened when I was wearing green. It may be a coincidence, maybe not. But as I took a better look, I realized there are no coincidences.”
Designed by Ilan Portugali, Tamara Rahaminov and Nicol Goldfiner of Rahaminov Diamonds, the extraordinarily rare cushion modified brilliant-cut green diamond is flanked by two colorless trapezoid diamonds on a platinum band.
Jewelry-industry experts believe the ring has a retail value between $5 million and $10 million.
The A-listers rekindled their romance in early 2021 and got engaged over the weekend, nearly 20 years after the singer/actress accepted Affleck’s first proposal in November of 2002. At that time, the actor and filmmaker presented Lopez with a 6.1-carat pink diamond from Harry Winston. Lopez returned the ring when the couple broke up in 2004.
A fancy green diamond weighing 8.5 carats is rarer than rare, more suited to a protected case in a museum than a mortal’s ring finger. Barely a handful of green diamonds are introduced to the market each year and the finest-quality gems can fetch upwards of $3 million per carat.
When it comes to fancy-colored diamonds, the two rarest colors are red and green. Green diamonds can range from light mint green to vivid grass green. The value increases with the intensity of the color. Green diamonds owe their color to the natural radiation present during their formation inside the earth.
Back in May of 2016, a 5.03-carat fancy vivid green diamond called “Aurora Green” sold for $16.82 million at Christie’s Hong Kong. It remains the most expensive green diamond ever sold at auction. Christie’s noted at the time that while “fancy intense” green diamonds come to auction frequently, “fancy vivid” green diamonds are almost unheard of.
Credits: Screen captures via onthejlo.com. Product shot by Rahaminov Diamonds. Aurora Green image courtesy of Christie’s.
