Wallis’ Emerald Engagement Ring: A Royal Jewel with a Scandalous Legacy
Few engagement rings in history carry the same weight of romance, controversy, and luxury as the one given to Wallis Simpson by King Edward VIII.
Their love story, which led to the first voluntary abdication of the British throne, was one of passion, defiance, and, at times, obsession. To symbolize this extraordinary devotion, Edward turned to his favorite jeweler, Jacques Cartier, to create a ring befitting the woman he had chosen over the crown. What resulted was a 19.77-carat emerald masterpiece, a gemstone with a mysterious past and a design that evolved over time.
A Gemstone Fit for a Queen (That Never Was)
When Edward became king in January 1936, Wallis Simpson assumed that their relationship would soon come to an end. She was a twice-divorced American woman, and under royal and church law, she was deemed unsuitable as a queen consort. But Edward had no intentions of letting her go—in fact, his love only deepened into obsession.
Believing she would one day sit beside him on the throne, he commissioned an engagement ring from Cartier, selecting a rare and exquisite emerald to mark their future together. However, by December 1936, Edward had abdicated, choosing love over duty, and with that, the ring became a symbol of one of history’s most scandalous royal romances.
The Emerald with a Royal Past
The emerald used for Wallis’s ring was no ordinary gemstone—it had a history as intriguing as the couple itself.
According to Cartier, the emerald originated in Baghdad and was said to have once belonged to a Grand Mogul. In the 1930s, Jacques Cartier sent a salesman on a secretive mission to acquire rare gemstones from the region. When the salesman returned, he carried only a single pouch—but inside was an emerald the size of a bird’s egg.
Due to the challenge of finding a buyer who could afford such an extravagant gemstone during the Great Depression, Cartier decided to cut the emerald in two. One half was sold to an American millionaire, while the other—measuring 19.77 carats—was reserved for Wallis’s engagement ring.
The Original 1936 Cartier Design
The original design of Wallis Simpson’s emerald engagement ring was a classic Art Deco style, reflective of the 1930s era.
Set in platinum, the ring featured a rectangular-cut emerald flanked by baguette-cut diamonds on either side.
The clean, geometric lines were typical of Art Deco jewelry, exuding understated elegance.
Before their 1937 wedding, Edward had the ring engraved with the words “We are ours now 27.X.36”, marking October 27, 1936—just weeks before his historic abdication.
This inscription made it clear: despite the political turmoil and royal disapproval, Wallis and Edward belonged to each other.
© Carter - Digitally Enhanced Original Design Sketch
A Ring Fit for a Duchess: 1958 Redesign by Cartier
While the original ring was already a masterpiece, Wallis’s personal taste and evolving style led her to update its design more than 20 years later.
In 1958, she took the ring back to Cartier to have it remounted.
The baguette diamonds were replaced with round diamonds, giving the ring a more contemporary and opulent feel.
The setting was changed from platinum to yellow gold, a metal known to enhance the rich green hue of emeralds.
This transformation reflected Wallis’s love for bold, statement jewelry, ensuring that her engagement ring remained as striking and modern as she was.
The Unique Choice of an Emerald Engagement Ring
Emeralds are not typically used for engagement rings because they are a softer gemstone than diamonds, making them more prone to scratches and wear. However, Wallis was never one to follow convention.
Choosing an emerald over a diamond was symbolic in multiple ways:
Emeralds symbolize love, hope, and renewal—fitting for a couple that had to start over after Edward’s abdication.
Their rarity and deep green hue reflected Wallis’s extravagant and unconventional personality.
Edward’s decision to select such an unusual and historic gemstone further reinforced that Wallis was unlike any other royal bride.
A Jewel That Outlived a Royal Scandal
Wallis wore her emerald engagement ring for decades, often stacking additional diamond bands around it to create a more dramatic effect. It remained one of the most recognizable pieces in her legendary jewelry collection, a daily reminder of the love and sacrifice that defined her life.
Following her death in 1986, her jewelry was auctioned by Sotheby’s in 1987, with all proceeds going to the Pasteur Institute in France. Given its extraordinary history and connection to the most controversial royal romance of the 20th century, the ring fetched a record-breaking price, solidifying its place in jewelry history. Wallis Simpson’s emerald engagement ring was more than a piece of jewelry—it was a symbol of devotion, scandal, and sacrifice. It represented a king who gave up his throne, a woman who never quite fit the mold of royal expectations, and a love story that, despite controversy, endured for a lifetime.
Though Wallis never wore a crown, her emerald ring became her true royal emblem—a testament to a relationship that defied the rules of monarchy but remains one of the most fascinating romances in history.
