Memorable Celebrity Engagement Rings

For centuries, a beautiful and expensive engagement ring has symbolized the pledge of eternal love between a groom and his bride-to-be. In times gone by, the most exquisite and remarkable rings were reserved for royalty. But today, it is celebrities who have taken the lead and started the trends for outrageous engagement rings.

Since the celebrities set the trends for hairstyles, clothes, and cars, it makes sense that they set the trends for engagement rings too. Regular working folks like you and me could never afford rings like these. We can work and collect our salaries for an entire lifetime and still not come close. But that doesn't stop us from wishing and dreaming, and often imitating, these spectacular betrothal rings.

Here is a list of ten of the most mind-boggling celebrity engagement rings of the last hundred years, presented by Kualani Kapuna of One Great Earth:

Jennifer Lopez received a six carat radiant-shaped pink diamond ring from Ben Affleck, reportedly a $3 million token of his affection

Paris Hilton celebrated her short-lived engagement with a 24 carat diamond ring with an emerald cut

After Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio eloped, he surprised her with a platinum eternity band dotted with 36 small baguette diamonds

Lady Diana Spencer sported an 18-carat deep blue oval Sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds, courtesy of Prince Charles

Melanie Knauss was presented with a Trump-sized 12-carat emerald cut ring a that set Donald Trump back at least a full million dollars

Elizabeth Taylor added to her collection a 30-carat emerald cut diamond ring from her husband number three, Michael Todd

Another Elizabeth, Queen of England, wore a classic three-carat diamond ring made of platinum set with five smaller stones

Catherine Zeta Jones was adorned with a 10-carat antique horizontals set Marquise diamond presented by Michael Douglas

Madonna chose a bezel setting for her five-carat three stone design

Reese Witherspoon received a 4.5 carat Asscher cut engagement ring set in an exquisite 1920s Art Deco style