Inside Jackie Kennedy's Three Engagement Rings: Untold Stories of the Love, Loss and Luxury Behind Her Iconic Jewelry
There's no shortage of iconic Jackie Kennedy images — the pink Chanel suit, the oversized sunglasses the pillbox hat — but her engagement rings may be the most quietly revealing part of her legacy. May 19 marks the anniversary of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis's passing, a moment that often has people looking back at the big romances of her life — John Husted, John F. Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis — and the engagement rings they chose to pop the question.
Each of Jackie Kennedy's engagement rings reflect not just the men she married, but the shifts in her life and status. From a modest engagement ring to a historic emerald-and-diamond pairing to one of the largest diamonds ever sold at auction, Jackie Kennedy Onassis's engagement rings offer a more private lens into her public story.
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Jackie was 21 years old for her first engagement, which came after just a month of courtship from Wall Street broker John G. W. Husted Jr. While there are few details about the ring itself, some outlets report it was a modest solitaire engagement ring, while Vanity Fair's Edward Klein noted that it was a 'big sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring' that John F. Kennedy noticed when she was working at the 'Washington Times-Herald' as the newspaper's Inquiring Photographer.
In an excerpt of Klein's 1996 book, 'Young Love,' he outlined an encounter between the two future spouses when JFK noticed her ring: 'Then Jack pointed to the big sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring on Jackie's left hand. 'So,' he asked, 'who's the lucky fella?' Jackie took out another 'Inquiring Photographer' column and pointed to a picture of one of the people she had interviewed. His name was John Husted. 'I've found the man of my dreams.'' The engagement fizzled almost as quickly as the courtship itself after three months. Jackie deemed him 'immature and boring' and reportedly slipped the ring back into his jacket pocket to break things off.
Her next engagement — and marriage — would place her at the center of American political life. In June 1953, then-Senator John F. Kennedy proposed with a Van Cleef & Arpels toi et moi ring featuring a 2.84-carat emerald and a 2.88-carat diamond, set side by side on a platinum band and flanked by baguettes. According to several reports, the ring was actually chosen by Joseph Kennedy, not JFK himself.
Over time, Jackie had the ring updated. During her years in the White House, she worked with Van Cleef to replace the baguettes with marquise and round-cut diamonds arranged in a laurel wreath pattern — a move that subtly modernized the piece while preserving its symbolic layout. The ring is now preserved at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.
Jackie's third and final engagement came in 1968, five years after JFK's assassination. Aristotle Onassis proposed with the Lesotho III, a 40.42-carat marquise-cut diamond cut by Harry Winston from the 601-carat Lesotho rough. It was one of the largest gem-quality diamonds in the world at the time. Jackie rarely wore the ring publicly. It was kept in a bank vault for most of their marriage, though she was occasionally photographed wearing it. The ring was later sold at Sotheby's in 1996 for $2.58 million.
While Jackie Kennedy Onassis never spoke publicly about any of her engagement rings, their lasting influence is evident. The toi et moi silhouette remains a favorite in modern bridal jewelry, with designers frequently referencing her 1953 ring. Interest in marquise-cut diamonds — long considered a dated shape — has seen a quiet resurgence, particularly among collectors and vintage enthusiasts. And Van Cleef & Arpels designs from the 1950s and '60s with Kennedy-era provenance remain highly prized.
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