Sapphire Ring Seals Royal Engagement

RAPAPORT... The UK's Princess Eugenie is sporting a rare sapphire and diamond engagementring after a proposal from her boyfriend of seven years, Jack Brooksbank. Eugenie's fianc?(C) bought the ring, featuring apink-orange padparadscha sapphire stone, from a jeweler, he said. Brooksbank proposedwithout the ring; he and Eugenie later added the surrounding diamonds to create the final piece. He chose the sapphire because it "changes color fromevery different angle you look at it," which, he said, reminded him of Eugenie. Padparadscha stones, the rarest of all sapphires, generally originate in Sri Lanka. The ring is similar in style to the engagementring that her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, received from Eugenie's father, Prince Andrew. That piece comprised a red ruby surrounded by diamonds. Brooksbank proposed to Eugenie - whom he met while both wereskiing in the Swiss resort of Verbier - on the side of a volcano inNicaragua, as the sun was setting. Eugenie, a director at the Hauser & Wirth art gallery inLondon, and Brooksbank, the UK brand ambassador of Casamigos Tequila, will wedin autumn 2018 at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Image: The Duke of York/Twitter