Melania Trump loves a bit of bling. Before her role as first lady to former President Donald Trump, Melania had her own jewellery line sold on QVC shopping channel in 2010. Although the collection is now defunct, she went on to enjoy more sparkle in her life, and was gifted numerous jewellery pieces from foreign leaders during her time as first lady of the United States. But she could only relish the pieces for a limited time since, under federal law, the items had to be handed over to national archives after leaving office.
But the former model continues to keep a keen eye on some of the most dazzling pieces. So, what does Melania hold in her current jewellery collection?
1. Her first engagement ring
When Melania got engaged to businessman Donald in 2004, he gave her a 15-carat diamond ring worth US$1.5 million. At the time, an anonymous Trump staffer said the ring was so “blinding” they “had to put sunglasses on” after laying eyes on it.
Trump made headlines by sharing that he got a 50 per cent discount on the ring at the time, but the brand later stated that they do not sell items for publicity value, per British media.
It was reported in 2020 that the D Flawless ring from Graff was indeed valued at around US$3 million.
2. The 10-year anniversary gift
Melania was gifted with an upgrade of the ring a decade after she and Donald tied the knot in 2005. This time she received a 25-carat diamond ring from the same brand, Graff, and she went on to wear it in her official White House portrait two years later.
But the former first lady faced backlash for parading the sparkler to the American public by strategically positioning the rock toward the camera lens. Her appearance drew comparisons to former First Lady Michelle Obama’s contrastingly modest portrait. People also pointed out that the US$3 million ring could have paid for some of the proposed programmes outlined in Donald’s presidential campaign.
Melania doesn’t wear the hefty diamond every day, but she did wear it at the Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award in Washington, in March 2017, and at the 139th Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House the following month.
3. Her emerald-cut wedding band
The couple also chose Graff for Melania’s wedding band when they wed in 2005, a year before their son Barron was born. The 13-carat ring that went on her finger after they exchanged vows in front of a star-studded guest list contains 15 emerald-cut diamonds.
However, her second engagement ring is so large that she doesn’t wear the two on the same finger, so she sometimes switches her wedding band over to her ring finger on her right side.
4. The eternity ring
Melania has another diamond band that looks similar to her wedding ring. She was seen wearing the jewellery piece – that features slightly smaller diamonds – during a White House event in July 2020. She paired the two together for her appearance at the Republican National Convention in Maryland in August 2020.
The eternity ring with oval-cut diamonds was stacked with another stand-out band when Melania and Donald Trump attended a College Football Playoff National Championship game in New Orleans, in January 2020.
5. Diamond stud earrings for special occasions
The Ralph Lauren Jackie Kennedy-style blue coat Melania wore to the January 2017 inauguration has become iconic. But the Van Cleef & Arpels diamond earrings she paired with it were also attention-grabbing. She also wore the princess-cut stones to the Freedom Ball that night where they gained even more exposure as she rocked a gown by designer Hervé Pierre.
The studs are clearly very special to Melania as she rarely wears earrings. She rocked the glittering studs again in June 2019, this time during a state visit to the UK when she met Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles at a Clarence House reception. While she’d worn her hair in an up-do to really show off the diamonds two years prior, her earrings still stood out with her tresses flowing down in London.
Note: This story was originally published on SCMP and has been republished on this website.
