After the couple's engagement news bombshell dropped on Friday, details are trickling in about the painstaking process that went into creating Jolie's custom sparkler.
The ring was designed by Beverly Hills jeweler Robert Procop -- who first spilled news of the couple's engagement to The Hollywood Reporter by revealing that the impressive sparkler Jolie wore to a recent event at LACMA was, indeed, an engagement ring. Procop and Jolie's relationship goes back to 2010, when the duo collaborated on a "Style of Jolie" line, with proceeds benefiting the actress' charities.
In this case, according to Procop's release, Pitt had a heavy hand in the design, from choosing the distinct faceted style of the main diamond, to the graduating smaller diamonds surrounding the ring -- all designed specifically to fit Jolie's slim fingers. From concept to execution, the ring reportedly took a full year to create. No news yet on Pitt's actual proposal, but we'd bet that such a special ring earned itself an equally special moment to be unveiled.
The ring itself is quite distinctive: While pavé bands -- which extend the sparkling effect around the band, in lieu of a gleaming platinum band -- have become more and more popular, custom-cut diamonds surrounding an engagement ring is certainly a unique (and likely expensive) look. The flatter, tablet-style cut of the diamond itself is also a different look than some of the Emerald and and Marquise-cut diamonds, as well as rounder Asher cuts, that have proven popular of late. In addition, engagement ring trends have been veering towards vintage looks (take, for example, the vintage feel of the ring Justin Timberlake recently gave Jessica Biel). The ring Pitt helped create for Jolie bucks that trend with a decidedly more modern look.
Considering the run on sapphire rings that followed in the wake of last year's royal engagement, it's fair to assume that we'll be seeing a flurry of rings imitating Jolie's new sparkler in the coming months.
