Taylor Swift's Engagement Ring: The Old Mine Cut, Its Value and How to Get the Look
The cut, the maker and the published valuations, the wedding band and the VMAs rings, and a dealer's guide to old mine cut diamonds: how they differ from modern stones and how to find a real one.
Taylor Swift's engagement ring is an elongated old mine cut diamond set in hand-engraved 18ct yellow gold, made by Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine Jewelry.
- The carat weight has not been published; jewellers' estimates run from 5 to 15 carats.
- Named jewellers' valuations range from $125,000 to $1.2 million.
- An old mine cut is a hand-cut cushion-shaped diamond, the usual cut from the 1700s to the late 1800s.
- You can get the look with a genuine antique old-cut ring in yellow gold, at a small fraction of the price.
In this article
What is Taylor Swift's engagement ring?
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement on 26 August 2025. The ring is a large, elongated old mine cut diamond in yellow gold, made by the New York jeweller Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine Jewelry.
The ring at a glance
- Cut: old mine brilliant, in an elongated cushion shape.
- Maker: Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine Jewelry, who designed it with Travis Kelce.
- Metal: 18ct yellow gold, engraved by hand.
- Carat weight: not published. Jewellers' estimates run from 5 to 15 ct.
Nobody has said whether the diamond was cut in the 19th century or is a newer stone cut in the old style.
Sources: her publicist, via the Associated Press, August 2025; JCK, the jewellery trade magazine, August 2025; NBC News, October 2025.
What jewellers say it is worth
Because nobody outside the couple knows the weight, colour or clarity, every valuation is a guess from photographs. These are the published ones from named jewellers:
| Jeweller quoted | Published by | Carat estimate | Value estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Grimmett, Jared | JCK, August 2025 | 5 to 6 ct | $125,000 to $175,000 |
| Ronny Seliktar, Simone I. Smith | Fox Business, August 2025 | 8 to 15 ct | About $550,000 |
| Avi Bulow, jeweller | Scripps News, August 2025 | About 8 ct | $1 million to $1.2 million |
Why the estimates are so far apart
Estimating weight from a photo of a hand is hard. An old mine cut carries more of its weight in its tall crown and deep pavilion than a modern stone, so it can look smaller face up than it is.
Price also climbs much faster than weight: one 8 carat diamond is worth far more than eight 1 carat stones of the same quality. Colour and clarity, which no photograph settles, can move the figure by several times.
These are other jewellers' published estimates. We do not value jewellery we have not examined.
Latest, October 2026: the wedding band and the VMAs rings
A band made to sit flush
The couple married on 3 July 2026, as ELLE reported in September 2026.
The wedding band is yellow gold, set across the front with round diamonds and shaped to sit flush against the engagement ring, as Melanie Fitzpatrick of LeMel told TODAY in August 2026.
| Jeweller quoted by ELLE, September 2026 | Their estimate for the band |
|---|---|
| Annie Chen, Brilliant Earth | About 3 to 4 carats of diamonds, in very thin, low bezels |
| Lauren Boc, Hera Fine Jewelry | Around 2 to 3 carats in all |
| Olivia Landau, The Clear Cut | About 0.20 to 0.25 ct per diamond; $15,000 to $30,000 |
Two new rings at the VMAs
Headlines in September 2026 asked whether she had a new engagement ring. At the MTV VMAs later that month, InStyle reported (28 September 2026) that she wore the original old mine cut with her band, plus two new pieces: a 4.56 carat diamond ring by the Greek jeweller Etho Maria and a one-of-a-kind ring by Forever Diamonds NY called the Royale.
The Royale's manager, Yakov Mazler, told Page Six Style it holds six centre diamonds in pear, heart, lozenge, Ashoka, marquise and oval shapes: 9.57 carats, or 10.30 carats with its pavé bands.
What is an old mine cut diamond?
According to GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, the old mine cut dates from the 1700s and was the most common diamond cut until the late 19th century. It takes its name from Brazil: once diamonds were found in South Africa, the Brazilian mines became the old mines.
- Outline: a squarish cushion.
- Top: a high crown and a small table.
- Underneath: a deep pavilion and a large culet, the small flat facet at the bottom that shows as a dot when you look down through the stone.
Each was shaped by hand, so no two match. An elongated old mine, like the Swift diamond, is longer than it is wide; most surviving old mines are closer to square.
For more detail see our old mine cut diamond guide, the old mine cut and cushion cut glossary entries, and the old European cut guide for the round cut that followed it.
Old mine cut vs modern brilliant: what is different
| Old mine cut | Modern cushion or round brilliant | |
|---|---|---|
| Made | By hand, 1700s to the late 1800s | By machine and computer planning, today |
| Outline | Cushion, often slightly lopsided | Precise cushion or perfect circle |
| Crown and table | High crown, small table | Lower crown, larger table |
| Culet | Large, open, visible as a dot | Pointed or very small |
| Facets | Broad, a little uneven | Crisp, exactly matched; modified cushions add more |
| Light | Big, slow flashes of colour | Fine, even white sparkle |
Neither is better. The old cut was made for candlelight and to save weight from the rough; the modern brilliant is planned for brightness under electric light.
Why antique cuts are trending
- Fixed supply. No more genuine old mine cuts are being made. Brett Sandler of House of Milner told the Philadelphia Inquirer in September 2025 that only about half a dozen US wholesalers stock them.
- Younger buyers. The same article reported buyers in their late 20s to mid 30s leading demand for elongated old mine cushions.
- Yellow gold. The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study, reported by National Jeweler, found 39% of engagement rings were yellow gold.
- Searches. In the month to 2 October 2026, "old mine cut elongated cushion" was among the top US Google searches related to old mine cuts.
Our engagement ring trends for 2026 covers the wider picture, and why collectors pay for old-cut diamonds explains the market.
How to get the look with a genuine antique ring
You do not need eight carats. The look is four things: an antique-cut diamond with a cushion outline, warm yellow gold, a setting with some handwork in it, and a band that fits snugly against it.
The stone: an old mine cut
Look for an old mine cut, ideally slightly elongated. Old European cuts give the same soft light in a round shape and are easier to find. This antique cluster has an old mine cut centre of about 0.60 ct inside a ring of natural pearls.
The metal: warm yellow gold
18ct yellow gold suits the warm tones that many old diamonds have. Look for handwork in the mount too: the Swift ring is engraved by hand, as JCK reported.
The setting: claws or gypsy
Claws show more of the stone. A gypsy or rubover setting, with the gold swept around the stone, is lower and tougher for everyday wear.
And the band: a half eternity or plain band shaped to sit flush, like the pairing illustrated above. See our wedding bands stacking guide.
What it costs, in general terms
An antique ring is priced on the stone (weight, colour, clarity and the cut's appeal), the period and quality of the mount, and condition. Large elongated old mines are the scarcest and dearest. Examples from our own stock:
| Piece | Diamonds | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Antique 9ct yellow gold pearl cluster ring | Old mine cut centre, about 0.60 ct, G to H, SI1 | £2,985 |
| Victorian cluster ring, 18ct gold and silver | 26 old European cuts, about 2.25 ct; centre about 0.90 ct | £5,950 |
| Vintage solitaire, 18ct yellow gold | Round diamond, about 2.20 ct, K to L | £8,750 |
| Georgian ruby and diamond ring, about 1780s | Pear-shaped old cut and old and rose cuts, about 0.75 ct | £8,950 |
| Antique gypsy-set solitaire, 18ct gold | Old cushion cut of natural pink colour, about 0.30 ct | £29,500 |
Our asking prices on 2 October 2026. Weights, colours and clarities are careful estimates, not laboratory certified.
Setting a budget? See how much to spend on an engagement ring and antique vs modern engagement rings.
Looking for an old mine cut? Tell us your budget
How to tell a true antique cut from a modern copy
Demand has brought the old mine back into production. Cutters now make old-style cushions from natural rough and from laboratory-grown diamond, and a good one looks right at arm's length. Up close:
The stone itself
- Look at the facets. With a 10x loupe, hand-cut facets are broad and slightly uneven, and the culet is often a little off centre. A new stone is crisply symmetrical.
- Check the outline and girdle. Old stones are rarely perfectly even, and the girdle is often left with a fine frosted texture. New ones are usually exact, with a polished or faceted girdle.
The paperwork and the mount
- Read the report closely. "Old mine brilliant" on a GIA report names a cutting style, not an age: London jeweller Ronald Abram notes that a stone classed as old mine is not always older than a cushion brilliant. A laboratory-grown stone is stated as such on its GIA report.
- Look at the mount. Before platinum came into wide use in the early 1900s, diamonds were usually set in silver on a gold back. Hand-made claws and even wear support age, but stones can be reset, so the mount alone does not date the diamond.
Still unsure? Ask someone who handles them: a specialist in antique diamonds will look at the stone, the mount and the wear together.
Not sure it is a diamond at all? Start with how to tell if a diamond is real, and see how we authenticate antique jewellery.
How we can help
We buy and sell antique diamond rings from our showrooms at 47 Maddox Street, Mayfair (by appointment) and in Braintree, Essex. Looking for the old mine look? Tell us your size and budget. Own an old-cut ring? We value the stone as an antique, not as material for recutting.
- Send photos
Face up, from the side and the back of the setting, plus any report. Use the form below or our free valuation form.
- Get an answer
Usually within 24 hours, with no obligation.
- See it in person
Insured postage, or an appointment. Call 01376 334482 or WhatsApp us.
Browse old-cut diamond jewellery, yellow gold engagement rings, vintage engagement rings, Art Deco engagement rings and all rings, or by period: Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian. Our antique rings by era guide explains each period.
Send us photos for a quote
- Taylor Swift's ring is an elongated old mine cut in hand-engraved yellow gold by Kindred Lubeck.
- Its weight is unpublished, so every valuation is an estimate from photographs.
- A genuine antique old-cut ring gives the same soft, chunky light. Buy from someone who can show you why the stone is old.
Questions we are asked
What cut is Taylor Swift's engagement ring?
An old mine brilliant cut, according to her publicist (Associated Press, August 2025). Jewellers describe it as an elongated cushion: a hand-cut style with a high crown, small table and open culet.
How many carats is Taylor Swift's engagement ring?
The weight has not been published. Jewellers quoted in August 2025 estimated anything from 5 to 6 carats (JCK) to 8 to 15 carats (Fox Business).
Who made Taylor Swift's engagement ring?
Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine Jewelry in New York, who designed it with Travis Kelce and engraved the yellow gold by hand.
How much is Taylor Swift's engagement ring worth?
Published estimates from named jewellers run from $125,000 to $175,000 (Jared, in JCK) to $1 million to $1.2 million (Avi Bulow, Scripps News). Without the weight and grades, nobody can say exactly.
What is Taylor Swift's wedding band like?
Yellow gold, set across the front with round diamonds in thin bezels and shaped to sit flush with the engagement ring. Jewellers quoted by ELLE in September 2026 estimated 2 to 4 carats in all.
Can I buy a real antique old mine cut ring?
Yes. Antique old mine and old European cut rings come up regularly, usually in smaller sizes than the famous one. Large elongated old mines are scarce and priced accordingly.
How can I tell an antique old mine cut from a new one?
Look for slightly uneven hand-cut facets, an off-centre culet and an irregular outline. New stones are crisply symmetrical. A GIA report names the cutting style, not the age, so ask a specialist.
Find, or sell, an old mine cut ring
Tell us what you are looking for, or send photos of a ring you own. We buy antique diamond jewellery directly, and the valuation is free.
- We buy directly
- Free valuation from photos
- Appointments in Mayfair and Braintree
- Insured postage or collection
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