Two Bachelor engagements this season mean two beautiful Bachelor engagement rings. But with Arie Luyendyk Jr. proposing to both Becca Kufrin and Lauren Burnham, fans have been left wondering who got the better end of the deal when it comes to bling.
Becca, who Luyendyk proposed to first during Monday’s finale episode, was left heartbroken when the 36-year-old race car driver broke off their engagement for runner-up Lauren, to whom he proposed on Tuesday’s two-hour After the Final Rose special. But while Becca might have traded her gorgeous Neil Lane ring in for a starring role in next season of The Bachelorette, she take small solace in knowing she most likely got the more expensive ring.
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Josef Caldaron and David Bader of Bader & Garrin Diamond Company weighed in with PopCulture.com exclusively about the two Neil Lane engagement rings seen on the show, giving their expert opinion on how the two pieces of bling stack up against one another.
Noting that commenting on the rings without seeing them in person can result in a “broad generalization” due to on-screen editing of the pieces’ color and clarity, Caldaron noted that both rings were stunning works of art from the master jewelry designer.
Becca’s revoked ring, which centered around a 4-carat diamond, featured micropavé with tapered baguettes, which gives it a “kind of neo-deco” style, Caldaron told PopCulture.com, which is a “modern play on a classic.”
The ring is “fully encrusted” with tiny diamonds, he noted, which unlike some reports have stated, are each individually-formed entire gems with the same number of facets as a larger diamond.
“That’s why it has so much sparkle,” he told PopCulture.com. And while he isn’t able to narrow down an exact price due to the possible variations of color and clarity in each stone, he said the ring is most likely worth between $70,000 and $80,000.
Lauren’s 3.6-carat diamond ring is nothing to sneeze at either, although its more traditional simple halo cut is also estimated to be less valuable than Becca’s original ring.
“If all things are considered equal in terms of color and clarity,” Caldaron said, “it might be a little less,” adding that his guess would be the ring is worth between $60,000 and $65,000.
It’s interesting to see how the different Neil Lane rings stack up against the women’s personalities, Caldaron added, noting that the more modern stand-out ring when to the more outspoken and extroverted contestant, while the classic ring was reserved for the quieter, more reserved woman.
“I think it suits their individual personalities,” he told PopCulture.com. “And I think [Arie] sensed that, what ring would be appropriate for each potential bride.”
Finding love on The Bachelor in general is comparable to finding a perfect diamond, Caldaron continued.
“The Bachelor can be likened to a lab – where fake diamonds and fake love are manufactured under the careful creation of a technician or producer. Even though both lab-grown and real diamonds consist of the same properties, lab-grown diamonds hold no true value. In terms of The Bachelor, I do hope the love is real, just like their ring!”
We hope that Becca can find a 20-carat love (and another gorgeous ring) during her time on The Bachelorette, which returns to ABC on May 28.
Photo credit: ABC
