Rings

McFly drummer and Strictly Come Dancing champion Harry Judd has asked his girlfriend Izzy Johnston to marry him.

He confirmed that she had said yes on his Twitter account yesterday (May 17th) explaining that he couldn't be happier.

Later that day, he quipped on the social network: "I liked it, so I put a ring on it. #engaged."

Judd proposed over a candlelit dinner in St Lucia where the couple are currently holidaying.

The couple have been together since 2005 when Izzy lent her violin skills to the band for their tour.

They moved in together just before he started competing in the dance competition Strictly last year.

He isn't the only celebrity to have become engaged recently as Katie Price is believed to be marrying for the third time.

The model and businesswoman was seen wearing a pink diamond engagement ring on a recent skiing trip, suggesting she is engaged to Argentinean model Leonardo Penna.

IT crowd actor Chris O'Dowd has also recently proposed and he is now engaged to writer and TV presenter Dawn Porter.

Posted by Nicola Painter
 

The world of celebrity has long been a showcase of short dresses, thigh-high splits and low-cut outfits but now a change is afoot.

Modesty has made its way to the world of celebrity thanks to the likes of Victoria Beckham and Kate Middleton.

Beckham was once a fan of hot pants and cleavage-baring corsets but she now steps out in modest pencil skirts and dresses with Peter Pan collars.

According to the Daily Mail, Kate Middleton encompassed the modest style with her choice of outfit and jewellery worn to a secret engagement in London on May 10th.

She wore a long cream gown complete with long sleeves and a high neckline but made the modest dress sexy with a thigh-high split and carefully-constructed bodice.

The Duchess made sure she wore her stunning engagement ring to fully complement the outfit.

You too can follow this modest trend by choosing longer skirts and dresses to wear and selecting just one piece of statement jewellery to complement the look.

The Galway Advertiser recently advised considering the time of day and type of event you are attending when deciding what type of jewellery will dress up an outfit.

Posted by Nicola Painter
 

Florence Welch is known for her unique style of dressing and a recent trip to New York provided her with the perfect opportunity to showcase her indie style.

The lead singer with Florence and the Machine had been spotted walking around the city's fashionable SoHo district with her events organiser boyfriend James Nesbitt.

Florence chose to keep her look simple but individual, as she dressed in a long-sleeved floor-length pink dress, which had white detailing around the arms and neckline.

She teamed it with a pair of oversized sunglasses and matching burgundy shoes and handbag.

Her other accessories were kept simple, as she wore just a single silver ring on the middle finger of her right hand.

While her choice of outfit was distinctive, it was certainly a lot less dramatic than the Alexander McQueen gown she wore at the start of the week to attend the Met Costume Ball, which had wide flamenco sleeves and a tiered full-length skirt.

Posted by Nicola Painter 

Amanda Holden made an impressive transformation that even Superman would be proud of when she paid a visit to a TV studio yesterday (May 3rd 2012).

The Britain's Got Talent judge had arrived earlier in the day on the back of a motorbike wearing a pair of jeans and casual brown boots, teamed with a grey jersey jacket.

With a crash helmet on and a pair of oversized sunglasses, Amanda went for the barefaced look as she was clearly not wearing any makeup.

But not long after she had undergone a complete transformation, as she was snapped leaving the studios in a glamorous floor-length black dress covered in sparkling silver details.

She accessorised her look with a pair of sleek snakeskin heels and wore a single silver ring on her left hand.

The performer had been speaking to Alan Carr for his Channel 4 show Chatty Man and was likely to have been discussing the upcoming final of Britain's Got Talent, as well as the arrival of her baby daughter Hollie at the start of the year. 

Posted by Nicola Painter 

Getting a new piece of jewellery can be the best feeling, as not only is jewellery something lovely you can wear every day, it is also the perfect way to mark an event or special occasion.

But if you want to get a piece of quality jewellery it can be difficult to know what to choose if you are not used to considering the setting for gemstones or the number of carats in a diamond.

In order to get a distinctive piece of jewellery that will still keep its value for years to come but which is priced lower than diamonds, Miranda Wells from the School of Jewellery at Birmingham City University told the Express to consider looking to stones such as citrine or morganite.

She explained these gems tend to be lower in carat than other gems, but they will still look beautiful in a ring or necklace.

"These stones are also often cut as large pieces to maximise their attractive colours so a very impressive stone can be purchased for a relatively modest price," Ms Wells explained.

In order to be sure you are getting a quality piece of jewellery, it is vital to ensure the correct hallmarks are found on the piece to confirm they are made from gold or silver.

The expert also offered some advice for buying from an online jewellery store, recommending that you only go to a reputable supplier to be sure that the stones you are getting are authentic and of a high quality.

While some people are looking to invest in some of their first pieces of quality jewellery, others are looking to buy only the rarest stones.

A recent auction in the US saw a pink diamond sold at auction for $15.7 million (£9.7 million), making it the most expensive pink diamond to be bought at auction in the US. 

Posted by Nicola Painter 

LeAnn Rimes has been posting pictures online of the stunning ring she received as a gift from her husband to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

The country and western singer tied the knot with Eddie Cibrian a year ago and to mark the date he gave her a stunning ring.

A large irregular oval-shaped gem is set on to the ring, with a line of small glittering stones running around the edge.

LeAnn seemed thrilled with her gift and took to her Twitter account to post a photo and state: “I have a very thoughtful husband with great taste!"

It was not the only present she received, as she was also given a necklace with a wing pendant by Eddie's two young sons from his previous marriage, which she was shown wearing with a white lace dress.

The marriage is not the first for either star, as they both left their respective partners after meeting on the set of the made-for-TV movie Northern Lights in 2009.

Posted by Nicola Painter 

The sale of a piece of jewellery in the US has broken records for being the most valuable pink diamond ever sold in the country.

The auction at Christie's in New York saw the nine-carat pink diamond go up for sale along with several other pieces.

While it was expected to achieve a high price, with estimates putting its value at $12 million, the ring was not anticipated to sell for $15.7 million.  In doing so, it broke the previous record for the most ever paid for an example of a pink stone at auction in the US.

A Belle Epoque cushion cut stone, it once belonged to Huguette M Clark, the daughter of industrialist and US senator William A Clark and had been named the Clark Pink after her.

In total, 305 different items of her jewellery were sold at the auction, including further diamond rings and bracelets.

Pink diamonds are incredibly rare and will often attract high bids as collectors seek to own one of the coveted stones.

A 24-carat pink diamond is owned by the Queen after she was given the impressive stone as a wedding present.

Named the Williamson Pink, the stone was set into a brooch by Cartier to be worn during her coronation.

The brooch is set to go on display this year along with some of the Queen's other jewels as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

The Clark Pink is not the only pink diamond that is being sold at auction, as another stone is due to be sold by Christie's in Hong Kong during May.

Initial estimates put the value of the 12-carat diamond at $10 million.

The ring was named by its last buyer in 1976 as the Martian Diamond, because its purchase coincided with the US launching its first spacecraft to land on Mars.

Posted by Nicola Painter 

Angelina Jolie has been seen wearing her diamond engagement ring for the first time after announcing at the weekend that she had become engaged to Brad Pitt.

The actress was photographed with Pitt and their children at an event in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art wearing her huge diamond ring, which was designed by her fiance.

Pitt worked with her favourite jeweller Robert Procop for over a year to create the design, which features a large central diamond set into a wide textured band.

It is predicted that the ring cost Pitt over $250,000 (£157,000).

Jolie showed off her ring by teaming it with a pair of classic wide-leg black trousers and a cream silk blouse.

She kept the rest of her accessories simple, by adding just a black ladies designer watch that was worn on her left wrist.

It is not the first time that Jolie has had an engagement ring, as she has previously been married to actors Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton.

Pitt has also previously been married to Jennifer Aniston.

Posted by Nicola Painter 

Scarlett Johansson has been showing off her fashion credentials by choosing to wear a distinctive diamond ring to the premiere of her latest film.

The actress has been on the red carpet to promote her new film The Avengers and looked stunning in a black Versace gown that featured a neckline that curved upwards.

But it was her stunning ring that was getting all of the attention, as rather than having a solid band over the top, the ring was a curved design that snaked around her middle finger on her left hand and across her other fingers.

She also sported a pair of simple diamond stud earrings and a gold piercing through the tragus part of her left ear.

A thin bracelet was also on her left wrist but rather than it being a silver or gold design, it appeared to be a temporary tattoo as it did not move when she raised her arm. 

Posted by Nicola Painter 

Anne Hathaway has been given a dramatic make over for her latest film role as she has been spotted out with a cropped hair style.

The star is currently filming the character of Fantine for the big screen version of Les Miserables and the part sees her character having her hair cut short so she can sell it.

While the actress could have worn a wig, she has instead had it cut into a very short crop.

But her dramatic new look did not stop her from having a night on the town, as the Sun snapped her leaving a nightclub.

Hathaway seemed to be trying out a minimalist look to go with her new shorter hair, as she accessorised her outfit with just one thin gold ring on her right hand.

She was also sporting a thick winter coat and a handbag with a chain strap.

The film has required Hathaway to make several changes to her appearance, as she has also lost weight to play her character.