Rebecca Harding’s Emerald-Cut Engagement Ring Blends Tradition With An Unexpected Detail

THE RUNDOWN

Andy Lee proposed to longtime girlfriend Rebecca Harding in 2024 with an estimated-three carat emerald-cut diamond ring .

Lee designed the ring himself, with the diamond being set on a gold band with contrast metal claws.

Andy Lee and Rebecca Harding tied the knot in an intimate New York City ceremony , surrounded by 80 of their closest friends in October 2026.

Andy Lee and Rebecca Harding have officially tied the knot in a New York City ceremony , surrounded by 80 of their nearest and dearest. What better time, then, to go deep on Harding’s spectacular yet traditional emerald-cut solitaire engagement ring ?

The pair got engaged in 2024 after a decade together, and their sweet proposal story is something of a full circle moment. In 2014, Lee spotted Harding while she was working at a Melbourne cafe. Talking to The Sydney Morning Herald in 2022, Lee said he noticed Harding because “She was attractive, but it was more her bubbly personality and how she wasn’t good at her job. She’d leave a table knowing about the person’s grandchildren or dog, but forget their order.” He left his email on a napkin, and he heard from her soon after.

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Fast forward 10 years, and the couple’s proposal was a charming nod to their meet-cute. Bringing Harding to the newly-purchased house they were renovating under the guise of having to film videos for social media, Lee bent down to pick something out of their fireplace. “When I was down there, I stayed on one knee and I gave her another napkin — because when I first met her at the café, I wrote on a napkin my details — and I gave her another napkin,” Lee recalled of the romantic proposal on The Hamish and Andy Podcast .

The ring, a simple yet striking emerald-cut diamond set upon a yellow gold band, was designed by Lee himself. Here, all the details on the ring.

Image: Instagram.com/rebeccalharding

What Is The Setting Of Rebecca Harding’s Engagement Ring?

Harding’s engagement ring, according to Sydney jeweller Tarick K’dor of House of K’dor , is “a clean, modern emerald-cut solitaire” secured within a classic four-claw setting likely made from platinum, which holds the stone high off the band. The stone’s elevation from the band gives it a more pronounced appearance, allowing the diamond to take centre stage.

Jeweller Cushla Whiting, founder and owner at Cushla Whiting , notes that the platinum of the claws differs from the “slim, half-round (court-profile) yellow-gold band.” Though the ring is traditional in its silhouette — which Harding herself has said is an aesthetic she tends to gravitate towards — the mixed-metal setting is a key differentiator making the ring feel more contemporary and slightly edgier. “The mixed-metal combination keeps the setting light and lets the stone remain the focus,” Whiting notes. The contrast metal is the ring’s less traditional element, bringing a uniqueness to the classic setting. It’s befitting of Harding, whose style errs on the more refined side but incorporates unexpected details in the form of quirky accessories like hats and jewellery.

How Many Carats Is Rebecca Harding’s Engagement Ring?

K’dor and Whiting estimate that Harding’s emerald-cut solitaire diamond is between two and three carats, judging by the width of the stone in comparison to Harding’s finger. “Emerald cuts can face up larger or smaller than their weight depending on the length-to-width ratio,” Whiting explains, and notes that they often require a grading certificate to accurately determine carat weight.

K’dor estimates that the band, either a knife-edge or fine round band in style, boasts a width of around 1.8 millimetres, “which makes the centre look larger.” The fine, minimalist band is left without detailing, drawing the focus to the ring’s central striking diamond without it having to compete for attention.

Image: Instagram.com/rebeccalharding

What Is The Cut Of Rebecca Harding’s Engagement Ring?

Rebecca Harding’s engagement ring is classic and traditional in style, its emerald-cut diamond set in a solitaire style on a dainty band. Whiting describes the cut as “a step-cut style of diamond with long, parallel facets arranged in rectangular steps.” She continues, “The emerald cut has an Art Deco feel, and its step-cut facets produce bold, broad flashes of light, a ‘hall of mirrors’ effect, rather than the busier sparkle of a brilliant cut.”

K’dor echoes Whiting’s perspective, telling ELLE Australia , “The centre stone is elongated and rectangular, with an overall aesthetic that is minimalistic, timeless and very current.”

Rings that err on the sleeker, more refined side are rising in popularity — even Taylor Swift swapped out her romantic Old Mine-cut engagement ring for a cooler, more minimalistic diamond ring on the cover of her “Patient Zero” album. But despite their current popularity, Whiting and K’dor emphasise that the solitaire style is one of the more enduring ring silhouettes. “It suits a bride who is elegant and refined, with a taste for understated glamour,” Whiting says.

What Is The Price Of Rebecca Harding’s Engagement Ring?

Whiting and K’dor estimate that Harding’s natural diamond engagement ring would cost somewhere between $30,000 and $50,000 if the stone is closer to two carats and between $70,000 and $100,000 if it’s closer to three.

“At this price,” Whiting says, “the stone would typically sit in the upper colour and clarity range (roughly D-F colour and VVS-VS clarity).” She also notes that emerald cuts reveal inclusions — that is, internal characteristics and imperfections that develop during a diamond’s formation — more readily than brilliant cuts due to their open-step facets, which means that the diamond’s clarity is even more important. A diamond’s clarity and overall grade “will largely determine the price,” Whiting says.

Image: Getty

What Is The Style Of Rebecca Harding’s Engagement Ring?

Harding’s ring adheres to a more traditional and minimalistic aesthetic, characterised by the solitaire style. The solitaire setting sees a diamond set solely on a band, without additional adornment to detract from the central stone. According to Whiting, brides who opt for this particular style value “Timelessness over trend, as a solitaire in this style never dates.”

It’s a clear departure from the romantic, vintage-inspired rings we’ve seen recently from the likes of Ellidy Pullin and Devon Lee Carlson , suiting a bride who tends to gravitate towards more simplistic, classic and minimalistic pieces in their wardrobe over more feminine, statement-making fashion. The unique mixed-metal detailing with the gold band and contrasting platinum claws lends the ring an unexpectedness, making the traditional silhouette feel contemporary and edgy.

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