Jennifer Lopez’s Unique Engagement Ring Will Revive This Decades-Old Jewelry Trend

As of this past weekend, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are to wed again, marking a love story of multiple chapters. Affleck reportedly popped the question to Lopez with a green-hued diamond engagement ring that experts say is very rare. The color also seems to have a sentimental meaning for J.Lo. On April 8, the singer and actor took to social media to tease a “major announcement” for her newsletter subscribers. “So, I have a really exciting and special story to share,” she said in a video. “If you’re not part of my inner circle, you have to go to onthejlo.com to hear this one.”

She wrote about how green has been thematic in special moments of her life. “I’ve realized there are many moments in my life where amazing things happened when I was wearing green. It may be a coincidence, maybe not. But as I took a better look, I realized there are no coincidences.”

Lopez referenced a “certain green dress,” likely referring to the iconic Versace number she originally wore to the Grammy Awards in 2000, when she was nominated for a Best Dance Recording Grammy for her hit, Let's Get Loud. She also described a painting with a green bird on someone’s hand with the words “let go” on each side. “I don’t buy a lot of art, but I bought this. One because I love hummingbirds, and two because I love the color green,” she wrote. “I realized that a lot of people say they symbolize love ... Whenever I am in a moment of doubt and confusion, one will magically appear by my window, reminding me that the universe will always speak to us if we are open to the signs.”

Lopez’s subscribers were also sent a video of the star tearfully admiring a large green engagement ring. Its light color immediately sparked conversation about the nature of the stone, as it appeared much lighter than an emerald. The stone was later confirmed to be a green diamond.

It’s not clear whether Affleck surprised Lopez with this meaningful stone or if the pair designed it together. Though, the type of green diamond ring (of 8.5 carats) with which Affleck proposed with is extremely precious. “High quality, natural green diamonds are extremely rare,” Olivia Landau, a GIA-certified gemologist and founder of The Clear Cut, tells TZR. “Green diamonds get their color by being exposed to radioactive material, such as uranium, during their formation in the earth. The longer the diamond is exposed to radioactivity, the greener it will be.”

Back in 2002, Affleck famously proposed to Lopez with another unique diamond ring — a pink, 6-carat Harry Winston sparkler that’s credited with setting a trend in colored diamonds. Sadly, they called off their engagement two years after the proposal, only to reconnect in 2021. Some might say the second engagement couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time, considering how the “Bennifer” romance consumed the media of the early aughts and the way that many Y2K themes have re-entered pop culture as of late.

As for whether this engagement will set a trend for proposals in the near future, Landau says it’s very possible. “J.Lo has always been a trendsetter, so we will definitely be seeing more green gemstones and diamonds in the future of fine jewelry and engagement rings.”

If you love this nontraditional hue in a diamond ring, shop similar pieces to Lopez’s meaningful rock, below.

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