August will bring us this year’s big royal wedding as Princess Martha Louise of Norway weds Durek Verrett. The couple tie the knot in a private ceremony that will cap a weekend of celebrations. And while there’s plenty of speculation about what this uber stylish couple will wear for their big day, never mind the salsa themed celebration the night before, one important part of the bride’s look has already caused a stir. For Martha has an emerald engagement ring – a rarity for a royal bride.
Regal romances tend to be sealed with diamonds. We’ve seen plenty of variations on the solitaire and the classic cluster through the years, all built around brilliant diamonds. Sapphires are also fairly popular with royalty but emeralds are a very unusual pick for an engagement ring among royalty.
When they announced their wedding plans, the couple explained why they’d picked such an unusual stone.
There’s a link to her mother in Princess Martha Louise’s engagement ring. Emeralds are one of Queen Sonja’s favourite stones and Durek Verrett chose the green gem as the central feature to represent his fiancee’s mother. The ring also has three diamonds near the main emerald for Martha Louise’s three daughters from her first marriage.
Durek created the ring alongside Joy Sangalang Smith of COMMUNION and said he wanted it to ”honour” the ”ancestral Viking roots” as well as reflect the close relationships in Martha Louise’s life.
Emeralds are also taken to represent rebirth as well as true and everlasting love.
The wedding bands chosen by the couple will remain under wraps until their big day – August 31st 2024. A few details of the ceremony have been confirmed with seven bridesmaids and seven groomsmen lined up to support Martha Louise and Durek as they said ‘I do’.
The couple’s decision to give exclusive access to their wedding and all the celebrations around it to Hello magazine and its sister publication, Hola, has been debated in the Norwegian press.
So expect a close up on Martha’s ring which is the latest chapter in a rare royal story – emeralds and engagements.
