Mariah Carey and James Packer stepped out to their engagement party last night shortly after James got down on one knee and proposed.
It was hard for anyone to miss that massive 35 carat diamond ring on her finger. The Emerald cut stone is estimated to be worth $5 million on its own, with the ring as a whole worth an estimated $7.5 million.
It’s certainly a show-stopper, isn’t it? Jewelry designer Wilfredo Rosado opened up to VOGUE about the ring in detail:
Packer called on jewelry designer Wilfredo Rosado, a friend of Carey’s for more than 25 years, to create the showstopping ring. “I took the standards super high, and I wanted to create a ring that could not be measured up to,” says Rosado. The design and construction took two weeks and an “army of craftsman” that included measurement specialists and an expert well versed in the handling of such a large stone. “What is really most interesting about the ring are the proportions—the stone is so large, but we were able to create a beautiful balance with the overall simplicity of the design,” says Rosado. “It was about mixing simplicity with volume, which is very difficult to do.” Rosado included only two other (relatively) small, tapered baguettes on either side of the center stone, a look that he says he devised after having conversations over the years with Carey about the styles she prefers. “She obviously has a strong point of view about what she likes,” Rosado says. “We have the same taste, and when it came down to it, I really wanted to create something for her that was about new beginnings. I wanted to give her something super sophisticated and something that took away all of the embellishments that a lot of people use when they design engagement rings these days. But it is epic. It’s an epic ring for an epic time in her life.”
As for Packer’s involvement? “We really only had just over two weeks to pull it off, working 12 hour a days, and I consulted with James about the ring three different times during the process,” says Rosado. “He wanted to create something very rare and very beautiful around this diamond he chose, and I followed his lead.” Rosado notes that he also left a small empty space on the backside of the band, as Packer said that he wanted to eventually engrave a special sentiment to Carey.
While the designer might have had direction from the groom-to-be, Rosado still felt some creative pressure on a personal level. “This was the most challenging piece of jewelry I’ve ever designed,” he says. “I wanted to create the most gorgeous ring for my dear friend, but I also wanted to create the most stunning ring for one of the most iconic divas of our generation. I also wanted to make a ring that was perfect, in all the technical ways a ring should be. For me, it was super stressful. I didn’t want to fail her.” We’re going to go out on a limb here and say that Mimi is probably more than thrilled with her new piece of jewelry, not only for its size, but also for the shiny new future it represents. Here’s to her new “Vision of Love”!
We’re thrilled for them both!
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