Paris Hilton's Engagement Ring Designer Tells Us All the Details About Her 20-Carat Diamond
When the time arrived for Chris Zylka to find a ring for hotel heiress Paris Hilton, the actor knew he had to go big with the bling. “He came to me and told me that he’s looking for the dream diamond for his princess,” jeweler Michael Greene of Greene & Co. tells The Knot in an exclusive interview. “And he wanted it to be a pear shape because that’s what her mother has.”
On numerous occasions, Zylka observed his girlfriend’s fixation with Kathy Hilton’s diamond at family events. “He’s seen Paris admiring her mother’s ring and trying it on at different times during dinner,” Greene notes. “And he just really watched the way she just loved that ring. That’s why we came up with the shape.”
The most romantic moment of my life! #Engaged
A post shared by Paris Hilton (@parishilton) on Jan 2, 2018 at 12:06pm PST
Zylka proposed over the holiday weekend on the side of Aspen Mountain. Hilton posted a video of the special memory, calling it “the most romantic moment of my life!”
The cost directly correlates to the diamond size. The center stone is a “little bit over 20 carats,” Greene notes, “and the stones around the ring are just under 2 carats. It’s a platinum, split-shank ring with a halo around the center stone.”
The ring itself is valued at $2 million—and yes, Zylka handled everything from start to completion. “He did everything on his own,” the jeweler says. “Paris didn’t know anything about it.”
About six months ago, Zylka came to Greene for his initial consultation. “I’ve met Paris and I know her and her family, but I haven’t met Chris,” the jeweler says. “There are celebrity jewelers and there are behind-the-scenes celebrity jewelers. [Celebs] talk within their own little circles and that’s where I think Chris got the information.”
(Photo courtesy Greene and Co.)
(Photo courtesy Greene and Co.)
After Zylka shared what he was looking for, Greene patiently waited for production to release the perfect stone. “The biggest challenge was the diamond,” he says. “Getting a pear-shape diamond that has a special shape to it like this one… [Plus,] getting one that has the quality of this? I mean, this is top quality.”
The jeweler adds of his client: “He wanted to make sure this was right all around.”
The end result was on elf the largest stones to ever be seen on a star—and the future bride loves it. “She called me. He’s called me,” says Greene. “And she told me that he did it. She called me before I even knew it went on social media. Since then, I’ve been called by a whole bunch of different people.”
A post shared by Paris Hilton (@parishilton) on Jan 2, 2018 at 4:26pm PST
It was a strong start to the new year. “Paris is a special person and Chris is a special person,” concludes Greene. “We’re looking forward to one of the best years ever. And to start the first day of the year off with Paris getting engaged… That’s very special.”
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