Zendaya’s Engagement Ring Details Explained By Jewelers

When Zendaya walked the Golden Globes red carpet on Jan. 5, it wasn’t her and long-time stylist Law Roach’s ability to perfect a look that caught people’s attention.

It was the diamond rock perched on her left ring finger.

Fans began speculating Zendaya was wearing an engagement ring, indicating she and Tom Holland had decided to take the next step in their relationship.

TMZ and People reported the engagement on Jan. 6, citing sources close to the couple. TODAY.com has reached out to Zendaya and Holland for comment and has not heard back at the time of publication.

Zendaya is keeping mum — but her ring tells a story, jewelry experts say. 

Laura Taylor, an engagement ring specialist at the U.K. based jewelry brand Lorel Diamonds, estimates the diamond in Zendaya’s ring comes in at about five carats. The stone has a horizontal, or “east-west,” orientation and is set a Georgian-style cut-down, also called a button-back setting. The ring is two-tone, featuring both gold and silver-hued metals.

The effect, Taylor says, is the perfect example of “Old Hollywood glamour with a modern twist.” The cushion-cut diamond and the button-back setting give the ring vintage familiarity, whereas the east-west orientation and mixed metals make it feel edgy. 

Typically found in antiques, the button-back setting is unique because the jewel is fully encircled with metal and prongs (in this case, six), allowing it to sit lower on the band. Taylor calls the low setting a “practical” choice with an heirloom feel.

The east-west orientation, an alternative to the more typical vertical style, also gives the ring an edge. “It’s a subtle yet confident way to say, ‘We’re doing this our way,’” Taylor says.

The east-west orientation also symbolizes “equal partnership and commitment,” Julia Briggs Parsons, founder and CEO of luxury jewelry brand Incredible Rising, says.

Jewelry content creator and gemstone wholesaler Julia Hackman Chafé believes the ring was designed by Jessica McCormack. TODAY.com has reached out to the jeweler for comment. “She’s giving quiet luxury — Jessica McCormack is very, ‘If you know, you know,’” Chafé says.

Based on the brand and the size of the stone, Chafé estimates the ring cost over $200,000.

Initially, Chafé was surprised the ring was not designed by Bulgari, as Zendaya is an ambassador for the luxury brand. In fact, Zendaya and Bulgari’s long relationship was a clue into the engagement. At the Golden Globes, Bulgari took credit for all of Zendaya’s jewelry — except the ring on her left hand.

The seemingly deliberate choice by the couple makes the ring all the more personal. “This engagement ring looks like it’s been handed down through generations of love stories,” Taylor says.  

Uniquely theirs, jewelers also predict features in Zendaya’s ring, like the button-back setting and east-west orientation, will rise in popularity, just like Selena Gomez’s recent engagement ring may do for marquise cuts.