Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
An Australian ring expert has weighed in on F1 star George Russell’s fiancée Carmen Montero Mundt’s rare and impressive engagement ring.
The British driver popped the question to his longtime girlfriend on Monday, producing a huge sparkling yellow diamond ring for the love of his life to wear proudly.
The couple shared photos from the sweet proposal on social media, with one image giving fans a good look at the glamorous jewel.
Some experts believe the ring is worth upwards of $1 million; however, Ashley Portas, the founder of Australian jeweller Diamondport, disagreed with that valuation.
“Looking at the photos, I think the centre diamond is closer to 8 carats,” he told PerthNow.
“I’ve seen some huge valuations put on the ring, but I think they’re on the high side.”
Mr Portas estimated the ring to be worth around $250,000.
“Obviously, without seeing the GIA certificate, we’re all guessing to some degree. The exact colour and clarity make a massive difference. If it turns out to be Fancy Intense or Fancy Vivid, for example, then the price changes considerably,” he said.
“But if it’s around 8 carats and Fancy Yellow, I’d be comfortable saying we could create something comparable for around $250,000 AUD today.”
Mr Portas said that while natural yellow diamonds are having a comeback, they are still very rare.
“Yellow is one of the more common colours when we talk about fancy coloured diamonds, but natural coloured diamonds themselves are incredibly rare,” he said.
“A natural yellow diamond says it’s natural without having to say it’s natural.”
After analysing the ring, Mr Portas said it looked like an oval-cut yellow diamond with shield-cut white diamonds on either side.
“I love the design,” he said.
“It’s essentially a classic trilogy ring, but the shield-cut sides make it a bit more interesting and modern. They also do a great job of framing the yellow diamond without taking anything away from it.
“The white side stones make the yellow pop even more.
“For what is obviously a very significant ring, they haven’t overdone it. The diamond does the talking.”
Diamondport shared a natural radiant-cut yellow diamond trilogy ring on social media last month, which went viral on Instagram receiving more than 313,000 views.
“That was before George Russell’s engagement, so I think there was already something happening with yellow diamonds,” Mr Portas said.
Russell and Mundt have been dating since 2020 after meeting in London through a mutual friend.
They are the latest F1 power couple to start wedding planning after Ferrari star Charles Leclerc got married to Alexandra Saint Mleux earlier this year.
