A renewed interest in the beautiful sapphire and diamond engagement ring Prince William gave to his fiancée Kate Middleton has led to a massive increase in sales of lookalike rings and replica royal engagement rings.

Encircled with glittering diamonds the glowing sapphire within Kate Middleton’s engagement ring is a ring worthy of a princess. The royal engagement ring, previously owned by Prince William’s late mother Princess Diana, is said to be one of the most popular formations of sapphire and diamond and the favourite design for many couples tying the knot this Valentines Day.

Louise Melling, Manager of Blackburn Mall’s Ernest Jones jewellers, confirmed that Ernest Jones are selling a ring very similar to the one worn by Kate Middleton and that there was more interest in traditional-style engagement rings.

As well as rings for Valentines Day, sapphire engagement rings are cool and sophisticated rings that are said to bring peace and tranquillity. Sapphire rings have been known to bring luck in romance and are perfect for couples to express true love.

For a stunning collection of engagement rings to celebrate your romance this Valentines Day browse the collection of rings at Rings.org.uk. With over 10,000 rings from High Street retailers and leading online brands you’re sure to find gorgeous and glamorous rings at great prices too.

Blue is the colour of the sky and the ocean, the passionate freedom and independence coupled with the solid foundation of love, trust and desire. Wearing a blue ring, whether a topaz ring, an aquamarine ring or a sapphire ring will make you feel amazing, regardless of whether you bought the ring for yourself or have been given a ring as an engagement ring, eternity ring or anniversary ring.

At Rings.org.uk, we adore sapphire rings and want to share our top 10 reasons why we say everyone needs a sensuous sapphire ring on their finger.

Top 10 reasons to wear sapphire rings:

# 1 – A Royal gemstone, sapphire engagement rings and sapphire rings have been favoured by the British Royal family for several generations. When Prince William proposed to his long term girlfriend Kate Middleton, he chose to present her with the stunning sapphire and diamond engagement ring worn by his mother Princess Diana.

# 2 – Stunning sapphire is a cool blue gemstone in shades of midnight blue and navy blue that are sophisticated and stylish. Sapphire rings are modern and chic.

# 3 – Sapphire is known as the ‘Gem of Destiny’ and we have loved and worn sapphire rings since the 7th Century BC.

# 4 – Sapphire rings are perfect Christmas presents for your friends born in September and under the gentle star sign Virgo.

# 5 – If you are celebrating a 5th, 23rd or 45th wedding anniversary, choose a sapphire ring to mark the occasion. If you are celebrating a 65th birthday, or 65th wedding anniversary, the elusive star sapphire ring is the traditional gift to choose.

# 6 – In health, wearing a sapphire ring is said to lower a fever, reduce inflammation and heal injuries such as burns and scars.

# 7 – Sapphires rate 9 on the Moh’s scale of hardness. Second only to diamond, a sapphire ring will be beautiful, tough and perfect to wear and enjoy every day.

# 8 – Remember pink sapphires too. If the cool blue sapphire ring isn’t what you’re looking for, why not take a look at the selection of pink sapphire rings at Rings.org.uk. You’ll find beautiful rings at amazing prices.

# 9 – The sapphire gemstone is associated with sincerity, loyalty and friendship. Wear a sapphire ring or a sapphire engagement ring to enhance your life and draw good things towards you.

# 10 – Finally, sapphire rings suit cool skin tones in the same way their cousin the ruby gemstone suits warm skin tones. Sapphires look their best when surrounded by diamonds and set in gold or silver rings.

This article was created for Rings.org.uk – the leading rings comparison site with over 10,000 rings, ruby rings and many more rings to choose from. If you enjoyed this article, why not take a look at our Top 10 Reasons To Choose Ruby Rings as well.

Is Asking Permission For Marriage From A Bride-To-Be’s Father A Dying Art?

Since Prince William asked for Kate Middleton’s hand in marriage last month there has been much speculation in the press about the bride-to-be’s sapphire engagement ring – one of the most talked about rings in the world – but much less interest in the circumstances in which the nation’s favourite Prince proposed.

We know that the couple had been talking about marriage for some time and that William proposed on holiday in Kenya with his late mother Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring, yet a lesser known fact is that the Prince didn’t ask Kate’s father for his daughter’s hand in marriage until AFTER he proposed.

That news came as quite a surprise to seasoned Royal watchers given the importance of tradition and honour in the British Royal family, but others have defended the move saying it merely reflected the Prince’s modern outlook on life.

The truth is that most men these days DON’T ask a woman’s father for permission to marry.

Perhaps it is the fear of rejection before they even pop the question, or that they think the practice is antiquated or even misogynistic; the key is it is undoubtedly a declining trend.

At Rings.org.uk, we think the most important thing is to propose in style and you can see how to do just that with our informative Top 5 Tips For Proposing article.

Hot in the footsteps of the much anticipated proposal from Prince William to his long term girlfriend Kate Middleton, many people are scouring the Internet to find a match for her stunning engagement ring.

To be similar to Kate Middleton’s ring, the replica engagement ring must have a gold band and a gorgeous sapphire surrounded by glittering diamonds. In line with the company tag line “every little helps”, supermarket giant Tesco is offering a little help to couples searching for the perfect Kate Middleton replica engagement ring.

Launched in time for men to make Christmas proposals and ladies to wear a beautiful replica engagement ring, a spokesperson for Tesco said: “We are delighted to be offering our customers an affordable version of Kate Middleton’s engagement ring.”

The gold, sapphire and diamond engagement ring will be available at Tesco Direct for £99.99 from the end of next week and in time for the 1st of December. The 9ct gold ring will be available in standard rings sizes and will have a 3ct oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds.

The Tesco spokesperson suggests the Kate Middleton replica engagement ring will “…make the perfect engagement choice for couples who want to feel part of the Royal fairytale wedding…”

At Rings.org.uk we agree and look forward to include this fabulous ring available in our selection of 10,000 rings from High Street retailers and online brands. If you’re looking to make a Christmas proposal to your beloved, check out our Top 5 Tips for Proposing for a little help too.

When Prince William proposed to long term girlfriend Kate Middleton with his late mother Princess Diana’s engagement ring, the stunning 18ct sapphire and diamond engagement ring fit Kate’s ring finger perfectly.

Since then, news of her Engagement Ring travelled worldwide with many stores stocking replica rings and market traders importing look-a-like engagement rings for people on the street to buy, wear and enjoy.

One such market in Brazil is stocking cheap replica engagement rings for girls and ladies to wear and become like princesses too. The engagement ring is being bought mainly by “Royal Watchers”, those who ardently follow the British Royal Family and the trends they set and the styles they follow. Royal Watchers also appear in their own section on Facebook.

The Brazilian replica engagement ring is said to be on sale for under £10, many, many thousands of pounds less than the original. According to Vanity Fair, the wedding will take place next year in 2011 before the Queen celebrates her Diamond Jubilee (60 years on the throne) in February 2012 and before the London Olympics in 2012.

With plastic, glass or cubic zirconia faux diamonds and a pseudo-sparkling “rock” representing the sapphire gemstone, the Brazilian replica engagement ring offers great pleasure to those purchasing the rings and to those receiving them.

For tips on proposing to your girlfriend or partner, take a look at our “Engagement Ring Special: Top 5 Tips for Proposing” article. Or, if you’re confident and ready to propose, check out different engagement rings at Rings.org.uk. With over 10,000 to choose from, you’ll find Rings for every occasion.

At a cool half a million dollars, Kate Middleton’s oval 18ct sapphire and diamond engagement ring is way outside most girls dreams and most boys bank balances. The sensational Engagement Ring worn by Prince William’s mother, the late Lady Diana Spencer caused a storm in 1981 when she was given the ring by Prince Charles. Nearly thirty years later, dazzling photographers and sparkling in society, the ring is said to fit Kate Middleton’s finger perfectly.

The stunning 18ct blue sapphire is said to be worth around $300,000 alone with the diamonds and setting adding to the value, making the 18ct gold engagement ring a valuable treasure as well as an incredible ring to look at. Diamond is the Birthstone for April and sapphire is the birthstone for September. Together they create a picture of harmony and lasting love between the couple.

In keeping with tradition, when Royals do something, we follow, emulate and downright copy their style from the latest haircuts, clothes and especially jewellery. Back in 1981 a copycat sapphire and diamond engagement ring was available to buy from all the High Street jewellery stores and now with the benefit of the Internet it’s even easier for you to buy your own princess replica engagement ring at Rings.org.uk.

So if you want to spoil the princess in your life, why not treat her to the replica engagement ring in the style of Princess Diana and soon to be Princess Catherine (Kate) Middleton. As Christmas approaches, more couples are planning marriages and will start with a fabulous engagement ring to get the ball rolling. Why not check out the Engagement Ring Special: Top 5 Tips For Proposing at Rings.org.uk to help you be prepared to pop the question to your special princess.

With the announcement today that Prince William and his girlfriend Kate Middleton are finally engaged after a long courtship, speculation has already begun to build about what kind of Engagement Ring the future Queen of England will wear in the lead up to what will be perhaps the key high society wedding in 2011.

Whether Ms Middleton will have much say in the matter of choosing her engagement ring is up for grabs. The British Royal Family, like any other monarchy in the world, are notoriously keen on protocol and past Engagement Rings for key members of the family have been hand-made and sourced from one supplier.

Perhaps tradition will be broken this time however. Prince William has been keen in the past to showcase himself as a modern man living in a modern world and letting his future wife choose her engagement ring from wherever and whatever she pleases would be sign of his acceptance to bring the British Royal Family into the 21^st century. He would probably gain a few more admirers from his already bulging female fanbase too.

Of course the lucky princess-to-be will be able to choose from a wide variety of Rings at the number one ring comparison site in the UK, but here at Rings.org.uk we are realistic and suspect that the Royals don’t use price comparison sites like us mere mortals!

Whilst Clarance House reports “delight announcing the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton”, Prime Minister David Cameron wished them “great joy in their life together”.

The wedding is likely to take place ahead of the London 2012 Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, also in 2012.

Already speculation is being made on dress designers, hats, shoes and accessories for Kate Middleton but also for her Engagement Ring.

Following Royal tradition started in 1923 by the Queen Mother, Kate’s engagement ring may indeed be made from a nugget of Welsh Gold. Handmade in court style by Wartski and sourced from the Clogau St David’s mine in Bontddu, Wales, the precious metal is second to none.