Last Monday, Dennis Quaid proposed to 26-year old girlfriend Laura Savoie, a Ph.D. student at the University of Texas Austin’s Red McCombs School of Business, while vacationing at Turtle Bay, located on the northernmost point of Oahu. According to Quaid, he was holding onto the ring for over a month before the plan came together. When he finally got the chance to propose, it came as such a shock that Savoie, who at the time was taking a selfie of the couple, fell down! One can imagine that the beautiful location and privacy allowed for the ultimate proposal spot! Shortly after the news broke of the couple’s engagement, fans couldn’t help but notice something familiar. The couples nearly 40-year age gap left fans noting the similarities to Quaid’s role in the 1998 film, The Parent Trap, where his character is engaged to the 26-year old publicist, Meredith Blake. And on top of it all, many fans began to point out how Quaid’s bride-to-be looks very similar to Quaid’s on-screen romance. But while Quaid’s engagement may mirror his on-screen romance in The Parent Trap, one thing is different this time around, the ring.
Quaid proposed to Savoie with a stunning, “old mine cut cushion estimated to be up to 5 centuries old,” Savoie stated in an Instagram post announcing their engagement. She posted photos of the beautiful engagement ring to Instagram but shortly after made her account private. Quaid elaborated on the story of their engagement where he explained the origin of the stone. Earlier this year, while the couple vacationed in Tuscany, they met Giorgio Bulgari, the last heir of the Bulgari family. Bulgari, famous for their watches, jewelry and leather goods, was founded in 1884, so it comes to no shock that Savoie was given a stone that is hundreds of years old. According to Quaid and Savoie, Giorgio picked out a selection of diamonds to show the couple during a dinner on their visit, and one of those ultimately became the stone Quaid would propose with. Quaid picked out the 6-carat cushion cut diamond and set the stone on a thin gold band, where he then had Bible verses from Romans engraved onto the band, according to Savoie’s post.
While cushion cut engagement rings have a pillow-like shape, Old Mine cut diamonds are often rare and vary in look, according to Ring Concierge. The cushion cut is a popular style among brides today, but Old Mine may be a term few are familiar with. An Old Mine cut or a “Miner Cut” dates back to the Victorian and Edwardian Eras. The way these types of stones are cut allows the diamond to sparkle under the dimmest of light. Original handcrafted Miner Cut diamonds are truly one of a kind, unlike many stones today which are cut by machines.
However your ring was made, a cushion-cut diamond is a timeless choice with its softened square or rectangular shape. Cushion shaped diamonds also have diversity in the various settings they can sit in, especially halos. This makes them even more popular, as couples continue to turn to unique settings, such as vintage, for their rings.
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Most recently, Hailey Baldwin Bieber was given an oval-shaped engagement ring, by new husband, Justin Beiber. When asked about the proposal, Baldwin corrected rumors that the question was asked publicly. “We were alone in a house, just the two of us. It was very special,” she said. And just two months later the couple had a courthouse wedding in New York City. It wasn’t actually until over a year later (on September 30th, 2019) when the Bieber’s actually said ‘I do’ in front of friends and family.
Although a cushion shaped diamond is a classic stone for many engagement rings, for the last few years, the oval cut has also been a popular choice. However, the cushion-cut remains timeless, and its origins go back to the nineteenth century. Many celebrities have been given this style engagement ring, including Priyanka Chopra, Sofia Vergara, and famously Kim Kardashian, who was given an impressive 15-carat engagement ring by husband, Kanye West. And did you know that many of the most famous diamonds are a cushion cut? The list includes the Hope Diamond at 45.52 carats, and the Regent diamond, a shocking 140.5 carats.
This style and shape has been around a long time and isn’t expected to lose its brilliance any time soon. And we look forward to seeing what style wedding band the couple chooses to pair with Savoie’s beautiful ring and timeless engagement ring.
