< Engagement Rings & Weddings / Celebrity
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s Eternity Band Was ‘90s Style Perfection
Find out how the eternity band paid tribute to Jackie Kennedy and the link to Calvin Klein.
John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette during the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner on May 1, 1999, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
Their love affair was one of those historic pairings that captured the public imagination from the start. In November 1994, as soon as the press learned John Kennedy Jr. was dating Carolyn Bessette, they covered the relationship with as much intensity as any A-list movie stars. Considered one of the most eligible bachelors in America, the 34-year-old son of a former President and a supremely stylish first lady had found a chic and stunning partner in the 28-year-old celebrity liaison at Calvin Klein, one of the hottest labels of the era.
Over the years, the fascination with the couple has only grown. And there is guaranteed to be a fresh tidal wave of coverage with the February 12 release of the FX series, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, from executive producer Ryan Murphy.
Meet the Expert
- Marion Fasel is an esteemed jewelry expert, author, curator, and trend forecaster.
- She is the founder and Editorial Director of The Adventurine jewelry newsletter.
- She is the author of several books, including The History of Diamond Engagement Rings: A True Romance
Last June, when teaser photos were released from the set of the series showing Sarah Pidgeon, who plays Bessette, and Paul Anthony Kelly’s Kennedy, they caused an avalanche of outraged reports. To put it mildly, Bessette aficionados didn’t think the production captured her look accurately. Even Brad Johns, Bessette’s hair colorist, chimed in to express his disapproval to Vogue. Well, the production appears to have done a course correction. Based on the new trailer, they seem to have gotten her look down, if not pat at least more accurate.
In terms of her jewelry, CBK didn’t wear much because minimalists don’t. On occasion, she wore pearl studs. Sometimes she had on little gold rings. A Cartier Tank watch was a signature.
The most fascinating jewel in Bessette’s collection was her engagement ring, which was a sapphire, diamond, and platinum eternity band. Even after all the research that’s been done on Bessette’s life by academics and enthusiasts, there’s still some mystery around the story of the jewel and the design. Here, learn everything there is to know.
Who Designed Carolyn Bessette’s Engagement Ring?
The manufacturing, or at very least the acquisition, of the diamond and sapphire platinum eternity band seems to have been orchestrated by Jackie Kennedy’s final life partner, the diamond dealer Maurice Tempelsman.
In her tell-all Fairy Tale Interrupted, John Kennedy Jr.’s assistant Rosemarie Terenzio said that she picked up a package from Tempelsman’s office, not realizing it was the ring, and that it sat in a Duane Reade plastic bag on Kennedy’s desk.
JFK, Jr., proposed to Bessette over the Fourth of July holiday in 1995 on Martha’s Vineyard. An avid fisherman, it’s been reported that Kennedy asked for her hand while the couple was fishing. He is believed to have said, “Fishing is so much better with a partner.”
The Details Behind the Design of Carolyn Bessette’s Ring
Carole Radziwill wrote in her book, What Remains, that when Bessette showed her the ring, she said, “It’s a copy of a ring his mother wore. He said she called it her ‘swimming ring.’”
No one who knows the meaning of the name has publicly revealed it. It’s possible that the former first lady wore the piece while swimming. It is more likely linked to a personal anecdote.
The significance of the sapphires is another detail that hasn’t been uncovered. Jackie Kennedy’s “swimming ring” is believed to be made of emeralds and diamonds. Sapphires were not the birthstone of Bessette or Kennedy, Jr., or his mother. JFK Jr. probably just thought Carolyn would prefer sapphires. It’s also possible the “swimming ring” had sapphires.
The Story of Jackie Kennedy’s “Swimming Ring”
Some people believe Maurice Tempelsman gave Mrs. Kennedy her “swimming ring.” While the entire Kennedy family was known to be fond of the diamond dealer, it makes more sense for something as personal as an engagement ring to be associated with JFK Jr.’s parents.
There are those who think the President commissioned the “swimming ring” from Van Cleef & Arpels for Jackie as a 10th wedding anniversary present, which poignantly took place on September 12, 1963, a month before he was assassinated. Jackie’s engagement ring, purchased from the French Maison’s New York boutique on Fifty-Seventh Street and Fifth Avenue, was an emerald and diamond Toi et Moi bypass design. An emerald and diamond eternity band would have been a nice companion piece to the engagement ring.
Others believe the “swimming ring” was a classic Sixteen Stone ring by Tiffany & Co. designer Jean Schlumberger. Jackie had several Schlumberger pieces in her collection. President Kennedy gave Jackie a Schlumberger ruby, diamond, and gold Two Fruits clip after John Jr. was born. And she had many of his enamel and gold Croisillon Bracelets, which were gifts from her friend Bunny Mellon, who was the designer’s top client.
What Is An Eternity Band, and How Is It Connected to Calvin Klein?
By loose definition—and there only is a loose definition—an eternity band is a band with gems going all the way around the design. The style’s origins, before they were gem-set, stretch back to the ouroboros symbol found in several ancient cultures of a snake swallowing its tail. The meaning of the motif, among other things, revolved around the cycle of the seasons. When the style began being made in diamonds around the 18th century, it evolved into representing eternal love.
Sleek and easy, diamond eternity bands have been chosen as an alternative to solitaires for famous brides since the 20th century. Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Sofia Coppola are a few high-profile brides who chose them.
It is not known what jewel Calvin Klein gave Kelly Rector when he proposed to her in 1986. The gold and diamond eternity band she wore on the third finger of her left hand during the course of their 20-year marriage was purchased by the American fashion designer in April 1987 at the landmark estate sale of The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor.
The ring was made around 1962 and is believed to have been designed by Suzanne Belperron. It has been widely reported in the press that the jewel is inscribed “Eternity.” It certainly is a possibility because the Duke loved to put inscriptions in jewels, but it is not mentioned in the Sotheby’s catalogue for the sale. It is not the kind of detail they would’ve left off, so it seems unlikely.
What is absolutely certain is that Calvin Klein loved the romantic history and symbolism of eternity bands and named the fragrance he launched in 1988 after the style. Eternity by Calvin Klein featured an ad campaign with Christy Turlington and became the designer’s most successful fragrance of the era.
In 1989, the year after the Eternity fragrance launch, Carolyn Bessette began working at Calvin Klein. The date is just a coincidence, but it does reflect how the elegant eternity bands were a popular choice at the time.
