< Engagement Rings & Weddings / Celebrity
The Story of Jackie Kennedy’s Extraordinary Engagement Ring
Discover the hidden meaning and remarkable history of Jackie Kennedy’s iconic Toi et Moi engagement ring.
Published: November 10, 2025
Written by: Meredith Lepore
Jacqueline Kennedy once said, “I think the art of dressing is understanding who you are.” The First Lady and legendary style icon certainly understood who she was and what she wanted, both in life and in style (and Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring was a big part of that.) Her timeless appeal established the Kennedys as not only American royalty but also the epitome of refined style and class.
Together, President John F. Kennedy Jr. and his First Lady ushered in a new era at the White House, creating what would come to be known as Camelot. They redecorated the White House, took private jets to Palm Springs, hosted lavish parties featuring performances from some of the most esteemed artists of the decade, and had celebrity guests in regular attendance.
Meet the Experts
Lauren DeYoung is a sixth-generation jeweler with expertise in vintage and antique jewelry. Lauren brings a fresh perspective to her family’s heritage business, The DeYoung Collection, which was founded in 1835, and remains internationally renowned today.
Irina Aran, the Founder of Facets Fine Jewelry, a luxury and antique jewelry company based in Brooklyn.
Jackie Kennedy’s personal style was famously refined, marked by understated elegance and effortless sophistication. She favored sheath dresses, kitten heels, brooches, and box hats. Her quiet confidence allowed her to experiment with style in a way that felt thoughtful rather than flashy—and her Toi et Moi engagement ring was no exception.
Ahead, Only Natural Diamonds takes a closer look at Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring—and why it remains both absolutely timeless and culturally significant.
What is a Toi et Moi Ring?
First things first: What exactly is a Toi et Moi ring? The French phrase Toi et Moi, meaning “you and me,” captures the symbolism behind this romantic design. The defining feature of a Toi et Moi ring is its two center stones, representing two souls joined together. Some purists believe the gems should touch, while others embrace designs where the stones stand apart yet remain in perfect harmony.
Toi et Moi rings have been around for centuries (Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring was simply one of the first to be widely photographed by the media). One of the most notable Toi et Moi love stories, however, dates back to 1796, when Napoléon Bonaparte proposed to Joséphine de Beauharnais. Though their marriage didn’t last, the sentiment of the ring certainly did: a delicate pairing of two pear-shaped stones—a diamond and a sapphire—each weighing around one carat, set side by side to symbolize their enduring connection.
How Jackie Kennedy Ended Up With Her Famous Toi et Moi Ring
When Jacqueline Bouvier met a young senator from Massachusetts while working at a newspaper in 1952, she knew exactly what she wanted. At the time, she was engaged to stockbroker John Husted Jr., whom she’d met after graduating from Vassar College—but that match quickly lost its luster. When Jackie and her formidable mother, Janet Auchincloss, learned that Husted’s income (roughly the equivalent of $160,000 today) fell short of their expectations, they deemed him an unsuitable match.
Ever decisive, Jackie ended the engagement with characteristic precision, reportedly slipping the diamond and sapphire ring back into his pocket during a parting farewell at the airport. It was, by all accounts, a gesture as elegant as it was final.
But Jackie saw something in the ambitious young senator, John F. Kennedy, and before long, the two were engaged. The details of the proposal remain the stuff of speculation (some say it took place at a cozy tavern in Washington, D.C. Others claim it occured at Boston’s historic Omni Parker House), but what’s certain is that Kennedy had already chosen the ring.
Designed by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1953, the Toi et Moi creation featured two emerald-cut stones of nearly equal size, set side by side to symbolize “you and me.” Curiously, when the couple posed for their official engagement portrait, Jackie wasn’t wearing the now-iconic ring.
As for who picked out the ring, Lauren DeYoung, a sixth-generation jeweler with expertise in vintage and antique jewelry, said it was Jackie’s soon-to-be father-in-law, Joseph Kennedy.
He selected Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring from the legendary French maison’s Fifth Avenue boutique in New York, with a little help from family friend Hélène Arpels, wife of Louis Arpels and a fellow alumna of Jackie’s Vogue days (proving that having a Vogue connection always pays off—especially when it comes to choosing a ring). Founded in 1896, Van Cleef & Arpels was—and remains—one of the most esteemed jewelers in the world, known for its artistry, innovation, and enduring romanticism.
According to DeYoung, Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring was estimated to be worth over $1 million at the time of its purchase in 1953. It featured a 2.84-carat Colombian emerald, a 2.88-carat emerald-cut diamond. The stones were mounted on a bypass-style band of yellow gold and platinum, accented with tapered baguette diamonds that reflected the sleek geometry of mid-century design.
DeYoung said, “Joseph Kennedy’s role in selecting Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring reflects the era’s political families curating every aspect of public image, including personal style, to convey stability, taste, and authority. The design’s lasting appeal was fueled by JFK and Jackie’s star power.”
Why Was Jackie Kennedy’s Engagement Ring Culturally Significant?
Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring was considered groundbreaking at the time. Irina Aran, the Founder of Facets Fine Jewelry, a boutique based in Brooklyn, stated that in the 1950s, engagement rings were mostly single-stone solitaires. “Jackie Kennedy’s two-stone design was bold and unconventional. The Toi et Moi style symbolized two souls meeting as one, making it romantic and meaningful. It reflected her sophisticated, forward-thinking taste,” she said.
DeYoung noted that Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring truly signaled the Kennedys’ worldly aspirations. “In the early Cold War years, projecting cultural sophistication was part of soft power, and this ring reflected that larger narrative of America aligning itself with Europe’s artistic heritage,” she said.
When Jackie Kennedy Redesigned the Toi et Moi Ring
In 1962, just a year before her husband’s tragic death, Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring was redesigned by Van Cleef & Arpels. The updated design included replacing the baguette-cut diamonds with marquise-cut stones arranged in a laurel wreath beneath the two main gems, and adding round brilliant-cut diamonds along the front half of the band, according to DeYoung. Van Cleef & Arpels set the intertwined stones in bypass-style shanks, creating an elegant, fluid silhouette that remained low-profile for everyday wear, with the gems secured by clean, flat prongs.
Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring was a rather tough redesign to pull off, according to Aran. Pairing an emerald with a diamond requires great technical precision, as emeralds are softer and must be handled with exceptional care. Still, she noted, the contrast between the vivid green and the sparkling white diamond makes for an undeniably striking and sophisticated pairing.
Why a redesign on an already beautiful ring? Aran said Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring was updated to align with her elevated position as First Lady. It merged American glamour with European sophistication and made jewelry part of her public identity.
DeYoung points out that there was also a shift in cultural style underway. “Baguette-cut diamonds retained a geometric, Art Deco sensibility, while marquise cuts had become highly fashionable in the mid-century era,” she said. “The redesign gave the ring a more feminine feel, enhancing symmetry while keeping the diamond and emerald pairing intact.”
What Happened To Jackie Kennedy’s Engagement Ring?
After her death in 1994 at the age of 64, Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring became part of her preserved estate. Today, it’s housed at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, alongside other significant pieces from the late First Lady’s jewelry collection, including her signature pearl necklaces and diamond brooches.
Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring occasionally goes on public display as part of exhibitions honoring the Kennedys’ legacy, though it is not permanently exhibited for conservation reasons. When it does appear, it continues to captivate admirers for both its historical importance and its bold, unconventional design—a reflection of Jackie’s sophisticated and forward-thinking taste.
The Enduring Appeal of the Toi et Moi Ring
The rise of the Toi et Moi ring—and Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring in particular—wasn’t just about aesthetics. As First Lady, Jackie’s fashion choices became an extension of her public identity, merging glamour with diplomacy. With the media amplifying every detail, her ring quickly became aspirational, inspiring women across the country to rethink what an engagement ring could be.
DeYoung said, “It showed that asymmetry could be elegant, and that personal meaning could be just as important as carat size.” She noted that the Toi et Moi style has since become a modern classic, influencing countless reinterpretations by major designers.
What truly cemented the design’s legacy, though, was Jackie herself. Jackie Kennedy’s engagement ring endures not because it followed a trend but because it reflected the depth, individuality, and intentionality she brought to every part of her life. Today, the style remains a meaningful choice for couples who want their rings to tell a unique story through two stones forever linked—proof that the most unforgettable designs are rooted in character, not convention.
