Bad news for fans of Taylor Swift’s break-up anthems: the 35-year-old singer is engaged to American football player Travis Kelce.

Showing off her engagement ring on Instagram, the singer wrote: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

A close-up of the ring, reportedly designed by New York-based jeweller Kindred Lubeck, reveals it to be a cushion-cut oval diamond on a yellow gold band, with experts estimating that it could be up to 10 carats and worth as much as £1.2 million. Quiet luxury, this is not.

“Oval diamonds have been the celebrity cut of choice lately and this keeps the same elongated silhouette with a more antique-y, individual look,” shares jewellery editor Sarah Royce-Greensill.

“The yellow gold band is on trend and being chunkier it’s a more practical option for the large stone.”

Swift’s huge rock follows in the footsteps of a series of other high-profile oversized sparklers.

Her best friend, Selena Gomez, made headlines in December of last year for her marquise-cut diamond engagement ring, rumoured to be between 5 and 8 carats and worth $225,000.

The following month, actress Zendaya debuted her showstopping east-west set engagement ring on the Golden Globes red carpet, despite not actually confirming the impending nuptials until later on.

Similarly, pop star Dua Lipa also started wearing her chunky gold band and large oval-cut diamond months before she officially announced the engagement to Vogue in June.

Then there are the more obvious examples of ostentatious wealth.

Earlier this month, football player Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines for the ring he proposed to girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez with, which is thought to be 35 carats and worth $5 million.

And of course, there was also the ring at the centre of the biggest wedding of the year – the 30-carat cushion-cut pink diamond estimated to be worth $5 million given to Lauren Sánchez by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos.

A more-is-more kind of lady, Sánchez wore not one, but two engagement rings – the second boasted a large oval-cut diamond. Both were designed by Lorraine Schwartz.

The return of the XXL diamond engagement ring marks an end to an era where celebrities were opting for more discreet or unusual options, such as Emma Stone’s $4,000 vintage pearl ring.

It seems that now, conspicuous wealth of the more-is-more variety is decidedly back ‘in’. But why was it out in the first place?

In the early 2020s, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the A-list had to rebrand as relatable in order to be likeable. This era coincided with the popularity of the TV show Succession, which itself ushered in a love of so-called ‘quiet luxury’, that is wearing expensive, well-made pieces that didn’t shout about their worth.

It was all part of a bigger cultural moment too, and a growing distrust of social media.

Following on from Kim Kardashian’s robbery at gunpoint in Paris for her jewellery in 2016, Hollywood stars began to scale back what they would display online.

Yet the mood seems to have shifted this year, coinciding with Donald Trump’s second term in office. According to trend forecaster Sean Monahan, we are currently living in an era of “boom boom culture”, something he describes as “a pure expression of excess,” typified by the return of fur (faux and real), big MAGA-esque blow dries and suits for the office.

Indeed, in May, Kim Kardashian faced the men who robbed her in court for the first time, notably wearing full-on bling, including a $1.5 million necklace.

However for Maddy Sangster, founder of Heavenly London, Swift’s choice of ring is more about spectacle and storytelling, rather than displays of wealth.

“We’ve had a deco moment and now the pendulum is swinging towards other vintage moods – think old Hollywood scale and glamour,” she explains. “Taylor’s ring is a perfect example: a large stone, a romantic cut and a sense of timeless drama that feels fresh.

“I think this year we will see more heirloom style rings. It says a lot about celebrity culture now – big nostalgic gestures seem to be very prevalent. Jewellery that’s meant to be seen, photographed and talked about rather than admired quietly.

“Celebrities are leaning into spectacle, choosing pieces that feel like stories rather than minimalist or trend-led. Taylor’s ring fits perfectly; it’s as much about the theatre of romance as it is about the stone.”

Grace O’Neill, co-host of the pop culture podcast After Work Drinks, agrees. “Taylor Swift is interesting because she plays the role of the girl next door so well that there is a deep disconnect between her being a billionaire in our cultural sense of billionaires and her ‘Your English teacher’ public persona,” she explains.

“In her interview on Travis’ podcast she talked about making sourdough and sewing, nothing ostentatious or wealth-focused, and her style is always very high-low mix, she is rarely seen in head-to-toe designer in the way 99 percent of celebrities are.

“In the same way, I think she is a diehard romantic who wanted a big romantic proposal with a big beautiful diamond, and so it feels ‘authentic’ or honest, more than the flagrant wealth flaunting we’re used to seeing on the internet by celebrities.”

Indeed, it’s certainly in the same vein of the rings of Hollywood legend: think Mariah Carey’s ring from James Packer in 2018 (estimated to be worth $10 million), Elizabeth Taylor’s $150 million jewellery collection, or Grace Kelly’s Cartier ring (which was estimated to be worth $4 million at the time – around $38 million in today’s money). 

Then there are the engagement rings of stars of the mid-Noughties, such as Beyoncé’s $5 million 24-carat diamond, Kim Kardashian’s $3 million cushion-cut diamond and Paris Hilton’s $4.7 million pear-cut diamond, the last time this culture of extravagance was predominant.

If the size of Swift’s ring ruffles your feathers, or you think it tacky, consider this – Britons’ diamonds have always been on the smaller side.

“Super sized sparklers are definitely more of a US thing, Americans have always loved their diamonds big and bold, with the average ring over a carat,” adds Sangster.

“In the UK and Europe we tend to be more restrained, closer to half a carat, which is why when Taylor or Ronaldo wheel out their XL stones, it feels almost cinematic – like celebrity theatre playing out on their ring finger.”