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Picking great jewellery isn’t that difficult. With charm bracelets, designer necklaces, and personalized rings all available at relatively affordable prices, the cost of giving a special someone jewellery has gotten significantly lower over the years, not just financially but in terms of selection and difficulty.

But there is one area where a Pandora bracelet just won’t do: engagements. Most men fear engagement rings with a passion, worried and concerned about making a faulty decision or choosing something that isn’t appreciated. With thousands of different designs, a confusing range of jewellery options, and a truly shocking price tag attached, this is one decision that’s worth thinking over.

So why not take direction from our culture’s driving force – celebrities? These eight celebrity engagement rings, wedding bands, and exotic jewellery pieces combine the expensive and the elegant, the obsessive and the truly beautiful. If you’re struggling to pick a great engagement ring, let these eight celebrity examples serve as some pretty, albeit expensive, inspiration.

1.    Scarlett Johansson’s $30,000 Engagement Ring

Source: http://tinyurl.com/2vrjoaj

Hollywood beauty Scarlett Johansson has always benefited from slightly reserved tastes; the acclaimed actress has rarely been featured on best or worst dressed lists, preferring to disappear into crowds than get caught up in red carpet drama. Her engagement ring – a $30,000 piece from then fiancé Ryan Reynolds – fits her style perfectly, looking elegant yet reserved when compared to other famous engagement rings.

Priced at $30,000, the engagement ring is significantly less pricey than other pieces of celebrity bling, and we can’t help but feel it’s money well spent. Far from the kitsch jewellery we often see celebrities showing off, this stylish engagement ring wouldn’t look out of place on anyone else.

2.    Beyonce’s £2.5 Million Diamond Wedding Band

Source: http://tinyurl.com/33j5ao4

Beyonce’s £2.5 million wedding ring certainly broke tradition; the piece was distinctly different from the public’s expectations, housing several diamonds rather than the standard gold wedding band arrangement. Purchased by husband Jay-Z at a cost of almost $5 million (valued at over £2.5 million at the time), the ring became one of the most famous of all time, grabbing media attention wherever it was seen.

For less financially successful bling fans, similar wedding bands are available at a significantly lower cost. Imitation models have been spotted for as little as $2,500 – the perfect choice for would-be rappers lacking Jay-Z’s $150 million bankroll.

3.    Melania Knauss’ $1.5 Million Engagement Ring

Source: http://tinyurl.com/394fthn

When Donald Trump proposed to Slovenian model Melania Knauss, he knew he needed to make a serious impression. The real estate billionaire certainly disappoint, offering his third wife-to-be a $1.5 million diamond engagement ring, purported by some news outlets to be the most expensive engagement ring of all time.

Other wedding expenses included a $200,000 dress, along with a $1.6 million ceremony. Jewellers are uncertain about the ring’s exact value, although most estimates fit somewhere between $1.5 and $2 million, depending on personal engraving and the piece’s condition.

4.    Katie Holmes’ 5-Carat Diamond Ring

Source: http://tinyurl.com/36nr432

There was little about Tom and Katie’s romance that didn’t attract the tabloids. Their proposal was heard around the globe, the ceremony surveyed by world class paparazzi, and their engagement rings the subject of much scrutiny from jewellery experts and media personalities.

Surprisingly, Katie Holmes’ engagement ring is quite reserved and standard. Detractors made fun of its art deco appearance, glossing over the fact that it is noticeably less shocking than other celebrity rings. With a five-carat oval diamond and platinum setting, this piece of bling may not look quite as ridiculous as its purported price tag.

5.    Jennifer Aniston’s $500,000 Custom Diamond Spiral

Source: http://tinyurl.com/37lnhn6

Before ‘Brangelina’ was the hottest celebrity romance, Brad Pitt’s 1999 engagement to Jennifer Aniston was a media favourite. The couple announced their engagement at a Sting concert, getting married a year later and sporting matching diamond engagement bands.

Jennifer’s ring was the most visibly lavish, sporting a diamond spiral and giant central diamond. Designed by Brad Pitt and Silvia Damiani, the ring cost an estimated $500,000 – one of the most expensive Hollywood engagement rings of the time.

6.    Catherine Zeta-Jones’ 10-Carat Marquise Ring

Source: http://tinyurl.com/3abte4t

Catherine Zeta-Jones’ engagement was a media field day. Engaged to Michael Douglas – a man almost twice her own age – and sporting a restored 1920s engagement ring, reporters let ‘antique’ puns slip constantly and treated the couple as a foreign object amongst other Hollywood romances.

But despite age differences, this celebrity coupling has stood the test of time. Catherine’s stunning restored 1920s Fred Leighton ring was reportedly purchased for over $1,000,000. While it’s a figure most people will never even consider spending on a ring, it seems strangely appropriate here; she is, after all, marrying Gordon Gekko.

7.    Jennifer Lopez’s $1.2 Million Engagement Ring

Source: http://tinyurl.com/323abcr

Talk about a whirlwind romance. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s early 2000s romance was one of the most archetypal in the celebrity world, complete with an expensive ring and a very public break-up. While most can remember Jennifer ditching Ben in favour of Marc Anthony, few people recall an important issue – just what happened to the $1.2 million engagement ring?

Apparently, Affleck was returned the ring after their romance went south, giving it back to jeweller Harry Winston in time for a Valentine’s Day sale. We’re not sure how much the piece was sold for, but you’d hope it was close to its previous value; with $1.2 million invested in the ring and an at-the-time failing acting career, we’re fairly certain this was one sale that Ben wanted to complete as quickly as he could.

8.    Salma Hayek’s £200,000 Oval Diamond Ring

Source: http://tinyurl.com/36mqe5o

When you’re engaged to a French high-end goods billionaire, no ring is too expensive or indulgent. Despite a noticeable lack of media attention, Salma Hayek’s engagement to French tycoon François Henri Pinault caused a stir in the jewellery world. The billionaire offered her a £200,000 platinum wedding ring alongside his proposal, promising to take care of the Mexican actress for the rest of her life.

Besides a brief breakup during their engagement, it seems as if Pinault has kept his promise. The couple have been happily married for over a year, romancing throughout Europe for the majority of 2009 and early 2010.