HANOI (VnExpress): Georgina Rodriguez had chosen a rare diamond set by Chopard that is worth US$75 million to accompany the minimalist white dress for her wedding to Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo on Aug 11.
Ronaldo and Rodriguez held their intimate wedding ceremony in the living room of their home in Cascais, Portugal, on Aug. 11. This took place exactly 10 years after they first met at a Gucci store in Madrid.
In an interview with Vogue, Rodriguez explained that she wanted a cozy ceremony by the family dining table, where the couple and their children have their daily meals, rather than a lavish, extravagant wedding.
The bride wore a simple, elegant white silk faille suit-style dress paired with matching satin Gucci shoes.
However, the centerpiece of her outfit was Chopard's "Garden of Kalahari" necklace, featuring a 50-carat brilliant-cut diamond.
During the home wedding photoshoot by acclaimed photographer Juergen Teller, Rodriguez also wore a matching bracelet and ring from the "Garden of Kalahari" collection.
According to Chopard, this is the most valuable jewelry set the brand has ever created. It is valued at around $75 million and took a full year to complete.
The designs were meticulously crafted from a 342-carat rough diamond discovered at the Karowe mine in Botswana nearly a decade ago. Caroline Scheufele, Chopard's co-president and artistic director, named the stunning stone "The Queen of Kalahari."
The luxury jewelry house describes the 342-carat size as exceptionally rare for a diamond that also boasts a D-color grade and flawless clarity.
From "The Queen of Kalahari" stone, Chopard created 23 individual diamonds. Five of these, each weighing over 20 carats, showcase distinct cuts: brilliant, heart, pear, emerald and cushion.
The brand then used them as the centerpieces for six high-jewelry pieces. This included a versatile necklace, a choker, earrings, a wide bracelet, a ring and a luxury watch.
Of these 23 stones, three large diamonds were used for the necklace: a 50-carat brilliant-cut stone, a 26-carat heart-cut stone and a 25-carat pear-cut stone. They are set within a structure inspired by sunflowers, pansies, and banana blossoms.
Chopard said the necklace can be worn in seven or eight different ways thanks to its detachable components. It can be worn as a simple choker or styled with all three large stones attached to form a massive heart shape. The pear-shaped stone can also be turned into an earring.
According to The Jewellery Editor, while many celebrities had previously worn individual pieces from the "Garden of Kalahari" collection, no one else had worn the complete set as Rodriguez did.
British singer Shirley Bassey wore the large necklace at its Paris debut in January 2017. That same year, Hollywood actress Charlize Theron wore earrings from the collection to the Oscars.
In 2018, Lady Gaga wore the same earrings at the Toronto International Film Festival. Rihanna later wore the earrings and the ring at the 2018 Diamond Ball.
Pop star Sabrina Carpenter chose the 50-carat diamond pendant for the 2025 Grammys, and Beyoncé stunned with the large necklace at the 2026 Met Gala.
This was not the first time Rodriguez had worn Chopard designs. At the Cannes Film Festival in May, she attended the premiere of "Fjord" wearing a jewelry set from the house's 2026 Red Carpet collection, which featured 18K white gold with 234.2 carats of emeralds and 57.44 carats of diamonds. She also wore an 18K white gold Chopard watch with 46.03 carats of diamonds.
According to Grazia, both Ronaldo and Rodriguez share a deep passion for luxury jewelry. Rodriguez owns a personal collection of rings, bracelets, and earrings valued at over $5 million.
On her social media, Rodriguez shares photos of herself wearing diamond and ruby necklaces, earrings and rings while simply at home caring for her children, vacationing or even swimming.
Rodriguez, 32, is a successful Argentine-Spanish influencer and entrepreneur. According to Celebrity Net Worth, her wealth is currently estimated at over $10 million. The majority of her income comes from modeling contracts, social media endorsements, and high-profile event appearances. -- VnExpress
