Since the beginning of The Bachelor all the way back in 2002, diamond rings have been a staple of the show, often highlighting current trends, which most of us will only dream of being able to afford.
When the show began, there wasn’t a set jeweler, but by Season 13, Neil Lane had become the show’s official ring man, and he’s doled out the sparklers ever since.
“I actually start the design process long before I meet the groom,” Lane told InStyle of his approach to designing the Bachelor and Bachelorette rings. I draw from decades of design experience to anticipate emerging styles and trends and then incorporate them into the engagement rings. By presenting a full collection of handmade couture designs, I can ensure that there will be a fitting ring that feels as though it was created especially for the bride-to-be. The groom and I spend a lot of time together while he’s selecting the ring. We collaborate and through our dialogue, he reveals the characteristics that make his bride and the relationship he has with her unique. With these concepts in mind, I help guide him to the ring that is the true embodiment of his love for her.”
Unfortunately, the rings very rarely stay on the girl’s finger very long. Only seven couples out of the 34 seasons of The Bachelor and Bachelorette (21 and 13, respectively) have stayed together. But that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to look back at those massive rocks and the love stories of season past.
Will Arie Luyendyk Jr. be one of the lucky ones who make it last?
‘The Bachelorette’ Season 1: Trista Rehn & Ryan Sutter
Probably the most iconic Bachelor couple, Rehn and Sutter got engaged at the end of The Bachelorette Season 1. They have now been married for 12 years and have two daughters.
‘The Bachelor’ Season 3: Andrew Firestone & Jen Schefft
Firestone proposed to Schefft at the end of his season with this gorgeous Winston oval-shaped engagement ring. Unfortunately, their relationship only lasted a few months after the show before they called it quits.
‘The Bachelorette’ Season 2: Meredith Phillips & Ian McKee
McKee proposed to Phillips with this Tacori ring at the end of The Bachelorette Season 2. After a year together, the two split, and Phillips went on to battle an alcohol addiction.
‘The Bachelor’ Season 6: Byron Velvick & Mary Delgado
Velvick proposed to Delgado at the end of Season 6 with this Tacori ring, but it was to be a relationship riddled with issues. Though they were together for five years, Delgado was arrested in 2007 for assault after she reportedly punched Velvick in the mouth.
‘The Bachelor’ Season 12: Matt Grant & Shayne Lamas
Grant and Lamas dated for just two months after a proposal at the end of The Bachelor Season 12. The two later let the insults fly when Lamas accused Grant of being gay, and Grant said he regretted picking Lamas.
‘The Bachelorette’ Season 4: DeAnna Pappas & Jesse Csincsak
Pappas accepted Csincsak's proposal and this Tacori engagement ring at the end of The Bachelorette Season 4. The two dated for about four months before announcing their split.
‘The Bachelor’ Season 13: Jason Mesnick & Melissa Rycroft
Mesnick and Rycroft got engaged at the end of Season 13. This engagement ring heralded the beginning of the Neil Lane era of the Bachelor franchise. Unfortunately, their engagement was to be short-lived. Mesnick infamously announced on live TV that he had made a mistake picking Rycroft and asked his runner-up, Molly Malaney, to give him another chance. She did, and the two have now been married for eight years.
‘The Bachelorette’ Season 5: Jillian Harris & Ed Swiderski
Harris and Swiderski were engaged for about a year after reports of cheating ended their relationship.
‘The Bachelor’ Season 14: Jake Pavelka & Vienna Girardi
Maybe one of the most explosive Bachelor couples ever, Pavelka and Girardi dated for just a few months after the show and had a fighting match on live televisions during a Bachelor special.
‘The Bachelorette’ Season 6: Ali Fedotowsky & Roberto Martinez
Martinez proposed to Fedotowsky with this stunning ring at the end of Season 6. The two were together for about a year and a half before calling it quits.
‘The Bachelor’ Season 15: Brad Womack & Emily Maynard
Womack's second shot at love on The Bachelor seemed to come to a magical conclusion when he proposed to Maynard. Unfortunately, it wasn't to last. They split just three months after the finale.
‘The Bachelorette’ Season 7: Ashley Hebert & J.P. Rosenbaum
Finally, another Bachelor success story! Hebert and Rosenbaum got engaged at the end of her season of The Bachelorette and were married in December 2012.
‘The Bachelor’ Season 16: Ben Flajnik & Courtney Robertson
Despite being the Season 16 villain, Robertson won Flajnik's heart when he proposed in the finale. Sadly, the relationship only lasted a few months. Robertson would go on to spill all the details of the show in her tell-all book I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends.
‘The Bachelorette’ Season 8: Emily Maynard & Jef Holm
Unfortunately, second time wasn't the charm for Maynard. After she split with Womack, Maynard took on The Bachelorette. She accepted Holm's proposal at the end of the season, but the two were only together for about three months after the finale. Luckily, Maynard found her happily ever after in her now-husband Tyler Johnson.
‘The Bachelor’ Season 17: Sean Lowe & Catherine Giudici
Lowe and Giudici are the only couple from The Bachelor to actually make it down the aisle. He proposed in Thailand with this stunning engagement ring. They were married in 2014.
‘The Bachelorette’ Season 9: Desiree Hartsock & Chris Siegfried
Siegfried chose to a rose gold flair for Hartsock's engagement ring. She said yes, and the two were married in January 2015.
‘The Bachelorette’ Season 9: Andi Dorfman & Josh Murray
Dorfman and Murray were engaged at the end of her season of The Bachelorette. They were together for about five months before the relationship ended amid accusations Murray was verbally abusive.
‘The Bachelor’ Season 19: Chris Soules & Whitney Bischoff
Soules picked out a 4-carat sparkler for Bischoff, who excitedly accepted his proposal. Unfortunately, the relationship only lasted a few months.
‘The Bachelorette’ Season 11: Kaitlyn Bristowe & Shawn Booth
Bristowe and Booth got engaged at the end of her season when he proposed with a 3.5-carat ring reportedly valued at $150,000. The two are still engaged after two-and-a-half years together.
‘The Bachelor’ Season 20: Ben Higgins & Lauren Bushnell
When Bushnell and Higgins got engaged at the end of The Bachelor Season 20, it seemed as if they had the perfect chemistry to make it last. And not just because he gave her a $95,000 ring. Then came their reality show and couples counseling and a wedding on pause and, finally, the breakup announcement after dating for over a year.
‘The Bachelorette’ Season 12: JoJo Fletcher & Jordan Rodgers
Rodgers and Fletcher found the beginnings of their happily ever after at the end of The Bachelorette Season 12. He presented her with an $80,000 oval-cut engagement ring, and they've been together ever since. Though they aren't rushing to get married, they recently told People they're very happy together.
‘The Bachelor’ Season 21: Nick Viall & Vanessa Grimaldi
Viall proposed to Grimaldi with a 3.75-carat engagement ring. But the two had a heartbreaking split just five months after the show. And though it was hard, the split was said to be amicable.
‘The Bachelorette’ Season 13: Rachel Lindsay & Bryan Abasolo
Abasolo proposed to Lindsay during the finale of The Bachelorette Season 13 with a 3-carat pear-shaped diamond ring that is absolutely stunning. Now, six months after the show, Lindsay and Abasolo are ready to say I do. The couple is reportedly planning a 2018 wedding.
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