Diana ordered her engagement ring against protocol

Instead of creating a custom-made design or picking an heirloom piece, Diana ordered her engagement ring straight from a jewelry collection in 1981 (this meant the ring was available to the public). She was just 19 when she decided to defy tradition and choose her own engagement ring, from a catalogue. The ring was a 12-carat sapphire surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds. Traditionally the royal family gets engagement rings custom-made. The sapphire ring now belongs to Kate Middleton. Diana thought that rules were meant to be broken, even if they existed for centuries.