David Douglas Diamonds & Jewelry
March 24th, 2016
Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank just announced her engagement to former tennis pro Ruben Torres and her new ring may have you green with envy.

swank1

Swank revealed the big news on her Instagram page on Tuesday, but perhaps more surprising than the proposal itself was the emerald engagement ring gleaming on her finger.

swank3

The Million Dollar Baby actress and frequent covergirl joins a small, but impressive, legion of celebrities who have stepped out of the box with colored gemstone engagement rings. Some of the most notable are Halle Berry's 4-carat emerald engagement ring, Jessica Simpson's 5-carat ruby engagement ring and Kate Middleton's 12-carat blue sapphire engagement ring, which had been worn by Princess Diana.

A romantic photo posted to Swank's Instagram page showed the actress and her new fiancé with the following caption: "Went on a hike and this happened! I am so happy to share with you all this exciting and incredible news... the engagement to my dear Ruben!!!" She concluded the post with #Engaged and three emojis.

Also prominent in the photo is the gorgeous emerald-cut emerald ring, with a halo of white diamonds and split shank. The emerald seems to be set in white gold or platinum.

swank2

On Twitter, she posted a shot of their first kiss as an engaged couple, with the following caption: "And then this happened....#sealedwithakiss."

Coveted for thousands of years, the beautiful and rare emerald is associated with Venus, the goddess of love, and is known to symbolize romance, domestic bliss, good luck, well being, sensitivity, loyalty, harmony, faith and truthfulness.

New brides need to be cautious when choosing an emerald for an engagement ring because the gem very often presents natural inclusions that are an integral part of the stone's beauty and character. Special care must be taken to ensure the quality of the emerald lasts a lifetime.

swank4

People reported that Torres proposed to Swank, 41, over the weekend during the BNP Paribas Tennis Open in Palm Springs, Calif. The former tennis pro is now a tennis coach and wealth manager at UBS Financial Services. Swank and Torres started dating last summer and made their relationship public in December of 2015.

Swank was previously married to actor/producer Chad Lowe for 10 years. They divorced in 2007.

Images: Instagram/HilarySwank; Twitter/HilarySwank; Elle magazine cover, November 2010.