Trends

Tallulah Willis Imbues Antique Engagement Ring With Magic

TrendsApr 03, 2025

Tallulah Willis Imbues Antique Engagement Ring With Magic

The 4-carat, old mine brilliant-cut diamond engagement ring was co-designed by Willis and New York City-based brand Karina Noel.

Tallulah Willis’ Engagement Ring
Tallulah Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, worked with designer Karina Rousou of Karina Noel to create her engagement ring with an antique fancy light brownish yellow diamond with VS1 clarity set in 22-karat yellow gold. (Image courtesy of Tallulah Willis and Karina Rousou)
New York—Tallulah Willis, the 31-year-old daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, debuted her engagement ring from musician Justin Acee on March 22, after his proposal in December 2024.

Willis worked alongside New York City-based designer Karina Rousou of Karina Noel on the ring’s design.

Together, Rousou and Willis chose a 4.03-carat fancy light brownish yellow VS1 clarity diamond.

The old mine brilliant-cut stone was set in 22-karat yellow gold with a “special hand finishing” done by a master jeweler that took “a long time” to perfect, said Rousou.

Rousou said the antique diamond was purchased from one of her closest antique stone and jewelry suppliers.

“[I] never knew a ring could encapsulate a love so perfectly,” said Willis in the caption of her Instagram post debuting her ring.

Willis looked to ancient inspirations and materials when deciding on the design of her ring.

In a video posted to Instagram, she said the ring setting, particularly the curves of the shoulders, reminds her of an ancient vase or jar, such as an amphora.

“It’s very femme,” she said of the shape.

In ancient Greece, these two-handled vases were used to transport olives, cereal, oil, and wine, and were often given as prizes in the Panathenaic Festivals, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica

She continued, saying, “I think it’s very special when you can imbue something with a little magic.”

 Related stories will be right here … 

While Willis debuted her engagement ring last month, the couple announced their engagement on Dec. 23, 2024.

Acee originally proposed to her with a different ring.

The first ring Willis received was a yellow gold eternity band, which turned out to not be a good fit for her.

After being seen without her engagement ring, she told People in February that, “I’m getting it fixed.”

“I got an eternity band, but it hurt. It made my finger bleed, so I was like, this is not a good match.”

Once receiving the ring she helped co-design, Willis replied to comments about her previous ring saying, “It ended up not working because that particular style can be very uncomfortable and I felt sensory issues coming up. This style sits better on the finger.”

She also explained that the stone from her previous ring was sold to a diamond collector in Texas.

Rousou and Willis have worked together on an engagement ring before.

When Willis was engaged to film director Dillon Buss in 2021, she received a custom-made Karina Noel ring.

The ring featured an emerald-cut diamond with a four-prong setting on a solitaire band, People reported in May 2021.

Since making the switch to her new engagement ring, Willis has joined Natalie Portman, Ellie Goulding, and Behati Prinsloo, all of whom received old mine cut stones in their engagement rings.

The vintage cut is also one of this year’s predicted bridal trends, along with solitaire bands.

The Latest

Woman with crossed hands and rings on fingers
FinancialsJun 02, 2026
Signet Jewelers’ Q1 Sales Up 2% As It Focuses on ‘Core Four’

The jewelry retailer is zeroing in on Zales, Jared, Kay Jewelers, and Blue Nile as it looks to create unique brand identities for each.

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, chairperson of the Diamonds for Development Fund
SourcingJun 02, 2026
Leader Appointed for Botswana’s Diamonds for Development Fund

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, a development economist, will head the fund created to help Botswana diversify its economy.

James Marks
WatchesJun 02, 2026
Watch Industry Veteran James Marks Joins Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s has appointed the former Phillips executive as its global head of private sales and retail in its watches division.

PG-05-SHOT-2-LUCIDA.033 1.png
Brought to you by
All Eyes on Gold Prices. Alternatives to Look For. And What to BEWARE of in Vegas

As gold prices rise, today’s retailers are looking for alternatives at prices that will appeal to wider audiences.

Sothebys 10-carat blue diamond, 120 carat Harry Winston diamond necklace
AuctionsJun 02, 2026
Sotheby’s to Auction 10-Carat Blue Diamond, 1960s Harry Winston Necklace

A private collection of five Paraíba tourmalines also will be up for sale at Sotheby’s High Jewelry auction in New York, scheduled for June 16.

Weekly QuizMay 28, 2026
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
People shopping in a jewelry store
IndependentsJun 02, 2026
State of Retail: 6 Things Retailers Should Know About Consumers Today

From Gen Z’s view of luxury to “doom spending,” these are the six consumer trends to note this year.

Zahn-Z Big Zaha Art Deco Ring
Events & AwardsJun 01, 2026
Design Atelier Brands Have a Big Night at Emotional Couture Design Awards

The show started by honoring Mildred Marcano, ended with a tearful Beth Anne Bonanno, and recognized a dozen-plus designers in between.

1872x1052-NextGem-2026-National-Jeweler-Advertorial.jpg
Brought to you by
How Modern Training Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage for Jewelry Retailers

With the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.

Rapaport's rebranding
SourcingJun 01, 2026
RapNet Rebranding as Rapaport Trade

The revamped online diamond marketplace will feature pricing intelligence and data-driven tools for more efficient buying and selling.

Gemfields emeralds
SourcingJun 01, 2026
Gemfields’ Higher-Quality Emerald Auction Achieves $26.8M

The miner said demand for higher-quality emeralds is stable, but there is notable caution in the market.

Cultus Artem River of Heaven Necklace
CollectionsMay 29, 2026
Cultus Artem’s Necklace Is the Oasis in Las Vegas’ Desert

The “River of Heaven” necklace, our Piece of the Week debuting at Couture, combines 26 salt and pepper diamonds spaced by Tahitian pearls.

Sean Dunn, Amy Greenberg, Elise Greenberg, Coleman Clark, Mitchell Clark
IndependentsMay 29, 2026
Meet the 2026 Retailer Hall of Fame Inductees

This year’s inductees include second-, third-, and fourth-generation jewelers.

Jesse Itzler
Events & AwardsMay 28, 2026
JCK Announces Jesse Itzler as 2026 Keynote Speaker

The author, speaker, and entrepreneur will give his presentation, “Spiritual Billionaire,” on Saturday morning.

JCK Rocks Nelly Graphic
Events & AwardsMay 28, 2026
JCK Rocks To Ride With Nelly

Three-time Grammy award-winning artist Nelly is set to perform at the annual event at Tao Beach on Sunday night.

A screen shot of The Clear Cut's website
MajorsMay 28, 2026
Signet Jewelers to Buy The Clear Cut

Signet will integrate the online-only, natural diamond-focused jeweler into Blue Nile, which it wants to position as a higher-end retailer.

Itä Aguaviva Tassel Pendant, Ashaha Anzar Cuff, Cultus Artem Quetzal Ring
CollectionsMay 28, 2026
Meet The 17 Newcomers to Couture’s Design Atelier

These up-and-coming jewelry brands are bringing their distinct aesthetic and unique point-of-view to the Design Atelier for the first time.

GCAL 8x Cushion Cut diamond
GradingMay 28, 2026
GCAL By Sarine Launches 8X Cushion Cut

The lab’s proprietary diamond cut grade has been expanded to include the popular fancy shape.

Stock image of police cars with their lights on
Events & AwardsMay 27, 2026
5 Security Tips for Las Vegas Jewelry Market Week 2026

This year, it’s what could happen outside of show hours that worries JSA Executive Vice President Scott Guginsky.

Smart Age Solutions CEO and National Jeweler columnist Emmanuel Raheb
ColumnistsMay 27, 2026
What Jewelers Can Learn From Luxury Fashion’s Digital Playbook

High-end fashion houses know how to emotionally connect with customers online. Retail jewelers should take note, Emmanuel Raheb writes.

Couture The Iridescence designers Aziza-Abdullah Nicole, Cindy Liebe, Danyell Roscoe, Jessica Liu, Marie Helena from Rebel Jewelry, Julia de Souza, and Xiao Wang
Events & AwardsMay 27, 2026
Couture’s ‘The Iridescence’ Will Showcase 7 Emerging Jewelry Designers

The designers are the third cohort of mentees from the show’s Belonging @ Couture mentorship program.

National Jeweler columnist Sherry Smith, partner at The Retail Smiths
ColumnistsMay 26, 2026
The Key Mindset for Better Trade Show Buying

Buying discipline at trade shows starts with clarity about your inventory levels, Smith writes.

JCK Talks panel on stage
Events & AwardsMay 26, 2026
12 JCK Talks Sessions to Add to Your Las Vegas Schedule

The trade show’s education series returns, with sessions on retail trends, AI, watches, marketing, corporate responsibility, and more.

CBG Curated Designer Project Logo
Events & AwardsMay 26, 2026
CBG Brings Its Curated Designer Project to Las Vegas Show

The Curated Designer Project has expanded to highlight eight independent jewelry designers during CBG’s Las Vegas show.

Shot of attendees at a JA New York jewelry trade show
Events & AwardsMay 22, 2026
Instore Buys JA New York Show

The deal closed this week, which means Instore will produce the JA NY show slated to take place this fall.

Buccellati Waikiki gold and diamond earrings
FinancialsMay 22, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Brands Lead the Charge in Q4

The company’s jewelry sales were up in Q4 and the fiscal year, with Richemont raising prices in part because of the cost of gold.

Leigh Maxwell Bauble Earrings
CollectionsMay 22, 2026
Leigh Maxwell Celebrates 5 Years at Couture With ‘Bauble’ Collection

The “Bauble” capsule collection of colorful one-of-a-kinds includes our Piece of the Week, the “Bauble” earrings, featuring rose zircon.

Stuller 2026-2027 packaging and display catalog
MajorsMay 22, 2026
Stuller’s New Packaging, Display Catalog Is Out

The updated catalog has a newly dedicated section for gift wrapping.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy