Georgina Rodríguez adorned herself with jewelry valued at approximately £56 million for her intimate wedding ceremony with Cristiano Ronaldo. The couple exchanged vows at their home in Portugal on the tenth anniversary of their first meeting.
Ronaldo, 41, and Rodríguez, 32, chose a deliberately understated ceremony, with Rodríguez wearing a Gucci shirt and skirt as a nod to their meeting at a Gucci store. Ronaldo wore a simple T-shirt and suit jacket.
The jewelry suite, from Chopard's Garden of Kalahari collection, featured a D-flawless 50-carat brilliant-cut diamond as its centerpiece, along with a matching bracelet, earrings, and ring. Nilesh Rakholia, founder of jewelry brand Abelini, noted that the provenance of the stones, all originating from the same large rough diamond, significantly contributes to the collection's value. The publicly disclosed diamond specifications for the full suite exceed 300 carats.
Rakholia highlighted Rodríguez's comfort with wearing significant jewelry, noting she wore the bracelet during a morning workout on the wedding day. "Most people would treat a bracelet from a suite like this as something to put on five minutes before the ceremony. Georgina appears to have worn it as part of the day from the outset," he commented.
Rodríguez explained her choice for an intimate home ceremony to Vogue, stating her desire for their children to remember the event happening at their family table. "In 30 years' time I want the children to think, something wonderful happened at this table – the wedding vows of our parents," she said. This contrasted with her childhood dreams of a grand castle wedding.
Rakholia observed that the contrast between the understated wedding and the lavish jewelry was a striking element. "She essentially took all of the grandeur people expected from a Ronaldo wedding and concentrated it into the jewellery," he stated.
While an exact valuation is difficult without Chopard's official appraisal, a previous published estimate placed the complete Garden of Kalahari collection at around $75 million (£56 million), a figure Rakholia found plausible given the specifications and provenance. Chopard has not publicly disclosed a price for the collection.
The couple also signed a prenuptial agreement on August 10, a day before the ceremony, to define their property regime. They have five children together and recently returned to Saudi Arabia, where Ronaldo plays football, foregoing a honeymoon.
News of the union was confirmed by a representative for Ronaldo, stating it was a private and intimate moment attended by their children. The marriage certificate, published by Jornal de Noticias, indicated only four witnesses were present along with the children. Ronaldo's mother and siblings were reportedly not present at the ceremony, with some reports suggesting they were informed only moments before.