Britney Spears's $70,000 engagement ring features four-carat diamond and special engraving


Farah Andrews
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A delighted Britney Spears announced her engagement to Iran-born fitness expert Sam Asghari on Sunday.

Showing off her sparkling new ring, the singer captioned an Instagram video, "I can't believe it," with a series of diamond ring emojis.

Now, details about the bespoke piece of jewellery have been revealed by the designer, Roman Malayev at Forever Diamonds NY.

The ring is estimated to have cost $70,000 and has the word "lioness" engraved inside, which is Asghari's nickname for his new fiancee.

"Our team couldn’t be more thrilled to congratulate Britney Spears and Sam Asghari on the beginning of their forever," a post on the Forever Diamonds NY Instagram account reads.

"The thought and detail Sam put into this ring made the design process so special for Roman [Malayev] and our team. In honour of the lioness herself, we are naming this gorgeous setting The Britney. Sam and Britney, we wish you a lifetime of happiness together."

The Britney ring is now a permanent part of the Forever Diamonds NY collection. It features a four-carat round brilliant stone in a platinum cathedral setting, with pave detailing on the bridge and flush-set diamonds on the prongs and basket.

Get a closer look at Britney Spears's Forever Diamonds NY engagement ring here:

Jeweller Mehul Pethani from Cara Jewellers in Dubai says this is currently a very popular style of engagement ring. In Dubai, four-carat diamonds "start at Dh100,000 ($27,200)", with the price increasing up to Dh1 million "depending on quality", he adds.

Spears and Asghari announced their engagement on Sunday, after five years together.

They met in 2016 on the set of the singer's Slumber Party video. Asghari plays the singer's love interest in the music video set in an old mansion being used as a nightclub.

  • Britney Spears and Sam Asghari at the Glaad Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in April 2018. Getty Images
    Britney Spears and Sam Asghari at the Glaad Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in April 2018. Getty Images
  • Britney Spears and Sam Asghari, with her sons Sean Federline and Jayden James Federline, attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors in November 2017. Getty Images
    Britney Spears and Sam Asghari, with her sons Sean Federline and Jayden James Federline, attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors in November 2017. Getty Images
  • Britney Spears and Sam Asghari arrive at the premiere of Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood at the TCL Chinese Theatre in July 2019. AFP
    Britney Spears and Sam Asghari arrive at the premiere of Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood at the TCL Chinese Theatre in July 2019. AFP
  • Britney Spears and Sam Asghari attend the 2019 Daytime Beauty Awards. AFP
    Britney Spears and Sam Asghari attend the 2019 Daytime Beauty Awards. AFP
  • Sam Asghari wearing Zuhair Murad's Rise from the Ashes T-shirt in August 2020. Sam Asghari / Instagram
    Sam Asghari wearing Zuhair Murad's Rise from the Ashes T-shirt in August 2020. Sam Asghari / Instagram
  • Sam Asghari in Britney Spears's 2016 Slumber Party video. YouTube
    Sam Asghari in Britney Spears's 2016 Slumber Party video. YouTube
  • Sam Asghari and Camila Cabello in Fifth Harmony's Work From Home video in February 2016. YouTube
    Sam Asghari and Camila Cabello in Fifth Harmony's Work From Home video in February 2016. YouTube
  • Britney Spears and Sam Asghari in January 2020. Sam Asghari / Instagram
    Britney Spears and Sam Asghari in January 2020. Sam Asghari / Instagram
  • Sam Asghari as a child, with his parents. Instagram / Sam Asghari
    Sam Asghari as a child, with his parents. Instagram / Sam Asghari
  • Sam Asghari attends the Can You Keep A Secret? premiere in August 2019. Getty Images
    Sam Asghari attends the Can You Keep A Secret? premiere in August 2019. Getty Images

The singer is currently fighting a legal battle to end the 13-year conservatorship that controls her personal life and finances.

In the past, Asghari has said he is looking forward to a "normal, amazing future" with the singer. In June, Spears spoke in court, revealing that the conservatorship terms prevent her from having any more children or getting remarried.

She has been married twice, first to childhood friend Jason Alexander in January 2004, but the Las Vegas marriage was annulled after 55 hours.

She then married Kevin Federline in September 2004. The couple divorced in July 2007 and have two sons: Sean Preston, 15, and Jayden James, 14.

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Men from Barca's class of 99

Crystal Palace - Frank de Boer

Everton - Ronald Koeman

Manchester City - Pep Guardiola

Manchester United - Jose Mourinho

Southampton - Mauricio Pellegrino

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Zakat definitions

Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.

Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.

Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.

Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.

Without Remorse

Directed by: Stefano Sollima

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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

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Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

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4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Results:

CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off

1.           Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds

2.           Anikka Sande (NOR) For Cash 2 39.09

3.           Georgia Tame (GBR) Cash Up 39.42

4.           Nadia Taryam (UAE) Askaria 3 39.63

5.           Miriam Schneider (GER) Fidelius G 47.74

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Dir: Shane Black
Starring: Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook, Keegan-Michael Key
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Director: Shazia Iqbal

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Essentials

The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.

The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.

 

Updated: September 13, 2021, 12:46 PM