Halle Berry’s Retro Engagement Ring Is a Sapphire-Set Stunner

Halle Berry is engaged to Van Hunt, a Grammy-winning musician. Dispelling rumors that she said “no” to Hunt’s proposal, the actress confirmed her engagement on a late-night talk show last week. Her ring, pictured, dates to the Retro period. (Photo courtesy of For Future Reference Vintage)

New York—News broke recently of another celebrity engagement and with it, reports of another antique engagement ring, arguably the top trend in bridal jewelry. 

Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry confirmed her engagement to musician Van Hunt last week on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” even giving viewers a glimpse of her ring.

The two have been together for almost six years, Berry said on the show.

Sourced by For Future Reference Vintage, the ring has a round diamond as center stone with four fancy- shaped diamond accents, all surrounded by step-cut sapphires in yellow gold.

It dates to the late 1940s/early 1950s, the end of the Retro period. 

The aesthetics of the Retro period—bolder-yet-softer curved shapes primarily in yellow and rose gold, as platinum remained in short supply during World War II—were a shift from the sharp angles of the platinum-heavy Art Deco era.

For Future Reference founder Randi Molofsky explained: “I love Retro for its bold silhouettes and confident design. 

“After the relative ‘lightness’ of platinum Art Deco filigree, what came after was voluminous, warm gold jewelry with sweeping, rounded edges and large, multicolored gemstones and diamonds. Bold and glamorous, it’s right up my alley.” 

For Future Reference Vintage specializes in unsigned jewelry so it is not known who made Berry’s ring, though the company believes it is French.

Molofsky said her company started working with Berry through her stylist, Maryam Malakpour.

Like Molofsky, Malakpour is a vintage jewelry enthusiast, and she passed her love of “old” jewelry onto her client, who has worn pieces sourced by For Future Reference Vintage multiple times. 

Most recently, the actress chose an oversized sapphire and moonstone flower pendant in 14-karat yellow gold—another Retro piece—to wear to the London premiere of “Crime 101.”

Both Berry and Malakpour “appreciate the art of storytelling and the history that comes with jewelry that has had previous lives,” Molofsky said.

For Future Reference Vintage launched in 2024. It is a collaboration between Molofsky and Excalibur, a supplier of fine, collectible estate jewelry and watches based in Los Angeles.