Where Is Maria Shriver's Ring From Arnold Schwarzenegger?

The actor proposed to the journalist in August 1985.

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As the daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver, Maria Shriver had always been part of one of the most prominent U.S. families. However, when she met—and subsequently married— Arnold Schwarzenegger, her star power rose even more. The journalist and the actor were initially introduced by a mutual friend in 1977. In August of 1985, Schwarzenegger proposed to Shriver with an emerald-cut diamond engagement ring, and less than a year later, the two married in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Over the course of the next 10 years, the couple had four children together: Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher. After starring in dozens of films, in 2003, Schwarzenegger decided to embark on a new career path and ran for governor of California. He ultimately won that race and was sworn into the position on November 17, 2003, with Shriver at his side.

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However, years later, the relationship between the two began to unravel, and on May 10, 2011, they announced that they would be separating after 25 years together. In their decision to part ways, Schwarzenegger revealed that he had had an affair with his and Shriver’s housekeeper, Mildred Baena, in 1996. He also disclosed that the two had had a child together, Joseph Baena. On July 1, 2011, Shriver officially filed for divorce from the former governor. In 2012, both the author and the actor wore jewelry on their ring fingers, raising questions about whether or not they had reconciled. However, in the case of Shriver, it turned out that diamond was her mother’s former engagement ring, according to ABC News. That ring, a sapphire heirloom piece, was something Shriver has reportedly worn on and off since the death of her mother in 2009.

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While the precise whereabouts of Shriver’s emerald-cut diamond engagement ring isn't public knowledge, it’s likely that the philanthropist kept the piece or opted to pass it down to one of her children. In the years since their split, Shriver and Schwarzenegger have stayed on relatively good terms. In August 2020, the two were pictured alongside their four children in celebration of the actor’s 73rd birthday. In 2025, Shriver spoke to People about the relationship she continues to maintain with her ex-husband. “We laugh a lot about our kids, our grandkids, ourselves, and we are proud of the fact that we are still in conversation,” she told the outlet. “For almost 50 years!” Due to their current relationship, the journalist may still have the diamond in her possession as a sentimental piece. Yet it’s also likely that she lent (or gifted) it to one of her children.

At the wedding of her daughter, Katherine, to Chris Pratt, the children’s book author opted to wear the tulle veil that Shriver had worn at her own nuptials, as well as a pair of earrings from her grandmother, Eunice. While Katherine is the only child of Shriver’s to tie the knot so far, it’s not unlikely that she may give her emerald-cut ring to one of her other children—or one of their partners—when they decide to say “I do.”