Princess Catherine's first ring from Prince William wasn't her engagement ring and the touching story behind it is so sweet

Believe it or not, the story behind Princess Catherine's first ring from Prince William may actually be even more romantic than that of her actual engagement ring. Though much is made of that huge sapphire - Princess Catherine's first ring, a promise ring, is a reminder that sometimes the best things come in smaller packages.

• Princess Catherine's first ring was a promise ring, which the Prince gave her during their time at university in St Andrews.
• The simple band contains stones that have a very special and personal meaning behind them, and was carefully chosen for the Princess.
• In other royal news, Queen Camilla's 'very lusty, healthy life' with Andrew Parker-Bowles revealed despite his 'serial infidelity'.

You may have noticed that Princess Catherine is often spotted without her engagement ring - hell, that thing is hard to miss. Kate Middleton's engagement ring famously once belonged to Princess Diana.

The iconic piece of jewelry is a 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire ring, surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds, made by Royal Family favorite British jeweler Garrard. 

While Princess Catherine's engagement ring is no doubt her most iconic piece of jewelry, it wasn’t the first ring she received from the man she would one day marry. Long before the Prince put a ring on it, there was another ring keeping her ring finger warm.

The couple began dating back in 2001 while they both studied at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. It's unclear when, but during that time the Prince gave Kate the beautiful ring.

Princess Catherine's promise ring, according to the engagement ring and fine jewelry experts at UK retailer Steven Stone, is set on a rose gold Victorian band and features two garnets which are Kate’s birthstone for January. The sweet piece also has pearls to represent William’s birthstone for June.

The ring, which Kate wore at her graduation, is believed to have been carefully chosen for what its precious stones represent. This ring, say the experts at Steven Stone, says a lot about their relationship.

"Garnets symbolise perseverance and strength and are traditionally known as commitment stones, which reinforces the meaning behind the ring," they explain. "Pearls were traditionally given as a wedding gift, which could have been a hint that wedding bells were soon to be on the way."

Princess Catherine's first ring appears to be from the Victorian era, from the late 1800's and the experts price it at $2500(£2000) - which is far less than her engagement ring. That particular rock is estimated to be worth a remarkable $490,000(£390,000).

The sentimental story behind Princess Catherine's first ring means that, despite owning a jewelry collection worth more money than one could even imagine, it's probably one of her favorite pieces.

Although she's not seen wearing this particular piece, we're sure that she keeps it safe and sound alongside her more expensive pieces.