BEIJING, July 3 -- Actress Uma Thurman and new fiancé Arpad "Arki" Busson have wasted no time in throwing a huge engagement party.

    After Thurman received such a grand engagement ring -- said to be an eight-carat diamond surrounded by 20 smaller stones -- from the multi-millionaire financier, a lavish engagement party was only to be expected.

Actress Uma Thurman poses for a portrait in New York in this April 15, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters file Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Uma Thurman welcomed famous pals Sir Elton John, Sting, Claudia Schiffer and Sir Bob Geldof to a lavish garden party on Tuesday to celebrate her engagement to boyfriend Arpad Busson.

    Other celebrity guests at the bash included British actress/model Elizabeth Hurley and husband Arun Nayer, fashion designer Stella McCartney, artist Damien Hirst and director Matthew Vaughn.

    The party was held in a marquee in the garden of Arpad Busson's house in Kensington, west London.

    With such an expensive ring and star-studded party, the French financier will have to throw an even bigger wedding in order to outdo his previous work.

    Uma, 38, and Arki, 45, announced their engagement in The Times only last week.

    (Source: China Daily)