E is for...Engagement Ring
01.07.19
A Brief History of Love.
Popping the question with an engagement ring seems like it’s a recent thing, well, maybe the extravagant engagement videos and the hashtag #proposalinspo is, but those shiny rings have been around for some time.
Thankfully, we’ve moved on from times when cavemen tied cords of braided grass around his chosen one’s wrists, ankles and waist, to a more personal and less rash-inducing tradition.
In ancient times, rings were less of a symbol of love; they were worn by women and women only showing they were spoken for. These rings may have been made from bronze, ivory, bone or iron but by the 2nd century, they were being crafted from metal. Evidence of golden wedding bands were found in the ruins of Pompeii which date back to 79AD. In the Roman era, engagement rings were recognised as a security or a down payment to the betrothed, if the engagement broke up.
Diamond engagement rings didn’t appear on the scene until years later, the first recorded evidence was in 1477. Archduke Maximillian of Austria proposed to Mary of Burgundy with a ring set with flat cut diamonds in the shape of an “M”. Following this showy ring, the European Nobles set to adding more precious gems to their jewellery.
Mary of Burgundy's Engagement Ring - Photo From HuffPost
In the early 1800’s diamonds made their way over to the US, yet diamond rings remained uncommon until the 1930’s, when De Beers hit the scene in (see our previous post here for the down-low of De Beers). Diamond engagement rings became the leading line of jewellery in stores, thanks to their “A diamond is Forever” campaign. On screen, and off, Hollywood stars started to wear diamond jewellery as the early ‘influencers’ to increase their popularity.
Today, bespoke engagement rings are often an expression of the person wearing it, their other half choosing colours, shapes and styles that reflect the person wearing it. With coloured diamonds, fancy shapes, side stones, halos to choose from, it’s a tough decision to make. More men are choosing to wear engagement rings with their bride too, feminism and equality playing a major role in this increasing trend. In 2010 when Prince Willian proposed to Kate Middleton with Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring, the trade has seen a surge in popularity of coloured stone rings, specifically gemstone and diamond halo rings.
Whatever your stance on engagement rings, you can’t deny how pretty these are…
A Fancy Intense Yellow Emerald Cut
A Fancy Yellow Radiant with Half Moon Side Stones by Thelma West
An Emerald Cut with Tapered Baguette Side Stones
A Crisscut Diamond with Halo and set band by Cole Sams
An Oval Mixed Cut Emerald with Round Brilliant Cluster
A 6ct Round Brilliant Cut Solitaire
By Laura @ IGR
