The glorious history of the Engagement Ring
The engagement ring is by far the popular piece of jewellery that gets flaunted a lot on Instagram these days. Like most modern things in life, the engagement ring also dates back to the Ancient Romans. The Romans wore their rings made of bone, iron, ivory, or copper to affirm mutual obedience and love or even represent a business contract. Mary of Burgundy, received the first diamond engagement ring from her beloved Archduke Maximilian of Austria, as recent as 1477!
Gimmel Rings
The Gimmel rings of 1525 feature two or more hoops that beautifully fit together to create one ring. In a fascinating romantic gesture, the two parts would be worn by each partner on getting engaged. These two bands would be reconnected during the wedding ceremony and the unified ring would be flaunted by the bride.
Engagement rings came to America during the 1840s but without much fanfare. The Edwardian era in the early 1900s gave birth to designs remarkable by their elaborate yet dainty details. Though relatively uncommon, diamond rings were crafted around a large, central diamond, and numerous diamonds were sprinkled all over the ring. Filigree setting and ornate detailing encrusted with small diamonds were the mainstays of these Edwardian styles. Old European cut diamonds were the staple in Edwardian rings. The hand-cut, beautifully round stone enjoyed steady popularity until the 1930s.
Art Deco came to the fore with the 1920s
The 1920s ushered in a wave of modernity, even in the style of engagement rings. Art Deco emerged with its combination of fanciful coloured gemstones and diamonds with angled lines concentrating around a large gemstone.
Asscher cut diamonds with its wider-set large stepped facets appeared more brilliant than round diamonds. Art Deco-inspired jewellery often featured centre stones like ruby, emerald, or sapphire instead of a translucent diamond.
The Great Depression during the 1930s gave rise to engagement rings that were far less extravagant with simpler styles and smaller stones. Jewellers went out of their way in the 1940s to incorporate detailed setting elements like bows, flowers, or hearts to compensate for the smaller stone. The mid-1940s were all about solitaire or cushion-cut diamonds for those who could afford the glamour.
1948: the most significant year in the history of engagement rings
Everlasting marriage received a new marketing facelift when De Beers introduced their adroitly titled “A diamond is forever” campaign in 1948. The De Beers marketing campaign changed the course of the wedding jewellery industry as the sales of diamond engagement rings skyrocketed by the 1950s. Proposing with a diamond engagement ring turned out to be the new norm. The most common ring style featured twin diamond baguettes on both sides of the stone with a central solitaire.
Marilyn Monroe's diamond eternity band in 1955 was another trendsetter. Elizabeth Taylor's 29.4-carat emerald-cut engagement ring resulted in an ongoing obsession with emerald-cut diamonds. Aretha Franklin's engagement ring championed the simple silhouette. Irrespective of the changing cuts, diamonds still rule the sparkling universe of engagement rings!
If you would like to design your own unique Engagement Ring, contact the team on +65 6733 4100, or email bespoke@thejewelbox.com.