Engagement Rings Are A Thing Of History

Diamonds are one of the most beautiful and desirable stones available on earth. Even the most amazing colored stone is brought to life when surrounded by the sparkling white light that diamonds bring to a set piece. Of course, diamonds aren’t generally a good buy from an investment point of view, as very few set pieces of jewelry will increase in value over time, but that doesn’t detract from their value as objects of beauty and art. Although fashions change, including in jewelry settings, there are styles that are considered timeless, as well as styles which have been so popular that they have defined different periods. For example, rarely do most people get to wear tiaras or head pieces, but solitaire diamonds are still popular as engagement rings. Articles from sites like diamondcuts.com review on different trends, stores and jewelers help people work out what they really want from their piece of jewelry.

A Little Look Back at Engagement Rings

Looking at the history of jewelry, the diamond really only started to become truly popular when South African diamond mines opened, allowing diamonds to reach talented jewelers who could use this relatively new supply to create amazing new designs of jewelry. This was back in 1870, and you can really thank Queen Victoria for inspiring the trend towards diamond engagement rings. A trend that has become a tradition, and one that shows no signs of stopping any time soon. Although Victorian rings were often very large and colorful, with the later period also enjoying a fashion that included the use of pearls and enamel, Albert giving Victoria a stunning serpent themed ring of diamonds, emeralds and ruby’s, set into gold, was to start a trend for heavily encrusted engagement rings that would continue for quite some time. During this period rings tended to be quite large compared to modern counterparts, with diamonds used to add accent to a centrally placed gemstone (although see here for more). Of course, most people are aware of the marketing campaign by De Beers in the 1930s that made the diamond engagement ring a thing of necessity for couples intending to be married, however to say that De Beers were the inventors of the diamond engagement ring is a little unfair to Albert, who designed Victoria’s ring. It also doesn’t give enough credit to Archduke Maximillian of Austria, who is thought to be the first person to give a diamond engagement ring to their beloved, and this was back in 1477, before diamonds became accessible by any but the wealthiest of aristocrats.

Modern Engagement Rings

If you are currently in the market for an engagement ring, the array may dazzle you more than any diamond could. The single solitaire diamond set on gold is still popular, but trends are increasingly showing more artistry. Long gone are the days where the potential fiancé got to choose the engagement ring, in the modern age brides to be are having more say in what their engagement looks like, not only are they more likely to be choosing the ring, but they are also likely to be at least contributing to its purchase, if not buying it outright. https://www.brides.com/story/5-women-paid-own-engagement-ring However, we are no longer restricting engagement rings to women, with men starting to enjoy a new trend where they get to choose themselves and engagement ring too. Part of this is because engagements are often lasting longer as couples marry later, often only after they have already completed the traditional ‘buy a house, have children’ routine. Weddings are something that a couple may undertake because they want to celebrate the life that they have rather than exclusively as a way to tell the world that they are beginning a new life together. Ed Sheeran adds his name to a list of celebrities that are proclaiming their impending nuptials by sporting an engagement ring. Although apparently sans diamond his choice for a simple band has certainly not prevented a range of high-end jewelers for starting to design unisex engagement rings and more masculine diamond encrusted styles. Men’s engagement rings are often designed to fit flatter, with channel settings being more popular than claw settings, and they will often be made of different materials, from wood inlays to black finished titanium.