A History of Diamond Rings

With wedding season coming to an end and engagement season revving up, I’ve been looking at a lot of beautiful rings. Despite their varying shapes and sizes and styles, one thing is always the same: they’re diamonds.  So, why diamonds? Let’s take a little walk  into the past and find out why.

Some may first recall the connection between engagement rings and diamonds from the DeBeers “A Diamond is Forever” advertising campaign launched in 1938, but engagement rings have existed since ancient times, and the first diamond ring showed up in 1477.

Originally, rings were crafted out of simple metals. In the 2nd Century BC, grooms presented their wives with a gold ring to wear during the wedding or other special occasions and an iron ring to wear at home.

So when did diamonds become part of engagement rings?  Traditionally, the ancient Greeks believed that sparkling diamonds were splinters from lucky fallen stars and would then bring good luck and long-lasting love to the wearer.  Since astrologers believed the diamond could bring anything from all powerful love to sexiness to warding off evil, it’s easy to see why diamonds became popular.

In 1477, Archduke Maximilian of Austria changed history when he proposed to Mary of Burgundy with the first diamond ring.  He had the small diamonds set in the shape of an “M” for his betrothed.

During the 1600s and 1700s, European lovers often exchanged rings that were engraved with a message or a line of poetry, but diamonds didn’t really return until the Victorian era in the 1800s. This is one of the most romantic times in history because Queen Victoria was actually in love with her husband Albert, which is a rarity in royal marriages. Victorian diamond rings feature whimsical intricate designs with floral, heart, or leaf motifs.  Near the end of this era, large amounts of diamonds were found in South Africa, and Tiffany & Co created the six-prong setting, which raised the diamond for maximum brilliance and sparkle.

During the 1880s, many investors founded the DeBeers Mining Company and took control of it. This helped heighten the popularity on diamond rings but it wasn’t until their advertising campaign in the 1930s that diamonds became an even more integral part of engagement rings. With World War I and the beginning of World War II, diamond sales had diminished as couples were leaning towards more affordable options. DeBeers started a campaign showing consumers that they needed diamonds, but it wasn’t until 1947 that copywriter Frances Gerety hit the jack pot with the slogan, “A Diamond is Forever.” 

Since then, at least 80 percent of brides-to-be wear diamonds in their engagement rings. You can find breath-taking designs of diamond engagement rings in Brisbane, with an extensive collection including traditional princess cut diamonds to pink diamonds.

In modern times, no one diamond trend has ruled. I, personally love vintage rings for their whimsical details and histories of their own.