THE HISTORY OF ENGAGEMENT RINGS & THEIR TRENDS

If you ask your friends what the purpose of an engagement ring is, most of them will likely say it’s a symbol of “agreeing to marry a partner” or “a means of showing devotion and commitment to your beloved partner”. Today the engagement ring is widely recognised as a sentimental and romantic gesture; however, the concept dates back thousands of years.

THE STORY BEGINS IN EGYPT

The Egyptians were the first known people to exchange “rings of love”, often made from woven reeds or leather. It is said that the Egyptians saw the ring, a circle, as a powerful symbol because it has no end, thus representing eternal life and love. That said, this was not strictly an engagement ring, yet it’s here where the seed was planted, showing rings carried deep meaning.

The Roman Empire was one of the greatest and most influential civilisations in world history, and it was during this period when rings were linked to marriage. Romans constructed rings using lead, brass, copper and gold — the latter became the preferred metal of choice due to its pliable properties and wealth status. Romans wore rings on the left-hand ring finger because they believed this finger had a vein running directly to the heart.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ARCHDUKE MAXIMILIAN OF HAMBURG

In 1477, Max Million was the first (on record) to offer his fiancée a diamond engagement ring.

The diamond is eternal and lasts forever, so he wanted to show his love in that way, so the diamond ring represented his eternal love for his wife to be, Mary of Burgundy. The allure of diamonds really took hold during this time, and Max Million’s aristocrat peers bought into it — literally! Popularity soared, sparking a trend among those with great wealth.

FROM DESIRABLE TO ESSENTIAL!

In the mid-1800s to early 1900s, the high classes started to buy diamonds for engagement rings. It’s fair to say that the discovery of diamond deposits in South America during the eighteenth century brought the price of diamonds down drastically; however, they were still out of reach for the masses.

In the 1930s, De Beers ran a successful marketing campaign showing celebrities wearing jewellery, and popularity grew once more. The slogan their creative team drove home was “a diamond is forever”. This angle presented the diamond engagement ring as an idealistic symbol because celebrities were buying it — and we’ve seen people fall in love with the idea ever since! Nowadays, of course, purchasing an engagement ring is very much a formality.

NOTABLE DESIGN TRENDS THROUGH THE YEARS

We’ve touched on some of the significant moments in history that shaped the significance of engagement rings, but what about the various design styles of the past? Engagement rings don’t look the same as they did 100 years ago. During the 1920s, emerald-cut stones drifted in and out of fashion. There were also engagement rings featuring diamond halos, which truly reflected the Art Deco period.

Engagement rings in the 1930s featured more intricate designs, such as bands shaped like ribbons or bows. In the 1940s, when the De Beers’ campaign “Diamonds Are Forever” was launched, there was a sharp rise in extravagant rose-gold and yellow-gold bands with round-cut diamonds, set in shaped platinum settings. The 1950s was the decade that welcomed a drastic shift in shapes and styles. One innovative engagement ring that springs to mind is Audrey Hepburn’s iconic engagement ring set. It featured a trio of bands in three types of gold, which helped stimulate the concept of stackable bands.