Description: A diamond ring is the ultimate engagement symbol, but this hasn’t always been the case. Discover the significance and story behind this sparkling tradition.
Significance of a diamond engagement ring
A sparkling diamond engagement ring is the stuff that dreams are made of, and most men turn automatically to diamonds when they start their search for the perfect ring. In fact four out of five engagements rings that are bought in the world today feature diamonds in one form or another. But have you ever stopped to think what it is that makes diamond engagement rings so special?
The origins of diamond rings
Diamonds have long been associated with romance, passion, fire and magic, but it’s only in the last two centuries that they have been widely used to make engagement rings. Diamonds were first discovered in India around four thousand years ago, but were so highly valued for their beauty and rarity, that only royalty would have seen them.
The Greeks believed them to be the tears of the gods, and the Romans thought they were splinters of falling stars. Engagement rings from this time were just simple metal bands that symbolized the eternal duration of the marriage bond.
The word diamond comes from the Greek word ‘adamas’ meaning unconquerable. The word was used because of the incredible strength of the stone, and when this is combined with its apparent delicacy and outstanding beauty, it’s no wonder it became a symbol of love and marriage.
The first diamond engagement ring
Although the first diamond engagement ring on record was given in 1477, and belonged to Mary of Burgundy, diamonds were still extremely rare, and very few people would have been able to afford one.
The discovery of diamonds in Brazil and Africa during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries made diamonds more readily available, and diamond engagement rings more accessible to wealthy people. Styles of diamond engagement ring during this period were romantic, sentimental, and charming, incorporating diamond clusters and diamond set crowned hearts or roses.
The diamond solitaire engagement ring
The most popular diamond engagement ring as we know it today is the solitaire ring, which was first introduced by Tiffany & Co. in the 1880s. The famous six-prong “Tiffany® Setting” lifts the diamond above the band allowing light underneath and increasing the stone’s sparkle.
Tiffany & Co. became a world authority on diamonds, with Charles Lewis Tiffany known as “The King of Diamonds.” Tiffany & Co. still say that “nowhere is a Tiffany diamond more beautiful or more treasured than in its place of honour: on the hand of a woman.”
The dark side of diamonds
As with every valuable commodity, there has been a darker side to the sparkling diamond. Rough diamonds have been smuggled out of war-torn regions by people seeking to finance violence, and these have become known as conflict diamonds.
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme controls the import and export of rough diamonds to eliminate the flow if conflict diamonds, so you can always make sure that your diamond has been ethically sourced.
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend
The demand for diamond engagement rings is still high, and the sparkling solitaire is one classic piece of jewellery that will never go out of fashion. New twists on diamond engagement rings include coloured diamonds, and diamond encrusted bands, so it seems that diamonds are still a girl’s best friend.
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