Join us on a glittering history filled with divine diamond rings!
Diamond expert Vashi Dominguez has uncovered the evolution of the diamond engagement ring in Europe from the 15th Century to the present day.
1477: Mary of Burgundy (Archduke Maximilian)
Pictured above alongside a typical 15th Century diamond ring
One of the very first recorded diamond engagement rings was presented to Mary of Burgundy by Archduke Maximillian of Austria towards the end of the Middle Ages. The ring was set with thin, flat pieces of diamonds (known as hogback diamonds) forming a letter ‘M’ shape. Already, the diamond ring was referred to as a commemoration of love and marriage, worn on the fourth finger of the left hand – it was romantically believed the vena amoris (vein of love) ran directly from this finger to the heart.
1628: Henrietta Maria (Charles I)
Although there were more sumptuous diamond ring designs available by the 17th Century, Charles I presented a traditional, classically simple design to Henrietta Maria of France. Then 15 years old (not unusually young for princesses of this period), Henrietta was to become an unpopular Queen though she was a fine supporter of the arts. The ring itself was a signet design with a large diamond and a riveted band crafted in gold.
Mid 1600s: Brilliant cuts
In the middle of the 17th Century, the first brilliant cuts were introduced. Then known as Mazarins after Cardinal Mazarin who invented them, they had 17 facets on the crown (upper half). They are also known as double-cut brilliants, seen as an improvement from old single cuts. Later, a Venetian polisher, Vincent Peruzzi, increased the number of crown facets to 33; known as triple-cut or Peruzzi brilliants, the fire and brilliance of the cut gem were significantly improved. However, when seen nowadays, these early brilliants seem exceedingly dull compared to modern brilliant cuts.
1770: Marie Antoinette (Louis XVI)
Presented by Louis XVI, the flamboyant Marie Antoinette’s engagement ring was a truly stunning design with an enormous 5.64 carat Pear cut blue diamond solitaire gemstone. Along with a multitude of highly precious jewels, also in Marie Antoinette’s collection was the stunning Hope diamond (then known as the French Blue), which is infamously cursed. The diamond was stolen from her jewellery collection as the French Revolution began.
1796: Joséphine de Beauharnais (Napoleon I)
Napoleon I treated his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais, to a one carat diamond and one carat blue sapphire engagement ring, formed from yellow gold in a slender band. In 2013, the dazzling Pear cut contrasting gemstone ring outsold the estimated value by more than 47 times, fetching an impressive £660,000 at auction.
1800s: Varying gemstone and diamond ring trends
The Victorians were notoriously highly sentimental and used gemstones to signify affectionate names. For instance, an engagement ring could signify endearments such as ‘dearest’, which would be shown by a diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, sapphire and topaz, often on the still popular split shank ring band. Other trends for diamond engagement rings included the half-hoop of diamonds, three-stone (trilogy) diamond ring or Old Mine cut diamond surrounded by smaller gems, and finally the ‘gypsy’ setting showing the diamond almost flush with the metal band.
1839: Queen Victoria (Prince Albert)
Queen Victoria received a unique and now incredibly famous serpent engagement ring from Prince Albert; serpents are an ancient symbol of protection and eternity. The serpent ring had an emerald-set head as emerald was Victoria’s birthstone and it was popular at the time to include birthstones in engagement rings. It is believed that Victoria was still wearing the ring when she was buried. Elsewhere in the Victorian period, other popular motifs for jewellery included natural themes such as butterflies, clover, garlands, daises and doves, plus Gothic symbols and letters.
1871: The Belle Époque
The Belle Époque (French for ‘Beautiful Era’) was a period in French and Belgian history characterised by optimism and prosperity. Allowing the arts to flourish, it was named retrospectively, considered a Golden Age in contrast to WW1 horrors. Simultaneously, Art Nouveau style saw the next great age of the diamond – the precious gemstone became a status symbol in a classic single stone (solitaire) open-prong setting. 1886 was the year that Tiffany & Co. (then less than 50 years old) introduced the Tiffany setting, a 6 prong solitaire design. Today, solitaire engagement rings still prove the most popular style despite the huge variety of trend-led, fashion orientated pieces available.
1890s: Affordable luxury
Sears & Roebuck revolutionised diamond engagement rings, bringing them to a wider audience. No longer reserved for the very wealthy upper class, affordable wedding and diamond engagement rings appeared in mail-order catalogues. The trend caught on with other brands doing the same, whilst today, the sentiment is echoed with online retailers often saving a customer more than if they purchase diamond rings on the high-street.
1920s: Art Deco
During this decade, rings were typically set in the most precious metal of all, platinum (or often in white gold after 1926). The gemstones featured were usually baguette, shield-shaped or tiny round diamonds. Old European cuts were the norm with Emerald and Asscher cuts introduced, and ruby, sapphire and emerald added for coloured accents. After the popularity of 2013’s The Great Gatsby film adaptation starring Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, Art Deco styles remain popular.
1930s: Art Deco
The Art Deco period still reigned but a new design, fishtail rings, were introduced. An example of the scallop setting, they use a technique where prongs are created from the shank. Thick, tri-tipped prongs in four prominent corners hold a centre stone of set of stones, often with a few small diamonds channel or bead set into the shoulders. The prongs fork at the end, which creates the illusion of a fishtail when seen from the finger view. Engraving was uncommon, usually no more than a Milgrain edge.
1940s: ‘A Diamond is Forever’
During the 40s, platinum was reserved for military use, making 14k gold a popular option. Most often, the diamond of the engagement ring was set in a 14k white gold head to contrast against a 12k yellow gold band. Then, in 1948, De Beers’ campaign established the diamond engagement ring trend for good. ‘A diamond is forever’ was named by Advertising Age magazine in 2000 as the best advertising slogan of the twentieth century.
1956: Grace Kelly (Prince Rainier III) and Elizabeth Taylor (Mike Todd)
The current obsession with celebrity engagement rings actually began in the 50s. Prince Rainer III presented Grace Kelly with a stunning Emerald cut 10.47 carat diamond in 1956, encouraging a huge array of replicas. In the same year, Elizabeth Taylor received her ring from Mike Todd – a dazzling 29.4 carat Emerald cut diamond. Both have become iconic jewels, which still inspire to the present day.
1981: Diana, Princess of Wales (Charles, Prince of Wales) and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William, Duke of Cambridge)
Announcing their engagement in 1981, Charles and Diana chose a £28,000 12 carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire engagement ring, which is surrounded by 14 small solitaire diamonds set in 18k white gold. In October 2010, Price William gave the ring to Kate Middleton (prior to her royal wedding, she had the ring resized from a size H to a size I). Even now, the ring is highly coveted and has become a wildly popular, copied design.
Early 2000s: Coloured diamonds
Coloured diamonds had a bold moment throughout the noughties. In 2002, Ben Affleck proposed to Jennifer Lopez with a 6.10 carat Cushion cut pink diamond engagement ring (valued at over $2.5 million). Two years later, Heidi Klum received a 10 carat yellow canary oval diamond engagement ring from Seal, worth $150,000. Then, in 2008, Mariah Carey accepted Nick Cannon’s colourful proposal; the Emerald cut pink diamond engagement ring showcases two half-moon white diamond side stones and 58 pave set pink diamonds surrounding three central stones.
Early 2000s – Now: Emerald cut
Reminiscent of the iconic celebrity engagement rings of the 50s, the Emerald cut diamond shone brightly again. Jay Z presented Beyoncé hers in 2007. Other modern day celebrities such as Eva Longoria (engaged to Tony Parker in 2006), Angelia Jolie (engaged to Brad Pitt in 2012) and Kim Kardashian (engaged to Kanye West in 2013) were presented with Emerald cut jewels. The trend spurred a ‘more is more’ attitude with many women wanting a huge, eye-catching rock for their engagement ring.
Early 2000s – Now: Vintage
What goes around comes around with vintage engagement rings popular amongst the rich and famous. Mary-Kate Olsen received a vintage 1953 engagement ring from Olivier Sarkozy in 2014 – an Old European cut diamond framed by 16 sapphires with side petals set with single cut diamonds. Johnny Depp stepped out in an engagement ring with the now popular vintage looking setting, which displayed a centre Round Brilliant large diamond surrounded by baguettes and smaller round diamonds. Stars such as Scarlett Johansson, Milla Jovovich and Emily Blunt also have antique engagement rings.
Present Day
Trends may come and go but the Solitaire diamond engagement ring has proven the most popular of styles throughout the years. Not only do they account for 85% of engagement ring sales on Vashi.com but contemporary celebrities from Keira Knightley and Mila Kunis to Lauren Conrad also sport solitaire designs.
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