It shouldn’t come as any surprise that diamonds are still the most popular stone for engagement rings. From working-class folks to the world’s richest celebrities, diamonds have long been the stone of choice for declaring a couple’s everlasting love. Whether the stone is a tiny chip, a modest princess cut, or a gigantic pink rock, diamonds are a favorite for couples in love.Our fascination with diamonds stretches back to the Middle Ages and even earlier. In those times, diamonds were valued for their magical properties. They were said to ward off evil spirits, prevent insanity, neutralize poison, and even keep the harmony between married couples. Although it would be hundreds of years before diamonds were thought of as beautiful, ancient Romans believed that they were among the most valuable of possessions.
Diamonds would not become firmly associated with wedding engagements for several hundred more years. At one time, the engagement ring contained several different stones. The Victorian “dearest” ring was composed of seven stones set in a band. The initials of the stones spelled out the word “dearest:” diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire, and topaz. Diamonds were used, but they were not the centerpiece of the ring.
In another tradition, the engagement ring consisted of the birthstones of the bride’s parents, the bride, the groom, and the groom’s parents all in a row.
The first recorded instance of a diamond ring being given as an engagement gift was in 1477. Maximillan I of Austria presented his betrothed, Mary of Burgundy, with a diamond ring for her finger. Diamonds have also been given as engagement or wedding gifts fitted in other types of jewelry, such as crowns, brooches, and bracelets.
Today, the tradition persists. As it is typically the man who proposes marriage, he presents the woman he loves with a diamond ring. If she accepts his proposal, she wears the ring as a token of his promise to her. There is a small but growing minority of engaged couples who also choose to purchase an engagement ring for the male half of the couple.
The precedent and trends regarding diamond engagement rings are often set by celebrities. Just as we once looked toward royalty to see what the rich and famous were wearing, we now watch the kings and queens of stage and screen to see what trends they will start next.
When Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were engaged, Ben presented JLo with a huge pink diamond. After that, sales of pink diamond engagement rings skyrocketed. Although no everyday man could afford the same kind of extravagant jewel for his intended wife, smaller and more modest versions flew off of the shelves of jewelers around the world. Paris Hilton once received a 24-carat canary diamond engagement ring from her former suitor Paris Latsis. The diamond was extremely rare and so expensive that the ring was rumored to have cost over $5 million. Again, most prospective husbands could not afford that type of luxury for their potential wives, but replica rings were very popular for months following Paris’s purchase.
Lately the celebrity trends seem to be leaning more toward very large, colorless diamonds. Christina Aguilera sported a hefty two-carat diamond during her engagement to Jordan Bratman. That was nothing, however, compared to the stunning 15.09-carat diamond adorning Liz Hurley’s white gold engagement ring presented to her by husband Arun Nayer. The remarkably huge stone is surrounded by smaller diamonds, making the ring so glitteringly beautiful that it’s almost difficult to look at.
New trends are popping up in the celebrity engagement arena, though, and they are worth keeping your eye on. If you are thinking about becoming engaged or just enjoy fine jewelry, celebrities’ left-hand ring fingers are great places to get some inspiration. Heidi Montag recently received an engagement ring from her beau Spencer Pratt that caused quite a stir in the media.
The ring was originally reported to contain a pink diamond surrounded by smaller colorless diamonds. When it was later revealed that the central stone was actually a lavender lemon amethyst, Spencer was accused of being cheap. The ring cost less than $3,000, which is certainly less than most celebrity engagement rings. However, Heidi was reportedly thrilled with the ring, which is stunning despite not containing a large central diamond. It’s not at all uncommon these days to see engagement rings with a colored stone as the central focus with several smaller diamonds surrounding it.
Will we continue to see more nontraditional engagement rings in the future? You can bet that some couples will choose to go the unconventional route and celebrate their love with stones other than the beloved diamond. But you can be equally sure that most couples will mark the occasion of their engagement with the timeless beauty and everlasting grace of diamonds.
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