It is believed that the first wedding rings were used in ancient Egypt 6000 years ago. Back then, the rings were braided from hemp and the circle represented eternity, the never-ending love between the couple. It was also the Egyptians who invented the tradition of placing the ring on the ring finger of the left hand, as they believed that on that finger there was a vein directly connected to the heart.
Just as the way of proposing has changed over the years, the look of the engagement ring has undergone significant changes throughout history: the embellished engagement rings have given way to modern but equally valuable jewelry.
The channel Fashion did a retrospective showing the evolution of engagement rings over 100 years. Check out!
Want to understand this story better? Follow along.
1890-1900: The solitaire ring, made with a single round diamond and the 6 prong structure, was created by Charles Tiffany. Since then, it has become a marriage proposal classic.
1900-1920: With an all-worked gold structure, the style is characteristic of the Edwardian period, marked by luxury and ostentation.
1920-1930: In this period, engagement rings are strongly influenced by Art Déco: the central diamond loses its prominence to the work around the crown and the shapes used in the jewel are very symmetrical – trend of cubism, abstractionism and Bauhaus architecture.
1930-1940: In this period, white gold replaces platinum and Edwardian filigree returns as a trend. Note the introduction of floral motifs, characterized by Cartier. The decade was also marked by the quality of the gems, which evolved and emerged clearly well faceted.
1940-1950: Yellow and rose gold make a significant appearance. During World War II (1939-1945), precious metals were rationed and, in this period, a simple wedding ring was the only option for some brides. At this time, the “myth” was also created that a man should spend between one and two months of salary on the engagement ring – a “rule” that is currently widely used among North Americans. From 1945, the famous jeweler The Beers launched the campaign diamonds are forever, consolidating the diamond as the classic model of engagement rings.
1950-1960: Rings with stones encrusted on the sides begin to appear in 1950. White gold and platinum return as the most used metals in the manufacture of engagement rings. The preferred cut for diamonds is round.
1960-1970: Central diamonds with differentiated cuts, until then rarely seen, appear quite frequently. Cuts in “steps” style heart, drop and emerald cut – more chamfered corner.
1970-1980: In this period, engagement rings take on more extravagant forms, with many accessory stones, accompanied by wedding rings matching the style of the ring.
1980-1990: The central diamond is joined by baguette-style side stones – stones with rectangular cuts, where the corners are brighter. Colored stones begin to be seen more often in engagement rings: rubies, emeralds and sapphires become special.
1990-2000: The radiant cut is one of the preferred shapes for center diamonds. The baguette style returns with a vengeance and is seen quite often.
2000-2010: The princess cut for square diamonds is very successful in this period. Due to their facets with enormous light dispersion capacity, they bring exclusive cuts.
2010 to present: Rings with central diamonds surrounded by a halo formed of smaller stones become popular with brides. Vintage models are also popular.
What's your style? Classic or modern?
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