Wedding jewellery

The tradition of exchanging rings dates back 3,000 years and it was the Egyptian pharaohs who first used circles or rings to represent eternity. The Greeks then adopted the tradition of giving rings to their lovers to represent devotion, many of these rings depicted Eros or Cupid, the god of love. The tradition of the ‘ring finger’ lies with either the Egyptians or early Romans; they are said to have believed that the fourth finger had a vein or nerve that connected straight to the heart! It is then believed that it was the Romans who linked the ring to marriage and wedding jewellery.

From Medieval times, wedding rings were set with precious gems. Medieval Europeans used rubies to symbolise passion, sapphires to symbolise the heavens and diamonds to symbolise resolute strength.

It is said that the first recorded diamond engagement ring dates back to the late 1300s or early 1400s when it was left by an English widow in her will. Diamond engagement rings became increasing popular and ornate during Victorian times due to Queen Victoria’s famed love for diamond jewellery.

Arguably it is De Beers that created the fascination around diamond engagement rings in modern culture. During the hardship years of the 1930s, De Beers launched an ambitious marketing campaign. By giving Hollywood actresses diamonds to wear in their movies, De Beers made diamonds glamourous symbols of romance and with Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali illustrating their ad posters, diamonds became revered as works of art. In 1947, De Beers introduced the advertising slogan ‘a diamond is forever.’ The percentage of US brides who received diamond engagement rings as part of their wedding jewellery jumped massively from 10% in 1939 to 80% in 1990.

Through the ages, engagement and wedding rings have always symbolised love and commitment.