100 Years of Engagement Rings

[Dave-W]

Tanzanite surrounded by “diamond aura,” a lab made diamond substance. From Mt Kilimanjaro.

This is the Green Helenite ring my wife has. It is from the eruption of Mt St Helens.

Her Pamirite ring; stone from the Pamir mountains in Asia.

 

[barefeetonholyground]

I believe it's the result of a brilliant marketing campaign by De Beers in the 1930s and 40s. "A diamond is forever" was their slogan. Before that, diamonds were by no means the default.

It's exactly that.
Also, diamonds are not rare at all.
De Beers owns almost all major diamond mines in the world and they control the amount of diamonds being released to the market.

 

[Dave-W]

We have a retired jeweler in our congregation, and he has looked my wife’s rings over with his jeweler’s eye. He was impressed even with the manufactured diamonds.

 

[Toro]

I believe it's the result of a brilliant marketing campaign by De Beers in the 1930s and 40s. "A diamond is forever" was their slogan. Before that, diamonds were by no means the default.

I dont believe they even exchanged rings as the custom until it was marketed as "If he is a real man he will spend no less than XXXXX".

 

[Deidre32]

Been watching Victoria starring Jenna Coleman on PBS. One of the younger ladies got engaged to a young courtier and he gave her a ring with a square black stone on it. Using diamonds for engagement rings seems to be a unique modern English/US tradition not shared with the rest of the world.

I’ve noticed that.

 

[Dave-W]

I dont believe they even exchanged rings as the custom until it was marketed as "If he is a real man he will spend no less than XXXXX".

It was after DW and I got married (1977) that they started giving a "proper" $$ amount for the e-ring at 3 months' income.

The ring I bought was pretty modest; but as a college student, even that was probably over the "guidelines."