Franklin Dean
Diamond engagement rings have been popular since the 1940s when the diamond company De Beers hired an advertising agency to market diamonds as romantic symbols of everlasting love. Before this, diamonds were just one among many gems used in engagement rings, and rings themselves were not always used in wedding ceremonies. In the 8th century, a couple would exchange consent by offering each other an object called a 'wed', which was often a ring. During the Renaissance, diamonds began to be used in engagement rings, but most commoners could not afford them until the discovery of South African diamond mines in the 19th century.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| When did diamond rings become popular? | Diamond rings became popular in 1947 when De Beers, a British company that mined diamonds in South Africa, launched an advertising campaign. |
| Who started the trend? | Archduke Maximillian of Austria was the first to propose with a diamond engagement ring in 1477. |
| What were wedding rings like before diamond rings? | Wedding rings have existed for over 3000 years. Before diamond rings, people used rings made of various metals, such as gold, silver, and iron. |
| Why did diamond rings become popular? | De Beers' marketing campaign associated diamonds with romance, glamour, and art. They also suggested that a man should spend a significant fraction of his annual income on an engagement ring, increasing the demand for diamonds. |
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What You'll Learn
Ancient wedding rings were a mark of ownership
Wedding rings have been exchanged for thousands of years, with evidence suggesting that the practice began in ancient Egypt around 4,000 BCE. Ancient Egyptians believed that circles were symbols of eternity, with no beginning and no end, reflecting the shape of the sun and the moon, which they worshipped. They also believed that the open space in the middle of a ring represented a gateway to the unknown. The Egyptian ouroboros ring, portraying a serpent swallowing its tail, is one of the oldest symbols in the world, representing the eternal cycle of things.
In the 2nd century BCE, wedding rings to the Romans and Egyptians were a mark of ownership. The Romans also believed in the Egyptian idea of the "vena amoris" or "vein of love", a vein that ran directly from the heart to the fourth finger on the left hand, and began wearing wedding rings on this finger. This tradition has continued to the present day.
From the 3rd and 4th centuries CE onwards, gold rings became more luxurious in style, displaying the giver's wealth. The fede ring, which depicted two right hands clasped together, representing friendship, partnership and the marriage contract, was popular during this time. Romans also began personalising their rings by carving portraits of themselves into the rings.
In the 8th century CE, it became the norm for a man to offer a woman a ring as a symbol of their betrothal. Rings became part of the Christian marriage ceremony in the 12th century, when the Church declared marriage to be a holy sacrament.
It was not until the 15th century that engagement and wedding rings began to embody the symbolism of intertwined unity that we associate with them today. Gimmel rings, made up of three connected bands, became popular at this time, with each piece worn by each half of the engaged couple, and joined together on the wedding day to be worn by the bride as her wedding ring.
Diamonds were just one of many types of gemstones used in engagement rings until the 1940s, when De Beers, the company that controlled the majority of the world's diamonds, launched a marketing campaign to increase their popularity. By giving diamonds to Hollywood actresses to wear in movies, De Beers made them glamorous symbols of romance and wealth. In 1947, they introduced the advertising slogan "a diamond is forever", and in 1953, Marilyn Monroe popularised the phrase "diamonds are a girl's best friend". As a result of this campaign, the percentage of United States brides who received diamond engagement rings jumped from 10% in 1939 to 80% in 1990.
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Romans and Egyptians exchanged rings in the 2nd century BC
The tradition of exchanging wedding rings is an ancient one, dating back thousands of years. In the 2nd century BC, the Romans and Egyptians used rings as a mark of ownership rather than a symbol of love. The ancient Egyptians believed that the fourth finger of the left hand, the ring finger, contained the "vena amoris" or "vein of love" that led directly to the heart. This belief was later adopted by the Romans, who also wore wedding rings on the ring finger.
The Romans used iron and copper rings in marriage ceremonies. The iron rings sometimes featured key motifs to symbolize that the wife now had control of the household goods. By the 2nd century CE, however, most rings were made of gold. Gold Roman fede rings, which showed two right hands clasped together, became popular in the 3rd and 4th centuries CE. These rings represented friendship, partnership, and the marriage contract.
The ancient Greeks also exchanged rings as symbols of love, not necessarily of marriage. When the Romans conquered Greece, they adopted this tradition. Roman rings often depicted Eros or Cupid, the god of love. Rings were also given as a sign of promise or engagement. Pliny the Elder noted that an iron ring was given to a woman when betrothed, without any stone in it.
The use of rings in marriage ceremonies has evolved over time. While diamonds are now commonly associated with wedding rings, they were just one of many gems used as engagement ring stones until the 1940s. The popularity of diamond rings can be attributed to marketing campaigns by diamond companies, such as De Beers, which controlled the majority of the world's diamonds at the time.
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Rings became a norm in the 8th century
The tradition of exchanging rings during weddings is an ancient one, dating back thousands of years. However, it was only in the 8th century that the practice became standardised. Before this time, rings were often given as tokens of devotion or to signify betrothal, but they did not always indicate marriage.
The 8th century marked a shift where the exchange of rings became specifically associated with marriage. This development helped to clarify the intention to marry and provided a tangible symbol of the commitment made between two people. The norm was established that no man should place a ring on a woman's hand unless he intended to marry her. This custom addressed the confusion around wedding legitimacy, as weddings at the time did not require witnesses or clergymen.
The evolution of wedding rings continued over the centuries, with gold rings becoming more luxurious and ornate starting from the 3rd and 4th centuries CE. The Fede ring, featuring clasped hands to represent friendship, partnership, and the marriage contract, was a popular style during this period. Romans also began personalising their rings with carvings of their portraits or the couple getting married.
In the Middle Ages, wedding rings began to be adorned with precious gems. Medieval Europeans used different types of gemstones to symbolise various meanings: rubies for passion, sapphires for the heavens, and diamonds for steadfast strength. It is worth noting that diamonds have been associated with romance and strength for centuries, but their popularity as engagement ring stones surged in the 1940s due to the marketing efforts of diamond companies like De Beers.
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Diamonds became popular in the 1940s
Diamonds have been used in engagement rings for centuries, with the first famous diamond engagement ring dating back to 1477. However, their contemporary cultural significance and wild popularity can be traced back to the 1940s, when they became the most popular choice of stone for engagement rings. This was largely due to a successful advertising campaign by De Beers, a British company that controlled most of the world's diamonds at the time.
Before the 1940s, diamonds were just one of many gems used in engagement rings, and people often chose sapphires or gold rings instead. When the economic downturn of the 1930s caused a decline in diamond sales, De Beers launched an innovative marketing campaign to increase demand. They gave Hollywood actresses diamonds to wear in movies, creating an association between diamonds and glamour, romance, and indestructible love. The company also recruited famous artists like Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali to design ad posters, positioning diamonds as works of art.
In 1947, De Beers introduced the now-iconic slogan, "A Diamond is Forever." This slogan played on the idea that diamonds are enduring symbols of everlasting love and commitment. The campaign targeted middle-class wage-earners, using "engaged socialites" as prestigious role models. It also emphasised the size of the diamonds that celebrities gave to their loved ones, creating a desire for larger, flashier stones.
The opening of the De Beers mines in Africa around this time also made diamonds more accessible, contributing to their growing popularity. By the 1950s, diamonds had become the expected choice for engagement rings, with three-quarters of American brides now wearing diamond engagement rings. The success of the De Beers campaign is evident in how diamonds are now synonymous with romance and commitment worldwide.
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De Beers' 1947 campaign made diamonds a symbol of everlasting love
The exchange of rings during weddings has been a tradition for over 3,000 years. In the 2nd century BC, rings were a symbol of ownership for the Romans and Egyptians. Rings became a symbol of commitment in the 8th century. In the 12th century, the Christian church declared marriage to be a holy sacrament and established a rule that no man should place a ring on a woman's hand unless he intended to marry her.
The first famous diamond engagement ring was given in 1477 by Archduke Maximillian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy. However, diamond rings only became popular in 1947 when De Beers, a British company that mined diamonds in South Africa, launched an advertising campaign.
De Beers' 1947 campaign, "A Diamond is Forever," revolutionized the diamond industry and made diamonds a symbol of everlasting love. The campaign was created by the N.W. Ayer advertising agency and copywriter Frances Gerety. It aimed to create a parallel between diamonds and everlasting love by positioning diamonds as a romantic purchase. The campaign was extremely successful, with De Beers' wholesale diamond sales in the United States increasing from $23 million in 1939 to $2.1 billion in 1979. The campaign's influence was such that it single-handedly created the tradition of gifting a diamond ring when proposing marriage.
The campaign also promoted the idea that an engagement ring should cost the equivalent of two months' salary. De Beers' marketing efforts extended beyond this campaign, with taglines such as, "Marry me sounds so much better than just Merry Christmas," and "Of course, there's a return on your investment. We just can't print it here." These advertisements reinforced the notion that diamonds are a symbol of everlasting love and commitment.
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Frequently asked questions
Before diamond wedding rings, people used a variety of other gemstones, precious metals, and enamels in their wedding jewellery.
Diamond wedding rings became popular in the mid-20th century due to a successful marketing campaign by diamond giant De Beers, which controlled the majority of the world's diamonds at the time.
The De Beers campaign aimed to increase the sale of diamonds by associating them with love and romance. It began in the 1930s, with the slogan "A Diamond is Forever" launching in 1947.
Before diamond rings became popular, engagement rings often featured intricate designs mixing various gemstones and metals. Gimmel rings, made up of three connected bands, were also popular.
In the 2nd century BC, rings were a mark of ownership to the Romans and Egyptians. Over time, rings became a symbol of everlasting love and a physical representation of marriage.
