A diamond engagement ring is such a common and potent symbol that we tend to forget how recently in history this became a tradition.
In the middle ages, the diamond was not generally prized for its beauty; this is mainly due to the fact that medieval cutting practices were largely unable to reveal the most dramatic properties of the stone. At the time, they were more concerned with the mystical properties of the diamond — specifically, the ability of the “Pietra della Reconciliazone” to keep husbands and wives happy with each other.
Additionally, the occult properties of diamonds (good fortune, warding off evil, et cetera) were used to spread the convention of wearing one on the left hand among the wealthy and fashionable (and superstitious) in Europe. Interestingly, the right hand is preferred in parts of Eastern Europe and the Ukraine.
However, the main thrust of popularity for diamond engagement rings came from pure marketing. In the late 1930’s, the De Beers company found far more diamonds than they could sell to the usual customers, so they began marketing them aggressively to a much wider range throughout the 20th Century.
Before long, it was almost unthinkable to have anything other than a diamond as the centerpiece of an engagement ring — and De Beers managed to make it an accepted practice that the groom should spend at least 2 - 3 months wages when buying one. This, of course, made women and De Beers very happy…and the blossoming postwar economy made it considerably easier for many men to live up to their end of the forced bargain.
During the 20th Century, fashion and trends played a significant part in the appeal of diamond rings, and especially in the design. The classic Art Deco-inspired square cuts of the earlier 1900’s gradually gave way to the more methodical and revealing brilliant cuts that are most popular today.
So far, the 21st century shows little drop in momentum for the popularity of diamond engagement rings, though there is a tendency for more for variety and individuality in both the stone and setting.
