When a man decides that his partner is the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with, his thoughts turn to the engagement and eventually, the wedding. This is something that has been happening almost since we first evolved. There have been many styles of engagement rings throughout history; with that in mind, here are some prime examples of engagement ring styles over the years.
The Roaring Twenties
The 1920s saw a huge swing in fashion trends. The Art Deco movement swept across Europe from Paris, bringing with it bold designs, with lots of glitz and colour. The favoured diamond cuts of this period were the Asscher and Emerald. It was common to find a central diamond surrounded by small emeralds and sapphires, for that added colour.
The Thirties
In the 1930s, jewellery moved away from the bold Art Deco style, opting for softer and less prominent looks. Central diamonds were normally surrounded by a swirl of tiny diamonds. If you would like to have a ring made in this style, check out the superb handmade jewellery from Brisbane jeweller Ringleaders, who handcraft diamond rings to the customer’s specifications, which is no more expensive than buying an off-the-shelf ring.
The Forties
The Second World War made platinum rare, so rings were typically made from gold or rose gold, and the central stone was surrounded by smaller ones. This was the era when diamond dealer DeBeers launched their famous diamonds are a girl’s best friend campaign, which resulted in the tradition of having diamonds in an engagement or wedding ring that we know today.
Of
course, diamonds were sometimes used in engagement rings prior to this time, yet after the 1940s, it became almost obligatory for a ring that represented love to contain diamonds.
The Fifties
This was known as the ‘Hollywood Age’, when celebrities began to wear rings with larger stones, and symmetrical lines with smaller stones inset either side was all the rage.
The Sixties
The 1960s saw an explosion of colour in engagement and wedding rings, with the colour coming from emeralds that were blended with a large coloured diamond. The Art Deco style did see a return during this decade, as did the Emerald and Asscher, as popular diamond cuts. Diamonds got bigger, mainly due to the fact that the stones were more readily available and many women of today prefer the 1960s style of diamond ring.
The Seventies
This was the time when the Princess Cut was invented, styles followed straight lines, and coloured diamonds were in vogue. Pink diamonds became very popular among the wealthy and although designs were modernised, the Emerald Cut was still the most popular.
The Eighties
Bold and beautiful best describes the 1980s jewellery styles, with large coloured diamonds. Princess Diana helped to create a love for yellow gold with engagement rings. The enormous sapphire in her engagement ring from Prince Charles sparked a demand for sapphires in engagement rings, which lasted right through until the next decade.
If you are looking for a special diamond engagement ring for your wife-to-be, search online for reputable jewellers that have an extensive selection of handmade rings, and if you prefer something unique, the jeweller can custom make the ring to your specifications.
What styles of engagement rings do you like?
This article is published in partnership with Mediabuzzer.
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