Diamond engagement ring history

 

A diamond is known as the hardest substance on earth. ( It has the top rank of 10 on the Mohs scale.) Taking its hardness as a sign of durability, a diamond is viewed as a proper symbol of an enduring commitment symbolized by an engagement ring. But just how deeply rooted in tradition is the diamond engagement ring?

The earliest historical reference is the record of Archduke Maximillian of Hamburg giving Mary of Burgundy a diamond betrothal ring in 1477. While he may have sparked a trend for members of royalty, the convention of a diamond engagement was not set as a universal one until much later in history. In the late 19th century, the discovery of diamonds in South Africa made these gems more affordable for people, and, consequently, diamonds became more popular for engagement rings.

The “tradition” only became firmly entrenched in the 20th century as a result of a hugely successful marketing campaign by the DeBeers conglomerate, which controls the largest share of the world’s diamonds. When demand for diamonds sunk to an all time low as a result of the Depression and the World War II, De Beers and the N.W Ayer advertising agency came up with the”A Diamond is Forever” slogan. The slogan worked so well that the diamond solitaire became the paradigmatic engagement ring. To further bolster the diamond market demand subsequent ads by De Beers convinced people to keep their diamond jewelry as cherished heirlooms. It was not sentimentality they were really encouraging but an elimination of recycling diamond. Without people selling the diamonds in their possession to be set in new rings, the demand for new diamonds remained strong, as it does today.

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