WHY DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

Last weekend we celebrated the engagement between my brother-in-law, Jacob, and his fiance, Alex. As I stared at her gorgeous halo-encircled princess cut diamond, I started to consider how in the Western World diamonds became the expected engagement stone.

I did some research, and here are a few of the facts:

• Engagement rings are thought to have originated in Egypt and picked up by the ancient Greeks, but the history of engagement rings can be tracked as far back as ancient Rome. Then, it was believed that the "ring finger" contained a vein that led to the heart. 
• The first diamond engagement ring was given by the Archduke Maximilian of Austria to his betrothed, Mary Burgundy, in imperial court of Vienna in 1477. This popularized diamond engagement rings among those of higher social class or significant wealth.
• Diamonds were discovered in South Africa in 1866. By 1872 the output of diamonds minds exceeded one million carats per year, and they became affordable to those of lesser means. In 1886, Tiffany & Co introduced the solitaire Tiffany setting.
• After World War I the popularity of diamond rings began to decline, and the price of diamonds collapsed during the Great Depression. Diamond cartel, De Beers, began a marketing campaign to persuade consumers that engagement rings were indispensable, and that only diamond engagement rings were acceptable. He introduced the slogan "A Diamond is Forever". 

And there you have it. A flawed scientific theory, one 15th century Archduke, and a successful marketing campaign are likely the reason why I'm sporting a solitaire today, and the reason why the U.S. currently makes up the world's largest diamond market, consuming 40% of gem quality diamonds.


more on diamonds:
why diamonds sparkle.
the rarest of them all.
most expensive diamonds in the world.
gemstones more precious than diamonds.