A Bride's Best Friend: Diamond Engagement Rings

Ever since Marilyn Monroe sang "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend" in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1953, diamonds have been considered the most indisputably elegant accessory a woman could have, especially when they are a gift from a man. It's estimated that 78% of engagement rings sold every year have diamonds.

But diamonds have always had strong positive connotations, some very different than others. Thus, a historic look at every woman's favorite bauble.

Until the 15thCentury only Kings wore diamonds as symbols of strength, courage and invincibility. They would wear diamond-studded breastplates into battle because it was believed that diamonds were fragments of stars and teardrops of the Gods. Diamonds were also believed, at various points in history, to hold magical and medicinal powers.

Over the centuries, the diamond acquired its unique status as the ultimate token of love. It was said that cupids' arrows were tipped with diamonds, which contained a magic that nothing else can equal. The Greeks believed the fire in the diamond reflected the constant flame of love.

Diamonds have long stood for wealth, love, and power. But the tradition of the diamond wedding ring came a little later.

The earliest incident recorded of a diamond engagement ring being given was the Archduke Maximillian of Hamburg's proposal to Mary of Burgendy in 1477. Diamonds engagement rings remained a strictly aristocratic practice until diamond mines discovered in Brazil in the 18th century made the stone slightly more accessible.

But the diamond industry truly exploded in 1870 with the discovery of the South African Kimberley diamond region. Supply increased so dramatically that for a while popularity decreased. Diamonds faltered in popularity and other, more rare gems were more a more popular choice for wedding rings. Diamond sales continued to drop by as much as fifty percent during the war years of the 20's and '30s.

What brought the diamond ring back into style wasn't the power of love or magic. It was clever advertising on the part of a little company called De Beers. With the slogan 'A diamond is forever' America's love affair with the rock rekindled and, true to De Beer's words, shows no signs of stopping.

Diamond rings today are still a huge part of weddings. No longer only restricted to the bride's left hand finger, images, accessories and favors with a diamond ring theme are popular all throughout the wedding process.

As a good-natured gesture, brides can now give their bridesmaids faux diamond ring bracelets, designed to lend faithful attendants their own bit of sparkle on the big day. Diamond ring key chains and diamond ring paperweights are playful gifts given at bridal showers and bachelorette parties as reminders that the bride's special day isn't far away. Diamond rings have become a kind of celebrity, spawning their own line of products and appearing on everything from invitations to wrapping paper to wedding favors. Truly, unlike any other wedding symbol, nothing screams 'I do' quite like a diamond ring. They may not be a girl's best friend anymore-that role's been taken over by the miniature Chihuahua-but they're still definitely a bride's.

History of diamonds taken from www.leshem.com