An old mine cut diamond in 18K gold from the 1800s - hand cut a century before anyone decided engagement rings had to look a particular way.
The engagement ring is far older than the diamond tradition. Couples have sealed promises with rings for over two thousand years, and for most of that time the ring was not a diamond at all. The white solitaire most people picture today is, historically speaking, a very recent invention - which is wonderful news for anyone shopping antique, because the older tradition is broader, more personal and often more beautiful.
Two thousand years in one table
| Period | The betrothal ring of the day |
|---|---|
| Ancient Rome | Iron or gold bands; the ring as a contract, worn on the fourth finger for its "vein to the heart" |
| Middle Ages | Posy rings engraved with tiny love mottos; in 1477 Archduke Maximilian gives Mary of Burgundy the first recorded diamond engagement ring |
| Georgian (1714-1837) | Foiled rose cut clusters, hearts and bows, coloured stones as often as diamonds |
| Victorian (1837-1901) | Snake rings (Victoria's own engagement ring), acrostic rings spelling REGARD in gems, turquoise, pearls, hair-work and diamond half-hoops |
| Edwardian (1901-1915) | Platinum lace, old European cuts, clusters and daisy heads of impossible delicacy |
| Art Deco (1920s-30s) | Geometric platinum, calibré sapphires framing a centre diamond, the great age of ring architecture |
| 1947 onward | "A Diamond Is Forever" - the most effective advertising slogan ever written makes the diamond solitaire the default |
The moments that changed everything
1477: the first diamond. When Maximilian of Austria proposed to Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring, he started a fashion among European royalty. But diamonds stayed royal for centuries - ordinary betrothals used gold bands, posy rings and coloured stones.
1839: the Queen's snake. Prince Albert proposed to Queen Victoria with a serpent ring set with an emerald, her birthstone. The snake - ancient symbol of eternity - became one of the most romantic engagement motifs of the entire nineteenth century, which surprises people who only know the modern solitaire.
1886: the raised solitaire. Tiffany introduced a six-prong setting that lifted the diamond up into the light instead of burying it in the band. The design template for the modern engagement ring was drawn that year.
1947: the slogan. De Beers' "A Diamond Is Forever" campaign did what no royal wedding had managed: it convinced the general public that an engagement ring must be a diamond. Before the campaign, a minority of brides received one. Within a generation, it was nearly all of them.
What proposing looked like in the 1930s: geometry, platinum and a 1.92 carat diamond cut by hand.
Why couples choose antique today
The ring already has a love story. An 1890s ring has been through at least one marriage, often several generations of one. Many couples find that history romantic rather than second-hand, and I agree with them.
Nobody else has it. A hand-cut stone in a hand-made setting is one of one. The modern alternative is a catalogue number.
The money goes into the ring, not the margin. An antique ring skips the new-retail markup entirely, so the same budget buys more gold, more stone and infinitely more character. And old cut diamonds - old mine and old European - are finite, which the market has noticed.
You are not locked to a diamond. The older tradition includes sapphires, emeralds, rubies, opals and clusters. Choosing a coloured stone is not breaking the rules; it is returning to them.
Frequently asked questions
When did diamond engagement rings become the norm?
Only after 1947, when De Beers' "A Diamond Is Forever" campaign ran. Before that, coloured stones, clusters and plain gold bands were all normal betrothal rings.
What was the first diamond engagement ring?
The first recorded one was given in 1477 by Archduke Maximilian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy. It set a fashion among royalty that took another four centuries to reach everyone else.
Why is the engagement ring worn on the fourth finger?
The Romans believed a vein ran directly from that finger to the heart - the vena amoris. The anatomy was wrong, but the tradition stuck for two thousand years.
What did Queen Victoria's engagement ring look like?
A gold serpent set with an emerald. The snake symbolized eternal love, and her ring made serpent rings a beloved engagement choice for the rest of the century.
Are antique engagement rings durable enough for daily wear?
Rings that have already survived a century of daily wear have proven themselves. Have the settings checked by a jeweler, treat delicate galleries with sense, and they will outlast most new rings.
Is an antique engagement ring cheaper than a new one?
Usually, for equivalent quality - the first owner absorbed the retail markup decades ago. You get hand craftsmanship and a finite old cut stone for the price of a mass-produced modern ring.
Read next: Snake ring meaning · Wedding band vs engagement ring · What is an old mine cut diamond?
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