Diamond jewelry has been valued and worn throughout most of recorded history, although the art and science of cutting loose diamonds is relatively new - and diamond jewelry has only been available to the general public for the last 150 years or so.
Prior to that, diamond jewelry was worn almost exclusively by royalty. An industry soon developed for the purpose of appraising loose diamonds, giving birth to the modern diamond jewelry market. Antwerp continues to be the center of the international diamond jewelry trade.
The gems that are used in diamond jewelry is 75% science and 25% art. * carat
* color
* clarity
* cut
An engagement ring signifies a couple’s promise to build a future together, but the idea of engagement rings has quite a history all on its own. In 1477, Archduke Maximilian of Austria presented a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy. The ancient Roman men gave rings to their lovers which they called betrothal (truth) rings, and they later began to inscribe or engrave the rings with their lover’s name.
The markets become flooded with diamonds after the discovery of the Kimberley diamond region in South Africa. The wealthy swapped their diamond engagement rings for rings of sapphire, emerald, and ruby with diamond accents, leaving diamonds for the general public to grab. When looking at the history, it appears that the diamond is not the essence of the engagement ring.