Reflecting History – 10 Historical Wedding Rings
Reflecting History: 10 Historical Wedding Rings
Engagement rings are the symbol of eternal love between two people. It represents the time they have spent together and it will represent the time they will spend for the rest of their lives. An engagement ring is a unique piece of jewelry because it has the power to make something invisible visible. Today, we are going to rediscover love so real that it was able to leap across time.
Grace Kelly’s Engagement Ring from Prince Rainier
A stellar actress nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscar and Best Actress Award in 1953 and 1954 respectively, Grace Kelly Princess of Monaco was gifted a dazzling engagement ring on January 5, 1956. It was a 10.48 carat emerald-cut diamond ring flanked by two baguettes and set in platinum made by Cartier. The ring was a modern elucidation of elegance – just what the actress turned princess personified.
Audrey Hepburn’s Ring from Mel Ferrer
Audrey Hepburn is idolized for her fashion and flair even today. In September of 1954, Mel Ferrer presented her with three stackable bands when they got married. One was a white gold eternity set with 1.5 carats of baguettes along with faceted rose and yellow gold rings that she could pair along as per her preference. This ring style was untraditional for that time as solitaire rings were most common. Like a true style icon, Audrey Hepburn was ahead of her time as she adorned stackable rings in 50s. This trend is still prominent today.
Jacqueline Bouvier’s Engagement Ring from John F. Kennedy
On June 24th, 1953, Boston John F. Kennedy proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier with a truly one-of-a-kind engagement ring. The beautiful gold ring featured a 2.84-carat emerald with 2.88-carat diamond and various diamond accents around. The ring was designed by Van Cleef & Arpels.
Marilyn Monroe’s Ring from Joe DiMaggio
On January 12, 1954 Joe DiMaggio proposed to Marilyn Monroe during a holiday trip to San Francisco. DiMaggio presented a simple sophisticated band set in platinum with 36 baguette-cut diamonds all the way around.
Mia Farrow’s Ring from Frank Sinatra
Mia Farrow, a young rising actress met Frank Sinatra in 1964 and in June 1966 Frank proposed to Mia with a breathtaking one-of-a-kind pear-shaped diamond engagement ring mounted with a 9-carat solitaire. The ring was made by a jeweler named William Ruser – a jeweler based in Los Angeles with a large appear among Hollywood stars in the mid-century.
Priscilla Presley’s Engagement Ring
On the night before Christmas in 1966, Elvis Presley the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” proposed to Priscilla Beaulieu, with an impressive 3.5 carat diamond ring surrounded by a halo of 20 detachable diamonds, from Harry Levitch, a jeweler during the Memphis era.
Elizabeth Taylor’s Engagement Ring from Richard Burton
Richard Burton bought the diamond originally known as the Krupp Diamond to set in an engagement ring in 1968 and since then it is referred to as the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond. It was an extremely impressive D color, VS1 clarity, 33.19-carat diamond. After Elizabeth Taylor’s death in 2011, her entire jewelry collection went for auction at Christie’s, including the engagement ring valued at $8.8 million.
Princess Diana’s Engagement Ring
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, presented Catherine Middleton an engagement ring that traveled though time. Originally belonged to his mother, Lady Diana Spencer who passed away in a tragic accident. The ring was first proposed by Charles, Prince of Wales to Diana Spencer on February 6th, 1981. When Diana chose the ring during that time it raised lots of questions as it was unusual choice. The ring is an oval-shaped blue Ceylon sapphire set in 18 karat white gold surrounded by 14 brilliant cut diamonds. The ring was from Garrads, one of the world’s oldest jewelers and had served the British Royal family since 1843.
Princess Elizabeth II’s Engagement Ring from Prince Phillip
In 1947, Prince Philip Proposed to Princess Elizabeth with an engagement ring that was mounted with a 3-carat round center stone flanked by 10 smaller pave diamonds on each side and set on a platinum band. The diamonds were originally part of a tiara owned by Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Batternberg, who was Queen Victoria’s great-granddaughter.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s Engagement Ring
In 1966, Henrik Laborde de Monpezat, a French diplomat, proposed to the heir of Denmark, Princess Margrethe Alexandrian who is now Queen of Denmark. The ring had a unique design as it came with a pair of twinned 6-carat square-cut diamonds mounted on a yellow gold band. The ring is also called “Toi Et Moi Ring” which translate to “You and Me” in English.
Modern generations will want to bring their love story to life. What are your thoughts on engagement rings?
How do you envision your engagement ring to look like?
Will you opt for a more traditional style or design something unique that encapsulates your bond with your partner?
Would you prefer a diamond or gemstone as the center stone?
Cover Photo Courtesy: The Wow Style
