Engagement Rings Unveiled: A Historical and Celebrity Showcase

Engagement rings have a rich history. Over the centuries, these symbols of love have evolved from simple bands to elaborate designs, influenced by cultural trends and innovations in gemstone accessibility. In this blog post, we explore five unique and memorable celebrity engagement rings, showcasing how modern couples express their individuality through personalized styles. Whether you’re drawn to vintage charm or contemporary flair, let these stunning examples inspire your own custom jewelry journey.

Historically, the first offering of a diamond engagement ring was by Archduke Maximilian to Mary of Burgundy in 1477. (This ring exchange is depicted in this blog's featured image above.) The ring was comprised of small flat diamonds arranged in the shape of a "M" for Mary's first initial. It was much different than the engagement rings of today, huh?

Mary of Burgundy's engagement ring/ hemmahoshilde.wordpress.com

By the Victorian era, engagement rings often featured more elaborate designs and gemstones, distinguishing them from the plain wedding bands. The South African mining boom in the 19th century made diamonds more accessible. Then in the 1940s, De Beers launched their famous ad campaign "a diamond is forever," turning diamond engagement rings into a cultural must-have. Nowadays, couples are getting creative with their rings, choosing unique styles, alternative gemstones, and even vintage options, all while celebrating their love and commitment in their own way.

Below, I have compiled a list of couples that have done just that. These are my five favorite engagement rings from the last eighty years.

Lily Collins/ Instagram

Lily Collins Rose cut Diamond Ring

Description: This stunning engagement ring was custom made by Irene Neuwirth Jewelry. It features a cushion shaped rose cut diamond, specific carat weight unknown. Lily's diamond is bezel set on a thin band made from yellow gold.

Why do I love it? Lily's ring has two things I love: bezel settings and antique cuts.

A bezel setting is a thin wall of metal that goes all the way around the edge of a stone. I love bezel settings for two reasons. One because it makes the stone look bigger and two, because I work with my hands so I know the stone isn't going anywhere and is protected.

Rose cut diamonds are just one example of an antique cut of stone. This specific cut has a flat bottom and the facets on top. The faceting pattern resembles the petals of a rose, hence the name rose cut. Here is an example of the rose cut in these green diamond matching pair from Rough Diamond World.

Rough Diamond World Matching Pair

Cartier from Sotheby's

Mary- Kate Olsen Vintage Ring

Description: This four carat diamond stunner is a 1950's Cartier engagement ring from Sotheby's. This ring also features a blue sapphire halo with an accented white diamond basket, all set in yellow gold.

Why do I love it? Hello vintage! This ring is so unique. It reminds me a lot of other cocktail rings of the 50's (but most do not have a four carat diamond in the center!). I love how opulent this ring is with the fully incrusted diamond basket and the twisted triple band. It's so bad, it's good, right?

Jackie Kennedy Toi et Moi Ring

Description: Jackie Kennedy’s dazzling engagement ring from JFK featured a 2.88-carat diamond and a 2.84-carat emerald, set in a toi et moi design. The original design featured an accented band with baguettes.

When the couple first announced their engagement, Jackie was not wearing a ring. It was said that they looked a multitude of rings but none were "the one". It was her future father-in-law Joseph Kennedy, who picked out Jackie's engagement ring in the Van Cleef & Arpels’s Fifth Avenue store in New York.

About ten years later, Jackie redesigned her engagement ring swapping out the baguette diamonds with marquise diamonds and adding round diamonds to the band. This change is just one example of Jackie's growing self-confidence in the Kennedy family and on the world stage.

Why do I love it? I love the history of the Toi et Moi rings which date back to Napoleon and Josephine. Napoleon proposed to Josephine with a diamond and sapphire two stone ring. The translation from French means "you and me". I also love this ring for the redesign. The feeling of the original is still there but the ring has the added flair from Jackie making it her "own".

Custom made ring from Mociun/ Allure Magazine

Joey King's Non-traditional Engagement Ring

Description: Joey King's ring was custom made from Brooklyn designer Mociun. It features a moval cut diamond, a mixture of marquise and oval cut (or an elongated oval). The ring also includes a larger epaulette cut diamond and baguette diamonds with darker side stones.

Why do I love it?: This ring does the unexpected. The main diamond is set east/west with a half bezel. It also has an extra band of diamonds attached to the band. It is "uneven", quirky and I have not seen anything like it. I wonder if her wedding band will be anything like the attached diamond band? Just a thought!

Getty Images

Princess Diana Sapphire Engagement Ring

Description: Princess Diana’s iconic engagement ring is a twelve carat oval Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 round diamonds and set in white gold made by crown jeweler Garrard.

Why do I love it? I am a sucker for a good story. I love that then Lady Diana stuck it to the royal family by picking out her engagement ring in Garrard's catalog and not going the "royal" route of getting a custom made engagement ring. I also love a large sapphire with multiple prongs surrounded by diamonds. Who wouldn't??

Marquise Garnet Ring

Introducing a new thing to look forward to every month! I am creating a one-of-a-kind piece for each blog post. The jewelry will be inspired by the topic or it will coordinate with a new collection launch.

This ring is inspired by my own engagement ring, now with color! I absolutely love how this ring turned out. The Marquise Garnet Ring features a 1.56 carat garnet bezel set in 14k yellow gold. The top is smooth polished but the sides are stippled with texture.

Check out my newest engagement ring➡️