My little sister’s wedding is fast approaching
and she’s recently been setting her sights on wedding rings. It’s a piece
of the wedding style puzzle that she had almost forgotten about. Though the ring itself may seem simple, there’s a great deal of variation in style and setting. Here are a few of history’s most iconic wedding and
engagement rings to swoon over. I'm not sure she's going to be quite so lucky as these ladies though...
Josephine
de Beauharnais’ dynamic duo
French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte certainly
had money to spare, so when the time came to lavish his bride Josephine de
Beauharnais with jewels he did so with a stunning diamond and sapphire wedding
ring. The band itself is composed of gold, with two pear-shaped stones (a blue
sapphire and diamond) showcased side by side to symbolize their love.
Scarlett
Johanssons’ Art Deco style
Known for her unique, classy sense of
style, Scarlett Johansson’s engagement ring has helped usher in the hot vintage
trend in engagement and wedding rings. When she got engaged to French
journalist Romain Dauriac, he exhibited his excellent taste by presenting
ScarJo with a beautiful piece of Art Deco style jewellery. This featured three
round diamonds set in a vintage rectangular shape. Love the look? You’ll see
the geometric shapes of the Art Deco era featured in a number of wedding rings
from modern retailers like these at Vashi who collaborated with me on this piece, showing the versatility of this iconic style.
Audrey
Hepburn’s stackable rings
Stackable rings are a practical trend in
wedding bands – they let you mix and match your everyday jewellery to suit your
daily outfit. Mel Ferrer gifted Audrey Hepburn a stackable wedding ring,
containing two different bands in rose gold and white gold. Always a
trendsetter, she helped make this the popular style that it is today.
Marilyn
Monroe’s baguette diamonds
Speaking of style icons, it’s hard to
imagine the style of the 50’s without mentioning Marilyn Monroe! Are you in
search of a simple wedding band style that still sparkles? You might want to
take a look at Monroe’s baguette-cut diamond eternity band. It was given to her
during her wedding ceremony to Joe DiMaggio in 1954.
The
famous blue sapphire
However, when you imagine blue sapphire
rings, you probably don’t immediately think of Josephine de Beauharnais and
Napoleon. A more modern blue sapphire ring was the one given to Princess Diana
by Prince Charles in February 1981, more recently sported by the Duchess of
Cambridge after being given to her by Prince William. This iconic ring has been
sparked many imitations, with the original featuring 14 solitaire diamonds
encasing a brilliant blue Ceylon sapphire. Crafted by Garrard, it’s set in
18-carat white gold and will remain an icon of wedding ring design for years to
come.
Jacqueline
Kennedy’s emerald sparkler
Coloured gemstones can enliven the wedding
ring, giving it a splash of irresistible colour that’s just right for a more
playful look. Jacqueline Kennedy, classy as ever, sported an engagement ring
featuring 2.88 carats of diamonds as well as elegant emeralds.
Amal
Alamuddin’s ethically sourced bling
Amal Alamuddin
specialises in human rights law, so it makes sense that when George Clooney
shopped around for an engagement ring he looked for one that was ethically
mined. Although it may be responsibly sourced, the 7-carat diamond in a
platinum setting is certainly every bit as glamorous as the other rings on this
list, proving that you can have it all!This post was written in collaboration with Vashi.
