Proposing to the one you love is so personal and can happen any way you like: over a romantic meal, a grand gesture in a public place, in the comfort of your own home or the outcome of a heart felt conversation but one thing that has stayed constant is the diamond ring.

The history of the modern engagement ring and its symbol of marital bond can be traced as far back as ancient Greece and Rome. This is also were the history of wearing our engagement ring on the left hand comes from; back then they believed that the fourth finger on the left hand had a vein that ran directly to the heart, it was because of this belief that they called that vein the "vena amoris" latin for vein of love (science has since then proved this wrong and all our fingers have veins that connect to the heart, but we love the romance!)
The very first recorded diamond engagement ring was in 1477 when Archduke Maximillian of Austria commissioned a diamond ring for his lady, Mary of Burgundy. This sparked a trend for diamond rings amongst the European aristocracy.
It wasn't until the 18th century when society grew and there was more money to spend. An increase in income alongside the fact that an abundance of diamonds was discovered in South Africa in the 1860's gave more people access to diamonds.

However what really made the diamond the gemstone of choice was a very clever marketing campaign and one you will have definatley have heard of - "A diamond is forever."

In 1939 DeBeers created a very clever, easy to understand diamond grading system, we still use today; the 4C's - Colour, Cut, Carat, Clarity. This helped couples understand the world of diamonds and inform them better so they could shop for the perfect ring. Then in 1947 they came up with the iconic, catchy slogan; "A diamond is forever." Creating the romantic eternal promise of a diamond. 

clark collection diamond ring

Today the most popular cut of diamond in an engagement ring is the round modern brilliant cut, closely followed by the princess cut.
The 58 facets of the round modern brilliant cut let light enter and bounce through the diamond so no matter what way you tilt or turn the stone it will give the ultimate sparkle.

clark collection round modern brilliant cut ring

The princess cut is a relatively modern cut of diamond and considered the square version of the round modern brilliant cut with a similar number of facets. The sharp, clean lines create the perfect square, like an upside down pyramid, the light bounces through the facets giving it a unique, beautiful sparkle.

clark collection princess cut diamond ring

Other cuts of diamond that follow on trends are the emerald, cushion, oval, pear and marquise cut. Each cut creating a different shape, look and of course sparkle.

clark collection marquise diamond ring

clark collection diamond ring

clark collection oval cut diamond ring

All the diamonds in the Clark and Antwerp Collection have been hand selected by us in Antwerp, each one inspected under a 10x loupe to ensure that when you buy a diamond ring (necklace, earrings or bracelet) from us, you have got the best possible diamond for your money.

Diamonds might be the unchanged tradition in the engagement ring but the variety of cuts, colours, clarity and carat weight of diamonds coupled with the design and metal they are crafted in, makes each ring as unique and different as we are.