For centuries the heart shape has been the universal symbol of love – so it is no surprise that giving a piece of heart jewelry is the most popular way of showing someone that you love them. And nothing could be more romantic than a heart ring, especially if it is an engagement ring.

Ok, heart charms, heart bracelets and heart earrings are beautiful and wearable and special – but let’s be honest, what could be a bigger demonstration of love than the time that your Prince Charming tells you just how much he loves you and then produces a beautiful diamond heart shaped engagement ring? It’s the stuff of fairy tales that every girl dreams of! And how about the “couples” ring that is shown on the left (click on the picture for more details)?

As with fashion, hairstyles and make up, styles change over time and the same can be said for jewelry styles with a few exceptions. For example, heart jewelry in general is one style that has survived no matter what the latest fad, associated as it is with romantic feelings and declarations. But perhaps the most obvious exception to changes in popularity over a long period of time is the solitaire diamond ring which has always been in fashion, not just as an engagement ring but also as a dress ring.  Although there may be changes in the settings and choice of precious metal such as yellow gold, white gold, rose gold and platinum, diamonds still remain the number one choice of most for those getting married.

When my husband and I got engaged in the late sixties, although the largest selection of engagement rings on offer were solitaires or diamond clusters, a very fashionable alternative was to choose a ring with diamonds and other precious stones such as rubies, emeralds and sapphires. In some ways, this very wide choice was confusing because so many of the rings on offer were so wonderful to look at. And just like the times that you go out for a meal at your favorite restaurant and after the main course they bring you the dessert selections – you see the hot fudge sundae, the apple pie and that large slice of cheesecake and you want to try all of them, even though you know you can’t have them – well, that’s how I was when I started to look at engagement rings. (But to digress for a moment: the last time I went out for a meal, the restaurant offered a “dessert selection” with small portions of three different desserts in one serving – so perhaps you can have them all, or three of them at least!).

Anyhow, let’s get back to jewelry and the engagement ring anecdote. I remember going shopping with my girlfriend and stopping to look in the jewelry stores and picking out the engagement rings we wanted. My friend’s choice was for an oval ruby surrounded by diamonds whereas I decided that I wanted a central diamond surrounded by deep blue sapphires in the shape of a flower. Having lost touch with my friend before she got married I don’t know if she got the ring of her dreams but I certainly did and I still wear it every day.

Just writing this reminded me of Princess Diana’s engagement ring which was a large dark blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds. Very similar in design to the one my friend wanted but I am sure far more expensive than either of us would expect.

My husband has bought me lots of beautiful jewelry since we have been together and I treasure every piece. But the one item I would really like to receive is a heart ring to add to the heart jewelry collection which he has bought for me over all of these years to show how much he still loves me. So if your significant other is looking to find something that will last a long time and will be a constant reminder of how much you mean to each other, you might subtly suggest (or maybe not so subtly) a piece of jewelry such as a heart ring.

Related posts:

  1. Heart Charms – The Ideal Gift For Any Occasion

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