All About the Ring    by Wendy Townley The fire (and power) of flashbulbs, jewels and celebrity It could be associated with man’s landing on the moon or other historical events that could only occur in America. Where were you when Jennifer Lopez wiggled her 6.1-carat radiant-cut fancy pink diamond? It happened on a special edition of ABC’s Primetime with Diane Sawyer. Lopez recounted the romantic steps her then-to-be-suitor Ben Affleck took to wooing the singer into marriage. The ring was huge, but the firestorm surrounding the announcement was even larger. So much so that the news took its toll on the young couple. The two ended their relationship and canceled their Sept. 14, 2003, wedding. But, as Proddow and Fasel carefully note, the ring yielded a global interest in the pink diamond. Lopez’s story is an extreme—yet all too true—example of how celebrities impact the jewelry market, and how the public clamors for details on the engagement ring when the good news is announced. Take the graceful Grace Kelly, who received a Cartier eternity band of rubies and diamonds from her fiancée, Prince Rainier III of Monaco. But that’s just half the story. The ring was accepted well, at first. But when Rainier flew to Los Angeles, his eyes focused on the larger-than-life diamond rings Hollywood’s married women proudly wore. As a result, Kelly received a second engagement ring: a 12-carat emerald-cut diamond flanked by two baguettes. The ring took center stage in Kelly’s 1956 film, High Society. The fervor surrounding engagement rings never waned. When Elizabeth Taylor got engaged to film producer Michael Todd in 1956, she proudly wore a 29.4-carat emerald-cut diamond ring. It was a stone so big (and with such publicity) that Taylor playfully dubbed the ring as “my ice skating rink.” Marilyn Monroe, another one of Hollywood’s golden girls, received a more contemporary ring when she and Joe DiMaggio prepared to tie the knot. Monroe wore a platinum eternity band boasting a series of 36 baguette-cut diamonds. One ring was enough for this Hollywood superstar; the band served as her engagement and wedding rings, wrapped into one. Another woman oozing grace, style and femininity is Audrey Hepburn. The engagement ring she received from boyfriend Mel Ferrer doesn’t stray from Hepburn’s persona. She received an eternity band of baguette diamonds, along with two wedding bands in rose and white gold. After the ceremony, Hepburn often wore just one ring at a time, coordinating the pieces with her outfits and occasions. Jackie Kennedy could easily fit in the same category as Hepburn. Future President John F. Kennedy proposed to his sweetheart with a Van Cleef & Arpels engagement ring, which featured a 2.84-carat emerald and a 2.88-carat diamond with baguette-cut diamond accents. When she and her hubby moved into the White House, Kennedy redesigned her ring, replacing the baguettes with marquise and round diamond stones. Today’s celebrities haven’t made many changes with regard to the size, prominence or beauty of their engagement rings. Victoria Beckham, once known as Posh Spice, wears a 3-plus-carat marquis-shaped diamond on a slender gold band. Katie Holmes’ ring features a 5-carat oval center stone surrounded by micropave diamonds set in platinum and rose gold. And who could overlook Madonna’s ring from husband Guy Ritchie: a platinum Edwardian ring with three large diamonds. The ring that’s yours alone At this point, you know the history behind the engagement ring, the romantic tales and practical ideas that shaped this timeless piece of jewelry. You also know what celebrities pick and wear, and the buzz surrounding their personal jewels. But enough about them. Now, it’s about you. You’re on the cusp of getting engaged. You’ve dreamt and sketched ideas in your head for years. You know what you want, and you’re ready to get it. But before you rush off to see your fine jewelry sales associate, take the advice of Proddow and Fasel in With This Ring: The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Jewelry. For starters, the authors say, know the terminology surrounding engagement rings. Coming to the store armed with information will help you get what you want when it’s time to buy. Stones, for example, are set a number of ways: bezel, channel, pave and micro pave, to name a few. If you find a picture of your perfect ring, do your homework. Be able to easily identify the parts of the ring before you start shopping. A ring’s metal is just as important as the stone it’s displaying. Engagement rings use two types of metals: gold and platinum. Gold can be purchased in colors such as yellow, white and pink. Looking for a warm design that glows? Opt for yellow or pink gold. If shimmer and ice are what you’re after, consider white gold or platinum. Of course, jewelry admirers would rather discuss the stone, the part of the engagement ring that, for the most part, takes center stage and catches the eye. Stones come in a number of cuts. Each cut provides the stone a different look, character and sparkle. The round brilliant stone maximizes natural light with its 58 facets. It’s a classic design that has been popular for years. The emerald cut, by comparison, clearly displays the stone’s clarity. Consider an emerald-cut stone as a perfectly formed ice cube. Any inclusions or imperfections surely will be seen by the naked eye. If an antique style is more your cup of tea, consider the Asscher cut, designed in 1902. It’s a stone with a high crown, a small table, large step cuts and a deep pavilion. It’s a lengthy stream of words to describe a stone that, quite simply, melds antiquity and contemporary with great ease. Whatever the style of engagement ring you receive, know that it’s uniquely your own. The longer you wear it, the stronger the ties you’ll have to this memento, which represents so much history and years of happiness and love yet to come. Go back