> Also, deBeers invented the diamond wedding ring fairly recently. The DeBeers campaign that boosted the already significant popularity of diamond engagement r

> Also, deBeers invented the diamond wedding ring fairly recently. The DeBeers campaign that boosted the already significant popularity of diamond engagement rings was in 1947. I don't think diamonds or other gemstones on wedding (as opposed to engagement) rings have ever been a major thing (though I'm sure some people do that.) Tiffany, I think, did a big push a few decades before that did a lot for the popularity of diamond engagement rings among the middle class, and diamond engagement rings had been popular among the upper class since something like the Victorian era.