Popular 1950s engagement ring syles

By the 1950s, the world had started to move beyond the trauma imposed on many different markets from World War II, including the jewelry trade. Metals like platinum which had been scarce during the war were once again available, and white metals including platinum and white gold became the popular choice for 1950s engagement ring styles. This is still a popular choice for engagement rings today because diamonds reflect better in white metals than yellow making a lower grade diamond have the preferred appearance of a lower color. This along with a greater access to diamonds influenced engagement ring styles in the 50s.

 

 

 

Popular 1950s stylistic elements

Stylistic elements found in engagement rings from the 1950s include engravings or braid details in the setting. They also featured progressively larger stones. One of the most popular styles representative of the 50s were engagement rings featuring a large center diamond nestled among symmetrical smaller diamonds or baguettes, on either side of it. Popular cuts included round cuts, Asscher cuts, emerald Cuts and marquise Cuts. The diamond’s cut is what gives it the ability to reflect light.

 

 

Engagement rings of 1950s Hollywood stars

The 50s enjoyed the excitement of being a decade with its own royal wedding when Hollywood star Grace Kelly, whose dress inspired Kate Middleton’s wedding dress, married Prince Rainer of Monaco. She wore a 10.15 karat Cartier emerald cut solitaire engagement ring. 

Princess Grace wore 10.15 karat Cartier emerald cut ring.

If you think that’s big, Elizabeth Taylor was given a 29.4 karat emerald cut Cartier engagement ring by Mike Todd. But while these rings where topics of conversation, one of the biggest engagement/wedding band trends of the ‘50s still going on today was started by Hollywood’s Audrey Hepburn − stackable rings. Her fiancé Mel Ferrer presented her with three rings, a baguette cut white gold eternity band along with two wedding bands, one yellow gold and the other rose gold. He figured she could mix and match them to suit her mood and outfit. 

 

 Audrey Hepburn − stackable rings

 

The fun thing about engagement rings of the 1950s is that many of the ring trends popular then are still popular today. So if you’d like to wear a vintage ring that looks current or rather buy a vintage-inspired ring, the 50s offer a nice selection with options you’re sure to love. 

Photo credits: wikimedia.org, glamor magazine, British Pathe, grandrapidsbride

Traditional marriage vows

When you think of traditional wedding vows what comes to mind? You might be surprised to know that words like 'to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer', all come from the Book of Common Prayer drawn up hundreds of years ago by Thomas Cranmer, a leader of the English Reformation. First written in 1549, the Book of Common Prayer was revised in 1552 and 1662. Within its pages he described the purpose for marriage in this way. “The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God’s will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord.”

Book of Common Prayer wedding vows

The Man, facing the woman and taking her right hand in his, says

In the Name of God, I, N., take you, N., to be my wife, to

have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse,

for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to

cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.

Then they loose their hands, and the Woman, still facing the man, takes

his right hand in hers, and says

In the Name of God, I, N., take you, N., to be my husband,

to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for

worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love

and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my

solemn vow.

Before the Book of Common Prayer

While these traditional wedding vows come from a protestant book, if you look deeper, you’ll find much of it can be found in Catholic medieval rites like the Sarum marriage liturgy which was written in Latin (except for the vows). The thing that makes the ceremony outlined in the Book of Common Prayer stand out is that it was the first to be written totally in English.

 

 

While the Book of Common Prayer describes Christian marriage as a solemn and public covenant between a man and a woman in the presence of God, the most common change in these traditional wedding vows these days is to leave off “In the Name of God.” 

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