How Diamonds Have Changed Over the Past Century

At the dawn of the 20th century, diamonds were a rarity worn by only the world’s wealthiest and most chic collectors. The Hope Dimond, thought to have been the world’s most beautiful at the time, has incited global envy ever since it was publicized in the early 1900s, despite the fact that it was discovered in 1666.

Beginning in the 1940s the DeBeers advertising campaign of “a diamond is forever” captured the imaginations of all who read it and helped make diamond engagement rings a part of the marriage process. Celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Chris Evert set trends for diamond jewelry like the cocktail ring and the tennis bracelet.

With the advent of lab-grown diamonds in the 1990s, the concept of the rarity of the gem has decreased, but has also given people a much more ethical way to enjoy diamonds that are in no way linked to conflicts near natural diamond mines. See the styles and the history behind the past 100 years of diamonds in the video below.