When Mary of Burgandy said “yes” to Archduke Maximillian of Austria in 1477, he presented to her the first known diamond engagement ring – a commissioned piece with diamonds arranged in the shape of an “M.”

In the decades that followed, the diamond remained the heart of the engagement ring. Designs ranged from the Art Deco period’s geometric shapes and multi-stone rings featuring sharp-lined cuts like the Asscher and emerald, to the round-cut solitaire in soft, graceful designs in the 30’s and 40’s and back in the 1980’s; or fancy-shaped cuts like pear and emerald taking center stage in the 50’s through the 70’s, often seen in stackable rings and paired with colored gemstones, and in more recent decades the marquise and princess cuts as a center stone surrounded by smaller side stones, or the cushion-cut in a diamond halo setting.

The classic round shape with 58 facets, or its predecessor the Old European cut, has also been reimagined with today’s solitaire diamonds of all shapes rotating in popularity and often joined by colored gemstones in all the hues of the rainbow, particularly rubies and sapphires. And, of course, beautiful, colored diamonds - with pink and yellow center stones reemerging - have also grown in importance, as they offer alternative options that add warmth and personality to contemporary designs.