AN advertising campaign in the late 1940s popularised the use of diamonds in engagement rings.
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TRUE
Cultures around the world have different methods of signifying a couple's marital status, from brass arm bands to lip plates but the de facto signifier for most of the world nowadays is a wedding ring.
Although rings have been in use more or less since people started making jewellery, the history of wedding rings can be traced to ancient Rome and Greece.
They were first associated with the marital dowry before later being used as a way for a couple to promise their fidelity to each other.
The modern exchange of rings derives from the customs of Europe during the Middle Ages, with the styles of the rings changing through time.
Additionally, the material that the rings were made of was dependent on the social and economic class of the wearers.
The practice of incorporating a diamond into an engagement ring only became popular after a comprehensive ad campaign that started in 1947 by De Beers.
Arguably the most successful ad campaign in history, it was based around the company's slogan, "Diamonds are Forever" and involved a blitz of ads in newspapers, on the radio and even in the cinema.
In 1949, the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes hit Broadway, and recognising its significance, De Beers PR firm in the US, N.W. Ayer, started bombarding their contacts in Hollywood to turn it into a movie.
The movie eventually was shot and premiered in 1953 starring Marily Monroe, who's rendition of the song Diamonds are Girl's Best Friend cemented the importance of the precious stone in popular culture.
Prior to 1947 diamonds were used in wedding rings but only 10% of brides-to-be received one but by 1990 that number skyrocketed to 80%
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