It Wasn’t Always Diamonds….
Rings seem to have represented the unity of couples since we were living in caves. Okay, so nobody really knows this, there are no drawings of bling on cave walls. We do know the ancient Egyptians wore thin bands of metal on their left hand to show the connection of hearts via the vena amoris. In Victorian times, it was popular to exchange rings with the lover’s birth stones. Another popular ring ring spelled out L(apis lazuli) O(pal) V(ermarine) E(merald) in the stones. It seems the rise in the popularity of the diamond engagement ring started with DeBeers. It was the diamond companies excellent marketing strategies that seemed to make the diamond solitaire ring the symbol of love we’re most familiar with. And ladies, we can also thank them for the ten year anniversary band. Is the tennis bracelet necessary for the twenty-third? If not, maybe they can get their publicity department on it…mine is coming up!
Jo Leigh Harper comes from a long line of trouble-making, white trash stock.Tanner Coulter comes from a longer line of wealth-creating, blue blood stock. Jo graduated college top of her class, moving toward a future full of possibilities. Tanner dropped out of college, trading a law degree for drinking games and one night stands. A family crisis throws the rich party boy and the poor genius girl together. The attraction is immediate, though neither one is a heart-in-the-sand-drawing believer in true love. But as the summer sun heats up along the shores of the Outer Banks, so does the connection between them. Maybe, just maybe, they can win at love by defying reason.
Author Elizabeth Seckman
Elizabeth is a multi-published author of books for people who are believers in happily-ever- after, true love, and stories with a bit of fun and twists with their plots. The mother of four young men, she tackles laundry daily and is the keeper of the kitchen. She lives along the shores of the Ohio River in West Virginia, but dreams daily of the beach.
A.G. Porter 
Sounds great read, Elizabeth.
Interesting how the ring gems have changed over time.
Whoops, I really need to proof, let me just add sounds like a great read. grin
I totally read sounds like. My brain fills in the missing words in sentences. Makes editing hard, but it makes reading fluid.
I find it interesting too. It’s funny how things change with the times, yet we keep the little pieces that we like.
When I lived in England over 40 years ago now, it was not just a diamond used for engagements. For instance the Queen Mother had an opal ring
I love opal; I think it is a beautiful gem.
I had read about the marketing of diamond rings.
I really like the idea of using other gemstones, especially the LOVE one and birthstone.
I like the birthstone idea!! Informative post 🙂
Me too, Jamie. Thanks for stopping by!