AN advertising campaign in the late 1940s popularised the use of diamonds in engagement rings. 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. 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.
