"A Diamond
is Forever" and so are the legendary weddings of the rich and famous.
Their sparkeling engagement rings and wedding jewelry enchant us.
These gifts of love and fairy tale weddings make unforgettable memories
of romance.
The
first known instance of a diamond engagement ring is in 1477 medieval
Europe uniting the houses of Habsburg and Burgundy. Maximilian
I of Austria commissioned a diamond ring for his bride Mary of
Burgundy. The marriage appears to have been a happy one and they
left us a rich legacy in an exquisite illuminated manuscript -
the Book of Hours.
The
1953 "wedding of the year" saw elegant Jacqueline Kennedy
wearing a 2 carat diamond and emerald engagement ring. Her wedding
dress was ivory silk taffeta and she wore her grandmother's rosepoint
lace veil. The tiara was of lace and orange blossoms. Jackie's
wedding jewelry consisted of a pearl necklace, a diamond leaf
pin (gift from the Kennedys) and a pearl and diamond bracelet.
(wedding present from John Kennedy)
Prince
Rainier of Monaco gave Hollywood's princess, Grace Kelly, a 12
carat emerald cut diamond engagement ring. She wore the ring in
her last movie, High Society. During a close up in the 1956 film,
Bing Crosby quips, "Some stone, did you mine it yourself?"
Princess
Grace of Monaco wore a wedding gown by Hollywood designer Helen
Rose - silk with a bodice of 125 yr old lace. Upon her marriage,
Prince Rainier also gifted Princess Grace with a lovely diamond
and pearl necklace, bracelet and earring set from Van Cleef &
Arpel.
Legendary
Elvis Presley gave his beautiful bride Priscilla a 3.5 carat engagement
ring surrounded by 21 smaller diamonds. They were married at the
Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. Elvis wore a tuxedo and Western boots.
Priscilla designed her own wedding gown of white silk chiffon
beaded with seed pearls.