An eternity ring, also known as an infinity ring, is a woman's

ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

comprising a band of precious metal (usually

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

) set with a continuous line of identically cut gemstones (usually

diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...

s) to symbolize never-ending

love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...

, usually given by a spouse to their

wife A wife (plural, : wives) is a female in a marital relationship. A woman who has separated from her partner continues to be a wife until the marriage is legally Dissolution (law), dissolved with a divorce judgement. On the death of her partner, ...

on the occasion of a significant anniversary, typically after 5 years of marriage. Because the presence of stones all the way round the eternity ring can make it cumbersome to wear, the alternative is to have the stones across the face of the ring only. This is sometimes referred to as a "half-eternity" ring rather than a "full" eternity ring. Eternity rings featuring

paste gem A rhinestone, paste or diamante is a diamond simulant originally made from rock crystal but since the 19th century from crystal glass or polymers such as acrylic. Original Originally, rhinestones were rock crystals gathered from the river ...

s, white topaz or a mix of stones appeared in the 18th century.

History

The concept of a diamond eternity ring was created in the 1960s by diamond merchant De Beers. American investigative journalist

Edward Jay Epstein Edward Jay Epstein (born 1935) is an American investigative journalist and a former political science professor at Harvard University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Early life and educa ...

stated that at the time the company had a secret agreement with the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

which, in return for the creation of a "single channel" controlling the world's supply of diamonds, 'required' the purchase of 90–95% of the uncut gem diamonds produced by Russia. The prevailing fashion at the time, particularly for engagement rings, was for them to be set with a single, large diamond. The Soviet gems were, however, small, often less than 0.25 carats. To avoid stockpiling, De Beers embarked on a campaign of promotion of

jewelry Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a w ...

containing a number of small diamonds, culminating in the eternity ring, which was aimed at older, married women. One campaign slogan aimed at husbands was, "She married you for richer or poorer. Let her know how it’s going."

References

{{Reflist Rings (jewellery) Marriage