Economics
A 1940s ad campaign single-handedly invented the diamond engagement ring tradition
Before De Beers' 'A Diamond is Forever' campaign, most American engagement rings held no diamond at all. Copywriter Frances Gerety coined the slogan in 1947, linking a diamond's physical permanence to the idea of eternal love, and De Beers placed diamonds in Hollywood films and society pages for decades after. American diamond sales went from a small niche to the overwhelming default, turning a stockpiled commodity into an emotional necessity.