The Ten/Ten Collection Makes The Case for Engagement Rings That Focus on Symbolism Over Size

By Cathleen Freedman

An engagement ring is arguably one of the most romantically charged, important pieces of jewelry a person will ever wear. It’s a reminder of the one you love and slips seamlessly onto the fourth finger of the left hand because the ancient Romans believed that a vein in that digit connected it to the heart. Now, the new Ten/Ten capsule collection—which features 10 designs by 10 different independent female jewelry designers—is shaking up a category that’s been pretty much the same since the beginning of time.

For starters, the Ten/Ten collection has put its own spin on this age old symbol calling it a “commitment ring“—and challenged each jewelry designer to “reimagine” this piece of jewelry using sustainably sourced, natural diamonds from Botswana. The rings all feature a diamond smaller than 1 carat that was mined, cut, and polished in Botswana and are available at accessible price points ranging between $3,000 – $4,500.

For many, this will be a welcomed shift to a shopping process that can feel intimidating, alienating, and beyond opaque.

It all began when Archduke Maximilian of Austria proposed to Mary of Burgundy with diamonds set in the formation of an “M” in 1477. Mary was charmed by the sparkly monogrammed band, which is now known as the first recorded engagement ring in history, and chose the Archduke over her other suitors.

Fast-forward to the late nineteenth-century, and troves of diamonds were discovered in South Africa. These diamonds set the precedent for engagement rings when De Beers’s ad agency launched the campaign “A diamond is forever” in 1948. A culture that often left the man to his own devices, valued surprise proposals, and relied on the 4Cs followed.

Now though, more than ever before, couples are shopping for the engagement ring together and looking for transparency throughout their search. In fact, couples today would likely argue that bigger isn’t better. Larger diamonds might have more inclusions, a yellowish color, and be less well cut than a smaller diamond of a higher quality. Instead, these hyper-aware couples gravitate toward smaller diamonds and stackable bands instead.

Case in point, for every oversize celebrity engagement ring you can think of, there are plenty of A-listers with more low-key, nuanced, special feeling rings—Amy Adams, Amanda Seyfried, Emma Stone, Michelle Obama, and even Queen Elizabeth II are just a few.

Designer Pamela Love with her ethically and sustainably-sourced diamonds.

These forward thinking, eco-conscious couples of today value the backstory behind their diamond ring more than anything else. They want something that represents them, and ethically-sourced, natural diamonds function as the perfect metaphor for this kind of beautiful, unique couple. Diamonds are resilient. They are long-lasting. No two diamonds are the same. What could be a better metaphor for a couple in love than that?

Furthermore, much like the rise of the micro-wedding, couples are gravitating towards smaller, more intimate rings right now. As a result, the Ten/Ten collection could not be launching at a more apropos time—making it the perfect choice for right now, but also forever.