A Curious Detail of Natural Magic

[ecosophia]

These days people in most Western countries assume as a matter of course that engagement and wedding rings have to have diamonds on them. That didn't become the universal custom until after the Second World War, though; it was in 1947 that the DeBeers diamond syndicate launched the first of a series of massive ad campaigns under the slogan "Diamonds Are Forever." Well, maybe they are, but...

In the lore of natural magic, every kind of gemstone has a different effect on consciousness; these are normally categorized by the old scheme of the seven planets. Diamonds correspond to the planet Mars. Their magical virtue is that they give strength and victory in battle, but they are also traditionally unlucky, and make their wearers unhappy. 

Maybe it's just pure coincidence, but I find myself noticing that it was right after a stone of war and unhappiness became standard wear for married women that the divorce rate began to soar, and many branches of the feminist movement took on a distinctly angry and bitter tone. 

If you want a better-omened stone for an engagement or a wedding ring, the magical lore suggests going for an emerald. Emeralds correspond to Venus, and are fortunate for love; they were held to strengthen the eyes and the memory; and they make the wearer truthful and difficult to fool by trickery, all of which would be helpful in marriage. I'm sure the diamond merchants won't approve, but it might be worth trying to reverse the trend...

Comments

Re: gems in wedding rings

[kimberlysteele]

My husband and I, married in 2000, could not afford anything other than simple gold bands from Service Merchandise, back when that place still existed. I didn't want any kind of engagement ring and I told him so during the two years or so we lived together before the wedding. I always thought the engagement ring ritual was ridiculous and I found the idea revolting, even as a 20-something, for a man to spend 25% of his annual salary on a ring. I wear a $5 fake onyx engagement-style ring from eBay because black is my favorite color -- I think the gemstone may actually be made of hard plastic. Hope I'm not causing myself magical troubles for it; it seems OK.

Also, did anyone else ever take off their wedding ring, hold it in the air like Frodo, and then say to the nearest person/people "Now everybody can be Lord of the Rings"?