The diamond industry must keep on telling the story that this famous millennial couple – Harry and Meghan – has written for it.
When Prince Harry asked Meghan Markle to marry him, it was the perfect millennial match.
The engagement of Harry and Meghan was authentic, he got down on one knee while the couple prepared a roast chicken dinner in their cozy cottage. And it was about as liberal and progressive as English royal proposals get, given his wife-to-be was neither from royal stock nor white Anglo-Saxon.
As we wish the happy couple a wonderful future, one thing is for sure: The custom-designed diamond ring that the poster boy for the “I Don’t Care Generation” presented to the divorced, biracial Hollywood actress will have more of an impact on millennials’ relationship to diamonds than would any sleek advertising campaign.
That is because the ring, featuring a 2.50-carat center diamond, may have been traditional in gesture, but is millennial by design.
The diamonds were mounted by the London-based Cleave & Company — the official jewelers to the queen — in 18-karat yellow gold, because that’s Meghan Markle’s favorite. The main diamond was sourced from Botswana, because Prince Harry had visited it many times as a child and the couple had camped out with each other under the stars on their first trip together. The small diamonds on either side of the main setting, meanwhile, are from Prince Harry’s late mother’s jewelry collection, “to make sure she’s with us on this crazy journey together,” according to the prince.
This story is the essence of romance. It is the essence of what a diamond engagement ring can represent. And it is a mere shadow of itself if you switch out the beautiful diamonds — and what they represent for the young couple — and replace them with synthetics.
This story of Prince Harry and Meghan will do more than anything to help wed millennials to the wonder and beauty of diamonds. And it is a story we should, as those who work with and sell the dreams of diamonds, be telling over and over again.
