Antique Love Affair

RAPAPORT… Since the first diamond engagement ring was given by Archduke Maximilian to Mary of Burgundy in 1477, couples have been expressing their commitment to each other by putting, as the Beyoncé song “Single Ladies” says, “a ring on it.” And for today’s Hollywood couples who spend much of their life in the spotlight, finding a ring that is more than just bling means looking to the past for design inspiration. Not that the following antique and vintage engagement rings are shy on carat cachet but it is the period provenance that gives them true star power.