The Carat Vintage Engagement Ring

The marquise is swathed in dramatic history. This cut was invented during the 18th-century reign of Louis XIV, allegedly named for his mistress, the Marquise de Pompadour, and inspired by her smile. The uniquely tapered cut, essentially an oval with rounded sides and points at each end, is distinctive and dramatic, much like the women who choose to wear it.

Modern-day versions often have a hexagon-shaped surface with facets on the top and bottom to reflect light. This clever cut can also look larger than it actually is, and due to its elongated shape, can make fingers look leaner and more slender. It's ideal for those looking to maximize carat weight and for those who like a little opulence every now and again. Victoria Beckham also flaunts this shape, a three-carat marquise, accented with a trillion on each side. Actually, I think Michael Douglas had a bit of making up to do because he had told Catherine that he wanted babies with her the night they met.

He was on his first date when he boldly announced that he wanted to be the father of her children. Catherine was quoted as saying: "I did my quiet and interesting British person act, while he said, 'I want to father your children!'. I mean the balls of someone who could sit there on a first date and say that! Talk about love at first sight!" In truth, despite the beautiful 10 carats, his proposal was a bit of, excuse the pun here, a washout. Apparently, they both had streaming head colds and the proposal was made between great bouts of nose running and nose blowing. How romantic! There are some things that money just cant buy! Reportedly, the couple are worth a staggering £150 million combined so they are obviously not short of a bob or two as the 61-year-old actor and his 36-year-old wife already have two mansions in Los Angeles, a New York apartment, a ski home in Colorado, a villa in Majorca, a house in Catherines Welsh hometown of Mumbles, a house they are building in Canada and a family home in Bermuda.

But one of Catherines favourite possessions is her 10 carat antique diamond vintage engagement ring and it reminds us of the time when Liz Taylor caused her buzz with her vintage engagement ring, now affectionately known as the Taylor-Burton diamond. One of the hottest trends with a vintage engagement ring now is antique cut diamonds, such as the cushion-cut. Also known as the pillow cut, its the kind of engagement diamond worn famously by singer Leann Rimes.

Very popular last century, cushion-cut diamonds have rounded corners and larger facets to increase their brilliance under candlelight. A beautiful thing about vintage styles is that they match perfectly with not only antique diamond cuts, but also the round brilliant cut (the most popular of all diamond cuts), and fancy cuts, such as the heart. But to be honest, I dont think you have to go to 10 carats to impress your bride to be, nor go to the Welsh mountains to get your gold mined.

No, I think with the right research, you will be able to find the perfect vintage engagement ring for your bride.

Allen Jesson is the owner of http://www.vintage-engagement-rings.com, a site that specializes in vintage engagement rings including where to buy, where to find the best value and how to judge the best quality.