2024 Jewelry Trends:
Toi et Moi Engagement Rings
The romantic two-stone diamond engagement ring style comes in any number of new variations.
Once upon a time, in January of 1796 to be exact, somewhere around Paris, Napoléon Bonaparte proposed to his true love Joséphine de Beauharnais. According to family descendants, he did so with a divine engagement ring composed of two pear shapes—a diamond and a sapphire—both weighing around one carat and set side-by-side. Never mind that the union ended in divorce for various reasons, the legend of the love story and the Toi et Moi style of engagement ring remain.
Because French is the language of jewelry as well as love, the term Toi et Moi, which means You and Me, is never translated. Beyond that fact and the presence of two center stones in the ring, there are no absolute rules about Toi et Moi designs although there are those who will tell you otherwise.
Some believe the gems in the rings should touch each other to represent a couple’s union. Others say the two stones can be independent of one another yet together in the design which is a nice metaphor for a marriage.
Beyond Napoléon and Joséphine, there are only two other famous couples in history known for the style. In 1953, former First Lady Jackie Kennedy received a Toi et Moi ring from John Kennedy with an emerald-cut diamond and an emerald-cut emerald weighing almost 3 carats each.
Ashley Zhang Rose Cut Toi Et Moi ring.
Anita Ko Princess Eternity Ring.
De Beers Aura Toi & Moi Ring.
Briony Raymond Sloan Diamond Twin Ring.
Katkim Brilliant Duét Ring.
Darius Jewels One-of-a-kind Double Peruzzi Cut Diamond Ring.
Reza Choose Ring.
The One I Love The Folie à Deux Ring.
Grace Lee Toi Et Moi Ring.
Katkim Pear-Shaped Toi Et Moi Ring.
Jemma Wynne Bespoke Diamond Pear Open Ring.
Foundrae Forever and Always a Pair Ring.
Ashley Zhang Round and Pear Cut Rolling Ring.
Katkim Toi Et Moi Ring.
Jemma Wynne Bespoke Diamond Open Ring.
Ashley Zhang Asscher and Emerald Cut Double Diamond Rolling Ring.
And in 1966, a Toi et Moi Van Cleef & Arpels ring with a pair of cushion shaped diamonds, weighing approximately 6 carats each, was slipped on the finger of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark by her French diplomat lover Henri de Laborde de Monpezat.
In the 21st century, Toi et Moi engagement rings have gained momentum. Two celebrity couples chose Toi et Moi rings within the last year. They both feature mismatched stones in the setting which is a popular spin on the style. Robert Pattinson gave Suki Waterhouse a pear-shaped diamond and a square pale pastel colored gem (which could be a diamond) on a diamond set band. And Patrick Schwarzenegger gave his longtime love Abby Champion a Toi et Moi ring with a round diamond and a pear-shaped diamond bezel set (without prongs) in a gold ring.
The happy ending to this fairy tale-like engagement ring story is that today many designers make Toi et Moi engagement rings and there are innumerable variations to choose from. There are designs with two stones on two slender connected bands, and bold rings with two gems plunged in the precious metal. Rings with pairs of gems and mismatched shapes can be found. There are also styles with a natural diamond and a sapphire echoing the famous French love story of Napoléon and Joséphine.
