One of my favorite Mae West quotes is, “Opportunity knocks for every man, but you have to give a woman a ring.” What a brilliant thinker, that Mae West.

The diamond solitaire has long been seen as THE wedding ring. You can never go wrong—not with metal or cut—so long as the rock is a dazzling diamond.

But where does this tradition of diamond solitaires or wedding rings in general come from? What’s the history behind this symbol of love? It is thought that the use of rings to mark an engagement between man and woman started with the Austrian Archduke Maximillian. In 1477, he became engaged to Mary of Burgundy and produced to her a diamond solitaire. And thus history was made and a future of diamond rings set on.

The diamond solitaire today is most popular in two cuts: square and brilliant (round). The brilliant cut diamond has been admired and loved for centuries, but it seems that women in the modern world tend to lean toward the square cut. So what is your personal preference? Remember, unless you want to mix things up 25 years from now, the ring you become engaged with will be with you all your life. Choose the one you love the best!