Toi et Moi is French for you and me. This type of ring has two precious gems symbolizing the love of two people. The first Toi et Moi engagement ring that we know of was presented by Napoleon Bonaparte to this fiancée Josephine in 1796. Much more recently, Jack Kennedy gave his fiancée Jacqueline Onassis one in 1954. Although these men were both leaders of nations, you don’t need to be a president or the leader of Revolutionary France to merit a such a beautiful ring. You simply need to be in love, ready to make a commitment, and have a flair for the romantic!
Toi et Moi Engagement Rings
The two major gems of a Toi et Moi engagement ring at set side by side and are an expression of everlasting love. But, they do not need to be the same gemstone. The ring that Jackie Kennedy wore had a 2.88 carat diamond and a 2.84 carat emerald plus a surrounding cluster of baguette diamonds.
Common pairings for this type of ring include matching diamonds, diamonds and sapphires, and any combination that you like. Because you are using two precious gems and often a set of accent diamonds, you can be very creative. It is important to make sure that your accent diamonds and featured diamond or diamonds are of similar grade in color, clarity, and cut. In general, the two larger stones should be the same size and are usually of the same cut. However, because this is your ring and you get to be creative, tell us your ideas and we can help you by creating a memorable Toi et Moi engagement ring with complimentary cuts and/or gems. Because you will want the setting to be perfect, let us also help you with choosing the perfect precious metal to complement your exquisite design.
When to Give Toi et Moi Rings
The tradition of giving rings with two stones to symbolize love between two people goes back long before the era of Napoleon. This is an excellent choice for any occasion when you want to declare or re-declare your love and affection. Valentine’s Day is a good choice but so are anniversaries of your marriage, engagement, or even a first date!
If you are choosing a Toi et Moi ring for any of these occasions, you can be even more creative. If you need some great ideas, come and talk to one of our gemologists. Common choices are a ruby (for passion) paired with a diamond or the pairing of a white diamond with a diamond that is blue, pink, or green!
A cute idea that you might consider is tilting the two gems in the setting so that they “face” each other. And, if you are giving this ring for an anniversary, matching the number of diamonds in the surrounding cluster to the number of children, or grandchildren can make this ring even more significant.
Although Toi et Moi engagement rings have a long and romantic history, the idea is as fresh today as when Napoleon proposed to Josephine and then went off to conquer most of Europe.
Come in and talk to us about ideas for your own Toi et Moi ring.