Toi et Moi: The 230-Year-Old Ring Trend Everyone Wants Now
Two stones, one meaning: “you and me”. The ring Napoleon gave Josephine in 1796 is having its biggest moment in two centuries.
In 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte proposed to Joséphine with a ring set with two stones side by side, a sapphire and a diamond. The design was called Toi et Moi, French for “you and me”: two stones, two people, one ring. More than two centuries later, it is one of the most requested engagement rings in the world again.
Why two stones
The meaning is the whole point. Two stones sitting together, often two different cuts, represent two people and the moment their lives meet. Few ring designs carry a symbolism this clear, which is exactly why it endures.
Why it is trending now
The modern revival has been fuelled by high-profile proposals, Emily Ratajkowski and Ariana Grande both wear Toi et Moi rings, and by a wider move away from the single solitaire toward something more personal and expressive. It photographs beautifully, and no two are quite alike.
How to make it yours
- Mix the cuts. A pear beside an emerald, a round beside an oval, the contrast is the beauty.
- Mix the meaning. Some couples use two diamonds, others pair a diamond with a coloured stone, a birthstone, or something with a private significance.
- Mind the balance. The two stones should feel like a pair, close in size, set to sit level on the finger.
A solitaire says “you”. A Toi et Moi says “you and me”, which is, after all, the point of the whole thing.
It is a design with genuine history and genuine meaning, and because we make each one to order, yours can be built around the two stones that mean the most to you.
Made to order · finished by hand
Design your own Toi et Moi, two stones, chosen by you, made by hand.
