Designer Jewelry Gems

An engagement ring signifies a couple’s promise to build a future together, but the idea of engagement rings has quite a history all on its own.

Mary of Burgundy received a diamond ring from Archduke Maximilian of Austria in the year 1477. 24 hours later, the first engagement ring, was on the hand of a married woman and so begins the tradition of proposing marriage with a ring.

However, with continual historic discoveries being made, it seems that the symbolism of the engagement ring dates back even further than the 15th century; this story holds its title simply because of the incorporation of the diamond. The ancient Roman men gave rings to their lovers which they called betrothal (truth) rings, and they later began to inscribe or engrave the rings with their lover’s name.

Symbolism played a large part int he establishment of this tradition. The Egyptians believed that they could connect their hearts to that of their loved ones by attaching their loved one’s name or symbol to their ring fingers, since the vein in their ring fingers led directly to their hearts.

With the Middle Ages brought about the tradition of using a diamond as a symbol for the blessed union. The diamond is the hardest and strongest mineral on earth, with the ability to resist fire and steel. These facts made it the perfect material to symbolize an unbreakable bond between a married man and woman. Yet, at this time, only the wealthy Europeans and those in a position of royalty could afford to profess their love with such an extravagant gesture.

Jumping ahead to the 19th century, diamonds become more readily available to common folk. The markets become flooded with diamonds after the discovery of the Kimberley diamond region in South Africa. Instead of a rush of people buying diamond engagement rings, the trend switched to rings with birth stones which seemed to be more of a rarity and, thus, more desirable. The wealthy swapped their diamond engagement rings for rings of sapphire, emerald, and ruby with diamond accents, leaving diamonds for the general public to grab.

Hollywood’s glamour influenced the 20th Century public into a renewed desire for diamonds. Marilyn Monroe’s song “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” partly contributed to this comeback.

When looking at the history, it appears that the diamond is not the essence of the engagement ring. Like every fashion fad, the diamond has gone in and out of style, and then in again, but one common quality among all the versions of the engagement ring stands forever strong. Every girl dreams of being a princess, of being swept off her feet. The presence of a diamond on her finger placed by her prince charming gives her the right to declare her royalty. At this point in history, diamonds are a symbol of glamour and prosperity while the continuity of the ring shape itself symbolizes the relationship.