history of engagement rings and its' meanings

Today, almost everyone’s interpretation of the engagement ring is “ A symbol of ever lasting purity, love, devotion and commitment between two people”. One can assume that the endless circle of a ring shows the eternal nature of the bond, but where did it all start?

Engagement ring is a symbol of love and marriage. It also symbolizes the belonging: belonging of the ring donor and the ring receiver. In the Western culture, men usually give the engagement ring to his potential wife. By taking this ring and wearing it, women have accepted the proposal, and they are bound to commit to the relationship. The act of wearing this ring is not only accepting the love of her partner but also it is committing to the relationship, and letting others know that she belongs to someone.

In Western tradition, an engagement ring is a ring worn by a woman indicating her engagement to be married. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, it is worn on the left-hand fourth finger (even called a “ring finger”), while in other countries, such as Poland and Ukraine, it is customary for the ring to be worn on the right-hand. An engagement ring represents a formal agreement to future marriage.

In Egypt, Brazil and many European countries, both the man and the woman usually wear engagement rings, most often in the form of matching plain bands of white, yellow, or rose gold. In these countries, the man’s engagement ring often also eventually serves as the wedding ring. Some men wear wristwatch for the man after accepting a marriage proposal.

The earliest uses of symbolic rings are attributed to different peoples, including the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. Betrothal rings were meant to symbolize a woman’s connection to the man who would become her husband, though the arrangement was more of a business proposition than a romantic union. Romans used iron rings to symbolize strength and permanence, and the Greeks are credited with the initial idea to wear the ring on the fourth finger of the left hand, where the “vena amoris” or vein of love was supposed to connect to the heart.

Vena amoris is a Latin name meaning, literally, “vein of love”. Traditional belief established that this vein ran directly from the heart to the fourth finger of the left hand. This theory has been cited in western cultures as one of the reasons the engagement ring and/or wedding ring was placed on the fourth finger, or “ring finger”.

Established engagement ring history has theorized that the first rings may have been made from leather, plants, bone, ivory or other degradable material that served not only to symbolize a union between two people, but also their connection with the land that sustained them. As time passed, metal rings eventually became more elaborate, finally incorporating gemstones to add a measure of distinction and beauty. Symbolic patterns of birthstones were often used to illustrate the couple, parents as well as the couple themselves. For centuries, however, diamonds were too rare and expensive to be widely available and affordable.

Because diamond is the hardest and strongest mineral on earth it was seen to resist fire and steel and thus symbolize the unbending union of a man and woman in marriage. However, it was only commonplace for the wealthy people to give a diamond engagement ring before 18th century. Diamonds became more readily available when diamonds were discovered in Borneo and Brazil during 18th century. However, these were not sufficient to meet the ever-increasing demand for diamonds. In 1870, the discovery of diamonds near the Orange River in South Africa sparked the world’s biggest diamond rush, and helped to satisfy the world’s increasing appetite for diamonds.

Despite the varied nature of wedding and engagement ring history, today’s trends are clear: custom rings unique to the couple are more popular than ever, as are contemporary styles that illustrate the promise of a future that is brighter than ever. Even as diamond jewelry continues to evolve, its ties to historical tradition remain intact, and couples continue to honor that history by exchanging rings as they form their own traditions.