The Origins And Significance Of Engagement Rings The Symbolic Importance Of Engagement Rings
Generally an engagement ring is a symbol of building future together though it has got its own history.
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.
As we probe the more distant past, we find that the engagement ring and its meaning dates even farther back than the 1400s. In ancient Rome men gave betrothal (truth) rings and in time also used to engrave their lover’s name in the ring.
This tradition was not established without thought to just the symbolic meaning. The Egyptians believed that the vein in the ring finger leads straight to the heart, so by attaching the beloved’s name or symbolic gesture to it, he or she was forever connected to the heart.
The idea of diamond being used for engagement and for symbolizing blessed union started from the Middle ages. The diamond is the strongest and hardest mineral known and it can resist fire and steel too. Thus it is a perfect symbol to indicate the unbreakable bond between a married man and woman. Although, during this time period, only those people with wealth and power could afford to show their love in such a grand way.
Moving forward to the nineteenth century, diamonds were more easily accessible to the average person. Many markets were filled with too many diamonds after the Kimberley diamond region in South Africa was discovered. Many people started to select engagement rings with birth stones instead of diamonds, because they perceived them to be rarer. Those who were rich exchanged diamond engagement rings for those with other gems such as sapphires, emeralds, and rubies with diamond accents, thus opening the diamond door for the general public.
It was Hollywood’s sense of style and glamour that saw the diamond make a comeback during the 20th century. Marilyn Monroe, the blond bombshell made the diamond very popular with the hit song Diamonds are a Girl’s best friend.
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.
