Engagement Rings from Here to Eternity
The oldest recorded exchange of engagement rings dates back
nearly 5000 years ago to ancient Egypt when a never ending band
was linked with eternal love. Later for the Romans, a young
ladies acceptance of a ring was a legal agreement and meant that
the girl was no longer available. These ancient engagement and
wedding rings were not gold engagement rings but were often made
from simple and crude bands of iron. Even in these modern times,
the gold engagement ring is still regarded as a potent symbol of
unity and marriage, which sends out a message about a persons
marital status. Traditions have changed over the centuries and
not only have the materials which the rings are made out of
changed, but men too are now choosing to wear a ring as a symbol
of lasting love, fidelity and commitment. These early tokens
which indicated the sealing of a marriage contract, were
certainly very different from what we now accept today as an
engagement ring and probably wouldn't have turned too many heads
or invoked the green eyed monster because of their beauty and
brilliance. In early Roman times rings were simple hoops made
out of iron and it wasn't until much later times that this metal
was replaced with precious metals such as gold and silver which
do not rust and are more attractive.
Although diamonds were discovered in India at the beginning of
the ninth century, it wasn't until 1500 onwards that brides to
be would be wearing something a little bit more special and even
then, diamonds would be very much for the wealthy and for
royalty.
Since their discovery, diamonds have always been prized for
their beauty and brilliance as well as their extreme hardness
and the word diamond originated from the Greek word adamas,
which means unconquerable. Some even believed diamonds to
possess magical powers and along with their other properties,
this has made diamonds perfect as a representation of the
marriage bond.
When further sources of diamonds were discovered in the
nineteenth century, it increased the availability and they
became more fashionable, particularly set in engagement rings.
Styles of engagement
rings have varied greatly over the years but still some
designs have remained popular throughout. The single diamond
solitaire is a strong favourite and nobody can resist that big
sparkler. The three stone styles have also remained popular and
many still believe that this signifies 'I Love You'.
Although some ladies have chosen other precious gemstones for
their engagement rings such as rubies, emeralds, opals and many
more, the diamond still is the favourite and as the song says
'Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend'.
Platinum has also become a popular although a very expensive
alternative to gold and silver. Recently there has been a surge
in interest in engagement rings made from titanium and zirconium
because not only are these metals attractive, lightweight and
very hard wearing but they are also hypoallergenic. These metals
lend themselves well to more modern styles and the metals can be
heat treated to produce wonderful colour effects which make many
rings totally unique pieces as no two will ever look the same.
Because of their hardness, Titanium and Zirconium are also used
to produce stunning tension set diamond engagement rings, an
effect which would be much more difficult to achieve with
precious metals which are much softer and more prone to wear
over the years increasing the likelihood of the precious stone
working loose from the . Most people wear their engagement ring
on the third finger of the left hand although there are a few
European countries where the engagement ring is worn on the
right hand. The reason for wearing on the third finger of the
left hand is thought to date back to ancient Rome and Egypt when
it was believed that a vein that ran through that finger ran
straight to the heart. Many women also wear their gold wedding
ring with a diamond engagement ring and an eternity ring.