Engagement Rings History and Traditions Bound by Love and Commitment

Engagement rings express the love and commitment that couples have towards each other. The tradition dates back to Roman times, where a betrothal or "truth" ring in ancient Rome was given to the bride as a symbol of love and commitment. The Romans also started the tradition of wearing it on the third finger of the left hand. They believed that the vein of that particular finger led directly to the heart.

During the Middle Ages, from man gave women a ring called a Gimmal or "bond" ring. These rings were set with sapphires, rubies and emeralds. Since diamonds were known to be the strongest mineral, resistant to both fire and steel they symbolized an unbreakable love. The wealthiest suitors gave diamond bond rings to their bride to be as part of the wedding jewelry ensemble.

Pope Innocent III in 1215 enacted a longer waiting period between engagement and marriage. This brought popularity to the commitment rings, a plain ring made of gold, silver or iron. Later on the aristocracy began to add gems in order to separate themselves from the "common folk." Laws were even passed to prevent anyone but the wealthy from wearing precious stones.

The laws eventually changed to allow the middle classes to wear jewels if they could afford them. Six-stone rings were common then, containing the birthstones of the bride and groom in the center, flanked by the birthstones of their parents.

Engagement rings became fashionable in Europe when in 1477; Maximilian the Archduke of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy a diamond betrothal ring. The Italians thought that diamonds ensured a pleasant marriage and kept a couples' love alive. This gave the diamond ring a gain in popularity.

With the discovery of diamonds in Brazil and South Africa, mining increased and the supply and demand became more balanced making diamond jewelry more affordable and available to more people. Cluster engagement rings incorporating birth stones became fashionable among the wealthy of the 18th century. The Regards and Dearest rings were also presented upon betrothal, the words spelled out with gems whose names represented the letters in those words.

Diamonds became popular when the DeBeers Company began a campaign to boost sales. In 1947 the slogan "A Diamond is forever" was the first in a series of successful advertising strategies. Today the slogan is still used and the diamond ring remains as a tradition that bonds couples for generations.

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