Today, the engagement ring has become the official symbol of one’s love. Some may argue that it outranks even the wedding ring in terms of symbolism. This is because the engagement ring is considered to be the first physical declaration of one’s love and is therefore given a lot of weightage. But the engagement ring was not always a symbol of love.
Symbol of Possession
Roots of the engagement ring can be found in ancient Rome. Unfortunately, at that time, it was used as a symbol of ownership rather than a symbol of love. It was considered to be a part of the bride price which represented her purchase and ownership. Women during this period would don engagement rings made from copper, bone, iron, flint and ivory. This was taken as a sign of obedience and mutual love.
Beginning of the Gold Ring
Gold became a popular choice of jewellery during the Pompeii era and it was during this time that the gold engagement ring came to be. It is interesting to note that while gold was a popular choice of metal, it was only used when the women went out in public. A different iron engagement ring was also given to them to be worn at home.
Sign of Marriage
It was only in 860 AD, that the engagement ring started to take on a different meaning. This happened due to Pope Nicholas-I who stated that a gold ring signifies the intent of a man to marry a woman. Gold was specified here because it was the most common metal used for proposals and betrothals.
Origin of the Diamond Engagement Ring
A diamond engagement ring was first used in recorded history when the Archduke of Austria, named Maximilian, proposed to Mary of Burgundy. The ring was said to have rows of diamond accents that were presented in the shape of an ‘M’.
While Archduke Maximilian may have been the first one to come up with the diamond engagement ring, he is not the one that caused it to start trending. That began happening only in the year 1947. Soon this gem’s strength and durability became synonymous with a person’s undying love. Slowly women’s diamond engagement rings started gaining momentum and there was no turning back.
Engagement Rings Today
While diamond remain the most common gemstone used for engagement rings today, more and more people are opting for vibrant and coloured jewels. In the most recent engagement ring designs, diamonds have taken the backseat and are more often used as accents to complement the brilliance and beauty of the centre gem. Some popular options include sapphire, emerald, ruby and tanzanite.
Picking the perfect engagement ring is an incredibly important aspect of a proposal. We hope the history mentioned above will give you more insight as to why that is.
