Know More About The Time-Honored Tradition Of Giving Diamond Engagement Rings

Diamond engagement rings are tailor-made jewellery pieces that men hand to their girlfriends when it is time for them to be together forever with their special someone. A lot of women are very thrilled when given with these rings, and they consider them as some of the greatest treasures in their lives.

An engagement ring indicates to the public that the bearer is engaged to another and is about to be married. The presentation and offering of such ring is a custom of courtship in many lands, particularly in Western territories. In Ireland, North America, and the UK, these rings are normally worn only by ladies. In other lands, both genders wear rings, generally matching each other. And in some countries, engagement rings can be utilized as wedding rings. In all, taking the ring signifies that the lady accepts the man's proposal and acts as a formal agreement to a wedding sometime soon. Customarily, the ring is worn on the left hand of the ring finger.

The tradition of presenting engagement rings goes back to Roman times. But it was not heavily practiced in the West until the 13th century. Indeed, the first recorded use of a diamond ring to signify the formality of a wedding proposal was in an imperial court in Vienna in 1477. During that time, the Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave a ring to his bride-to-be Mary of Burgundy.

Engagement rings were not the only betrothal gifts that were used years ago. For instance, prior to the 20th century, the lady received a sewing thimble instead of a piece of jewellery. The tradition was prevalent, particularly in cultures where strong religious groups do not prefer jewellery. In the islands of the Pacific Ocean, cowrie shells were utilized instead of a ring. Engagement rings did not become customary betrothal gifts until the final years of the 19th century. In fact, it was only in the 1930s when diamond stud earrings and diamond rings as gifts for engagement became widely known.

Nowadays, more than 80% of women in the West are offered a diamond ring during a marriage proposal.