I don’t think anyone knows the exact time and place that the engagement ring came about, but they have been in the works for a long time. In ancient Rome, brides often wore rings of iron. They called them betrothal (truth) rings The earliest surviving records suggest that Archduke Maximilion of Hamburg may have started the tradition of diamond engagement rings in 1477 upon his betrothal to Mary of Burgundy. The meanings, symbolism, and styles have changed time and time again, but married people today still wear them, just like those thousands of years ago.
In the 18th century, diamonds became more popular when a supply was discovered in Brazil. Diamond cluster rings were popular amongst the wealthy. The 19th century brought the discovery of the Kimberley diamond region in South Africa in 1870 and within 10 years, DeBeers Consolidated Mines Ltd was formed. Today, DeBeers still controls 65% of the world’s diamond trade.
Ever heard “A Diamond is Forever� DeBeers created the advertising campaign in 1947 and diamonds have been the standard ever since. According to the site diamondwholesalecorporation.com, DeBeers unofficially educated jewelers to instruct men that the amount of money they should be paying for their beloved’s engagement ring should be equivalent to two or three months of personal wages.
While much of the tradition is still there, times have changed. Today, engagement rings can be whatever you want them to be; diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, or no gems at all. Whatever suits your lifestyle, personality, and budget is the perfect engagement ring for you.
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Thanks for the informative post. The history of wedding traditions is always interesting.
However, I wish you would have mentioned something about the darker side of the jewerlry industry. I’m sure by now everyone has heard about conflict diamonds, thanks in part to the recent Leonardo DiCaprio movie. But there are similar human rights abuses related to the mining of other gems and precious metals as well.
My engagment ring is an antique because me and my future-husband did not want something that was supposed to symbolize our love for eachother to symbolzie pain and suffering for other people in the world that too many people often forget about.
For more information please see:
UN Statement on Conflict Diamonds
UN Statement on Conflict Diamonds
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