History Of The Engagement Ring

HISTORY OF THE DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING

Today, proposing with a beautiful engagement ring is seen as one of the most romantic gestures, but did you know it hasn’t always been a way to symbolise love? In ancient times engagement rings were a sign of ownership, but luckily times have changed for the better.

ANCIENT ROME

The tradition of engagement rings stems from Ancient Rome - however, they did not have the same meaning as they do today. Throughout history, engagement rings have evolved and adopted the meaning that we know today - a proposition of marriage. In Ancient Rome, engagement rings had a slightly different meaning - it was less about love and more about ownership. Roman women would often be given a ring made of ivory, flint, bone, copper or iron to symbolise a man’s ownership of them and as a sign of obedience. Some image-conscious women would be given two rings - a gold ring to be worn in public and an iron one for every day at home.

MIDDLE AGES

Throughout the Middle Ages is when the engagement ring started to develop popularity and a slightly different meaning. Around 850, Pope Nicholas I declared that engagement rings showed a man’s intent to marry. During this time, gold was the chosen material for engagement rings. It is believed that diamond engagement rings originated in 1477 Vienna, when Archduke Maximillian of Austria commissioned a diamond engagement ring for Mary of Burgundy.

VICTRIOAN TIMES 

 In the Victorian era, engagement rings were still reserved for the upper class. With the industrial revolution and the discovery of diamond mines, jewellery production became a key focus, and the industry started to thrive. During the Victorian era, dowries were the most popular way to secure engagement, so engagement rings tended to be on the simpler side, much like we see today

DE BEERS ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN – “DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER”

After WW1, engagement ring sales declined and they became less relevant to the younger generation. Diamond prices collapsed, leading to De Beers creating their famous advertising campaign, in 1939,  using the message ‘a diamond is forever’. The advertising campaign seemed to work and, by the early 1940s, engagement ring sales increased dramatically for jewellers and department stores worldwide.

GEMSET ENGANEMENT RINGS

 While solitaire engagement rings have long been a popular choice, during the 20th Century other styles became sought after. For example, as demand was high, in the 1980s a surge of gemstone engagement rings came on the market to imitate Princess Diana's sapphire cluster ring.

NEW TRADITIONAL ENGAGEMENT RINGS

 Since the beginning of the 21st Century, there have been reforms in the laws regarding same-sex marriage, which in turn may lead to new traditions forming. In recent years surprise proposals or planned proposals are normal and a lot of couples tend to have discussed a future together before getting engaged. These days, a diamond is not always picked for getting engaged – we are seeing a lot of people now looking for something or alternative to the traditional diamond ring.