Engagement ring is a symbol of love whereby, two people accept the proposal of marriage and promise to engage into a lasting relationship. It is also a sign to show people that the woman is no more single as she has made a commitment of marriage with her partner. The minute the engagement ceremony is over; there comes almost a flood of compliments, blessings and yes, numerous questions of course! The foremost among them relates to the diamond engagement rings exchanged between the couple. Where did you buy it? What is the cost? Did you ask for customized design or it is straight from the jewelry catalogue of the shop? However, no one gets bother by these questions. It’s lovely to talk about the relationship that is getting ensued between you and your partner. Anything praiseworthy brings a blush upon the cheeks of the bride-to-be and groom-to-be.
The history of engagement rings relates to the ancient period wherein Egyptians were credited for starting the trend of exchanging rings. The names kept on changing from ancient to medieval and finally in the modern age. Earlier, they were known as betrothal rings or regards rings. Today, diamond engagement rings stand the popular name to address them. Whatever be the name, the significance of exchanging rings lay in the acceptance of new found love and to develop the relationship further into an endless union of two souls.
In early times, different metals were used to carve out engagement rings. For instance, gold, iron and silver were largely used in this regard. Princesses used to wear gold rings on public events while iron rings were worn on regular basis. It was in the late 1930s that the diamond brand De Beers came up with slogan “A diamond is forever” associated with its marketing campaign. The campaign soon became huge success and diamonds caught up the popular imagination across the world. Be it a developed country or a developing one; diamonds were making huge business everywhere. The trend popularized so much that engagement rings became synonymous to the diamond rings.
In general, diamond engagement rings are meant to be worn in the forefinger of the left hand till the wedding day on which they get replaced by the wedding rings. However, in some cultures both the rings are worn simultaneously; one in the left hand and another in the right one. Different cultures have different trends and value systems for different occasions. However, none of the cultures across the globe defy the value that has been associated to engagement ceremony and for that matter, to the engagement rings from the very early period. It’s no wonder then people tend to spend a lot of money when it comes to purchase the ultimate ring for his/her partner.