For whatever reason, some items in our world have come to be seen as icons. Diamond rings are the biggest and most significant emblem when it comes to proposals and marriages. Even young toddlers understand that an engagement ring is a brilliant diamond. When did this begin and why is it the case? More significantly, why are engagement rings made only of diamonds? Let’s examine this widespread practice, its history, and its current state.
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The Original Diamond Promise Ring
It may surprise many to learn that diamonds weren’t traditionally utilized in jewelry. They were used as ornaments and talismans to ward off bad spirits when they were originally found thousands of years ago in India. They were later thought to “cure” illnesses. Approximately a millennium ago marked the start of diamond jewelry usage. The first guy proposed with a diamond ring four centuries later. The Austrian Archduke Maximilian was the one who proposed marriage to Mary of Burgundy. With that, the tradition of proposing with diamond rings was established, albeit primarily for affluent individuals.
It should be noted that although this was the first known instance of a diamond engagement ring, it was by no means the first. The origins of that custom may be traced to the ancient Egyptians, who proposed to one other by placing reed rings on their ring fingers. The ring finger was selected because it was thought to have a vein that led straight to the heart, signifying love.
Why Are They Diamonds?
Compared to now, engagement rings were far less romantic in the past. They were truly an ownership sign in the past. To indicate that they belonged to their husbands, wives received metal rings to wear at home and gold rings from their spouses. This custom has developed throughout time and is now associated with dedication and love.
The diamond industry promoted diamonds as “The” engagement stone that everyone should own once they were found to be abundant in South Africa. Diamonds were the first gemstone to be used in an engagement ring. Things slowed down during the Great Depression, but as the economy recovered, they quickly resumed.
Rings for Engagement Today
Nowadays, engagement rings made of diamonds are present in almost every culture. But as times change, individuals are embracing a new world of individualism and straying further from the customs of the past.
Engagement rings now stand for commitment and relationship, although they formerly represented ownership. It makes reasonable that traditions change in a culture that celebrates all forms of love. The ideal substitute for the conventional white diamond engagement ring are fancy colored diamonds.
Given the abundance of hues, forms, and sizes, it is not surprising that more and more couples are using color to symbolize their love.