Engagement Rings: From Here to Eternity
The oldest recorded exchange of engagement rings dates back nearly 5000 years ago to ancient Egypt when a never ending band was linked with eternal love. Later, for the Romans, a young ladies acceptance of a ring was a legal agreement and meant that the girl was no longer available. These ancient engagement and wedding rings were not gold engagement rings but were often made from simple and crude bands of iron.
Even in these modern times, the gold engagement ring is still regarded as a potent symbol of unity and marriage, which sends out a message about an individual">
These early tokens which indicated the sealing of a marriage contract, were certainly very different from what we now accept today as an engagement ring and probably wouldn’t have turned too many heads or invoked the green-eyed monster because of their beauty and brilliance. In early Roman times rings were simple hoops made out of iron and it wasn’t until much later times that this metal was replaced with precious metals such as gold and silver which do not rust and are more attractive.
Although diamonds were discovered in India at the beginning of the ninth century, it wasn’t until 1500 onwards that brides-to-be would be wearing something a little bit more special and even then, diamonds would be very much for the wealthy and for royalty.
Since their discovery, diamonds have always been prized for their beauty and brilliance as well as their extreme hardness. The word "diamond" originated from the Greek word "adamas," which means unconquerable. Some even believed diamonds to possess magical powers and this, along with their other properties, has made a diamond a perfect representation of the marriage bond.
When further sources of diamonds were discovered in the nineteenth century, it increased their availability and they became more fashionable, particularly in engagement rings.
Styles of engagement rings have varied greatly over the years but some designs have remained popular throughout. The single diamond solitaire is a strong favorite and nobody can resist that big sparkler. The three stone styles have also remained popular as many believe that this signifies ‘I Love You’.
Although some women have chosen other precious gemstones for their engagement rings such as rubies, emeralds, opals and others, the diamond is still the favorite. As the song says ‘Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend.’
engagement ring is still regarded as a potent symbol of unity and marriage, which sends out a message about an individual"> John Lewis runs Love2Have an on line jewellery website that only sells UK hand made jewellery including engagement rings and wedding rings.