Chip Chick
Engagement rings are a wonderful symbol of a couple’s love and represent the promise of commitment to marriage in the future.
But with this custom being so widely known, have you ever stopped to wonder about the history behind the tradition and ring itself?
In ancient times, it was believed that there was a vein from our ring finger to our heart, and so wearing a ring on this specific finger was a representation of the connection of the couple.
Even in the Middle Ages, when women would receive a ring from their partner promising marriage, they held it to such high meaning and importance that they would not wear any other rings!
As years passed, something called twin rings became a popular practice, in which the groom would wear a ring until the day of the wedding before being passed over to the bride.
The meaning of the engagement ring, as we know it today, was declared in the year 850, when Pope Nicholas I deemed an engagement ring was representative of a man’s promise to marry a woman.
While the most popular metal at that time was gold, in 1477, the first engagement with a diamond ring was recorded, which Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave to his love, Mary of Burgandy.
The diamonds were even mounted in the shape of an ‘M’ just for her. After this, diamond rings become popular in the noble engagements of Europe.
In the Victorian Era, a mix of gemstones, diamonds, and various metals was popular when creating engagement rings. A specific style called Posy Rings was a common choice, where the rings were created in such a way that they imitated the look of flowers.
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