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An engaging story Falling in love is a blessing that many of us have savoured at least once in our lifetime and how beautiful the world seems when we look through rose-tinted glasses. As the song goes, first comes love, then comes marriage”, most of us dream of what our engagement ring would look like, but do you actually know the history behind this symbol of true love? The ring is synonymous with weddings and in most cultures, is a public symbol of matrimony and romantically, the ultimate symbol of love, devotion and commitment. Today, the diamond engagement ring is common practice but historically, this tradition is fairly recent, beginning only in 1939, when De Beers launched a giant advertising campaign featuring diamonds as the engagement ring. Although the exact origin of the engagement ring is unknown, it was believed that it all began in the caveman days. A woven cord of rushes was tied around the hands and feet of his mate so that she would not escape. Once he thought she would stay, he tied just her hands and finally when he was assured of her commitment, the cord was only tied around her finger The ancient Greeks probably started the tradition as we know it today. Known as their betrothal ring, it was derived from the work ‘troweth’ meaning ‘truth.’. More of a promise ring, it meant giving a truth or pledge and an engagement ring became an outward indication to everyone that a woman had pledged her love to one man alone. It was the Romans, however, who were thought to have started the tradition of wearing the engagement ring on the third finger of the left hand. This was believed to be the ‘vena amoris’, which translates to ‘vein of love’. This ‘vein’ was thought to lead directly to the heart, and the theory itself is generally attributed to the Egyptians. The Egyptians believed that a circular shape represented eternity, with no beginning or end. Circles were long considered mystical shapes, emulation the form of the sun and moon. Rings of gold were held in high regard by the upper class and this trend was soon adopted by the Romans However, it was the Archduke Maximillian of Hamburg who made the diamond engagement ring popular. The first ever recorded diamond engagement ring was given to his love, Mary of Burgundy in 1477. We can all thank him for coming up with that brilliant idea of a huge rock as an engagement ring! What surely is true is that the wedding and engagement rings are symbols of one’s love for the other, so their purchase ought to be one that is given due attention and consideration. The circle has always had significance in ancient cultures as a symbol of wholeness and of perfection. Its endlessness is the perfect symbol of oneness and eternal unity that has no beginning or end. It is the concrete sealing of a marriage pact—true love personified eloquently. |