Where is it that the engagement ring originates from? You just know that somebody, somewhere, started this tradition and it caught on. The first recorded diamond engagement ring that was ever given was from Archduke Maximilian of Austria in the year 1477. But, engagement rings date back much farther than that. Ancient Romans used to give each other with iron bands which were a representation of the promise of matrimony to their future spouse. Somewhere in the second century the band composition was changed from iron to gold. The gold band was placed on what we call today the “ring finger” yet, originally it was placed on that finger because it was believed that “the vein of love” (vena amoris) ran straight through this finger.

As time progressed engagement rings became more complex. During the Dark and Middle Ages colored gemstones were set into engagement rings. Inscriptions of love notes and poems were etched on the interior of the ring. Still most of the world’s population was very poor so the basic engagement ring was called the gimmal ring. This consisted of three loops that were interlocking.  These rings symbolized thehusband, wife, and witness of the marriage.

During the 17^th and 18^th centuries intricate designs were seen more and more on rings. Various types of engravings were seen on the rings. A major discovery of diamonds and gemstones in Brazil made these luxuries more readily usable for the nobilityof the time so they consisted of many different arrangements of stones on their engagement rings. This style continued all the way into the 1870’s where a colossal supply of diamonds was found in South Africa. This fine enabled the middle and lower class societies the ability to buy these luxuries. This inspired Charles Lewis Tiffany to create the six-prong diamond solitaire engagement ring. This classic ring still affects the industry today with many jewelers creating Tiffany inspired engagement rings . Later, at the start of WWII, rings were again made out of gold because all of the available platinum was used for the war.  Gold dominated the engagement ring market until recently where platinum has made a resurgent presence in the market.

In 1947 DeBeers solidified the idea of the diamond engagement ring with their marketing campaign and key slogan “A Diamond is Forever” (which is rated the most well known slogan of the 20^th century). Nowadays, close to 80% of couples buy designer engagement rings. Many also choose to make custom designed engagement rings.

Regardless of what the origins of the engagement ring are, it will eternally represent the eternal love and unbreakable bond that couples share.