Today, women expect a large, brilliant diamond set on a gold band when their friend asks the question, but it wasn’t always that way. Throughout the millennia, there has always been the practice of claiming your partner, from cavemen to today’s gentleman, but the engagement rings that were handed out weren’t always luxurious.
Not exactly known for their elegant manners or for gifting fine jewelry, cavemen had a simple way of saying “ah, woman, mine, ug.” They would take chunks of grass, braid them into a simple Jane rope, and tie them around their wrists, ankles, and waist to bring their spirit under their control. Aren’t we glad it’s changed over the years?
Ancient Egyptian mummies were found buried with a single modest silver or gold thread. This was definitely a step forward from the spiritual union, as the rings were placed on the third finger of the left hand. The circle was used to symbolize an endless cycle and the space in it as a gateway. The reason for placing it on what is now known as the ring finger is because the Egyptians believed that the vein amoris, or vein of love, ran from that finger directly to the heart.
As romantic as the Egyptians were, not so much the Romans. Roman women were given a gold ring for their wedding day and special events, but an iron ring was worn at home as a sign that the husband owned the wife through a legally binding agreement. Puzzle rings were also created for the wives of sheikhs and sultans so they could keep track of them.
Don’t worry, because romance is being used again thanks to Archduke Maximilian of Austria. With his proposal to Mary of Burgundy, one of the first known cases of a diamond engagement ring emerged. He gave her a ring set with small flat pieces of diamonds in the shape of an “M”. When settlers arrived in the United States, thimbles were presented as a token of love and companionship. While it was helpful, women soon realized that they could cut off the top two-thirds of the thimble to create a ring, which could be used to show everyone that she was betrothed.
The current diamond tradition did not become the norm until the 1930s. Until then, diamonds were considered a status symbol for the elite, and simpler bands were widely used with other stones and even pearls. Following the commercial genius of the DeBeers company and its advertising slogan “Diamonds Are Forever”, women began to look forward to the popular new sparkling gemstone engagement rings. I’m sure most women appreciate the transition from braided grass to the grand, glamorous rings that are worn today.
