ENGAGEMENT RINGS
Introduction
What makes an engagement ring special from all other rings.
Have you ever admired someone’s ring and heard them say, “Oh, that’s my engagement ring?” What makes an engagement ring special from all other rings? Why does it have to have a title? Engagement rings according are rings that signify that the individual who wears them is already engaged and is about to get married. This is especially true in western cultures.
Women in Western countries are mostly seen wearing engagement rings and while there isn’t any specific standard of what an engagement ring should look like most of the time engagement rings feature gemstones and/or diamonds in it.
The engagement ring of a woman is given as a gift by her partner as he proposes for marriage or it could be given right after she agrees to his proposal for marriage. In other cultures, couples prefer to wear uniform rings which mean that both share the same design. In some other cultures, the engagement rings are used as weddings rings. In a sense, the engagement ring symbolizes a sealed and official agreement to marriage. In most Western countries, the engagement ring is normally worn on the ring finger specifically on the left hand although this may vary in different parts of the globe.
Even before a woman accepts a marriage proposal the couple may decide to purchase and wear rings called promise rings or otherwise known as pre-engagement rings. Soon after they tied the knot the couple can have the option to either wear both the engagement rings together with the wedding rings if that is what they prefer or they could just use the wedding rings and keep the engagement rings. There are some brides who choose to permanently fuse their engagement ring with their wedding ring to make it as one after they get married.
History of Engagement Rings
Even though ancient Egyptians were believed to be the ones who invented engagement rings and the Greeks who were responsible for making it a tradition; if you trace back how engagement rings began it will lead you to ancient Rome.
In most countries around the world, the engagement ring is slid in the finger that is nearest to the pinky finger of a woman’s left hand. It was believed that this was the finger that housed the vein which was directly connected to the heart. This theory was made popular by Herny Swinburne, but this story appears to have its outset in an old Roman book written by Aulus entitled Attic Nights.
During the 2nd century B.C., a Roman woman who is bound to be married is given two different rings. One ring made of gold where she used whenever she is out in public and the other ring which is iron-made where she dons when she is at home doing household chores.
One ring is gold in which she wore for the public to see while the other was made of iron in which she wore inside her home while she does household chores. There was a time when Roman citizens were seen wearing iron rings. After several years, Roman senators who worked as ambassadors had the privilege to wear gold seal rings to be used whenever they were abroad. Later on the privilege to wear rings made of gold became open to public officials. And then the knights followed and later on to freeborn and then it extended to Justinian and to the freedmen.
For what seemed like a long period of time it became tradition among Romans to don iron rings while they were at home and switched to gold rings when they were out in the public. It was during this time wherein a girl may accept two different engagement rings. A ring made of iron while the other made of gold.
During the Middle Ages
In the mid-seventh Century, the Visigothic Code had a requirement it said that when an engagement ceremony has already been performed and the ring has already been given and/or received as a promise even though there was no written commitment the promise to marry shall never be broken regardless of the circumstance.
Pope Nicholas I in 860 A.D. wrote a missive addressed to Boris I of Bulgaria as a response to the questions about the disparities between the practices of Eastern Orthodox and the practices of the Roman Catholics. Pope Nicholas explains that in Western churches the groom-to-be should present his partner with an engagement ring. It was 1215 during the Fourth Council of the Lateran in 1215 called by Pope Innocent III wherein the banns of marriage was first established. The banns of marriage forbid secret marriages and required that all marriage ceremonies be made in public and in advance. There were several legal scholars who viewed this as similar to the tradition of engagement rings which was explained by Pope Nicholas I.
During the Renaissance Period
Archduke Maximilian of Austria was the very first person to have ever given a ring made of diamond to represent an engagement in 1477 in Vienna. This was during a time when he was engaged to Mary of Burgundy. After his engagement, all the other social class followed and they were seen giving diamond rings to all of their partners during their engagements.
During the Reformation Period
Engagement rings were soon replaced by actual wedding rings during a marriage and this took place during the Protestant Reformation. But the transition happened at a much later time in most Catholic countries.
During the Enlightenment Period
It was during this period where both pose rings and gimbal rings gained popularity. Although the former was used to express feelings rather than to represent official engagement.
During the Victorian Era
The very first diamonds were discovered in South Africa during 1866, but it had no name nor did it have a label, not until 1867. In 1872, the amount produced by diamond mines reached more than 1,000,000 karats each year. As its production ramped up those who had less were able to pitch in. But diamonds were seen as the sphere of aristocracy and nobility while tradition favored the simpler and less expensive engagement bands.
During the 20th Century
In America, the frame of diamond rings took a nosedive after the first World War and it sloped downward even more at the beginning of the Great Depression.
In the year 1938, diamond company De Beers started a marketing campaign that inevitably had a huge effect on engagement rings. Prices of diamonds plummeted during the Great Depression. Meanwhile, market research showed that engagement rings were starting to lose its beauty and luster among the younger generation. The first segment of the campaign was mostly on market research the advertising segment followed which started in 1939. The first fundamentals of the campaign taught the general public about the four Cs in diamonds and these are karats, cut, clarity and color. Eight years later the motto A diamond has forever become known. In the end, the campaign set by De Beers convinced consumers engagement rings are timeless and that the only acceptable stone to be used in an engagement ring is a diamond.
During the 21st Century
Today most particularly in the Western civilization, a tradition has been established in which the soon-to-be bride should constantly wear her engagement ring to show that she is indeed committed.
Types of Engagement Rings
Among the most significant measures in buying an engagement ring is discovering your ring type.
Wedding Sets
Wedding Sets include a matching engagement ring and wedding ring that frequently complement one another and are visually consistent. Generally, the band is presented at the service, while the engagement ring is given during the proposal. When buying rings separately, it can become hard to match the wedding band to the engagement ring, particularly if the design of the ring is highly intricate uncommon, or ornamental. Wedding sets, however, ensure a perfect stylistic and structural match between an engagement band as well as a wedding band. Another benefit of wedding sets is they're frequently organized to a groom's wedding ring.
Vintage Engagement Rings
Antique and vintage -style engagement rings provide the attractiveness and intricate craftsmanship of vintage rings with the sturdy and enduring layout techniques of contemporary engagement rings. Classic-style engagement ring layouts contain diamonds with modern diamond cuts, which maximize brilliance fire, and light reflective properties and often draw inspiration from various time periods. James Allen provides a variety of vintage and antique -style engagement rings in yellow gold, white gold, and platinum. Most diamond cuts are used as center jewels for vintage rings. In classic rings, center stones are usually prong-set, basket- or bezel-set.
Halo Engagement Rings
The smaller diamonds give the appearance of volume and size to the center stone, adding to the ring's complete sparkle. Conventional halo engagement rings are a more modern take on the classic solitaire ring while vintage-style halo rings concentrate on the micro pave and mill grain. Ring engagement rings come in all shapes and sizes of center stones. Some attribute round stones, Escher-cut diamonds, oval and pear-shaped diamonds. Colored gemstones are generally featured by Halo rings, like rubies that are red or blue sapphires.
Tension Set Engagement Rings
Tension engagement rings are a modern engagement ring setting in which a diamond is held in place by the physical force of the setting, with no prongs. In a tension ring, the diamond appears to be floating in the air. As the name suggests, tension rings use the force and tension of the ring to push the diamond. Tension style engagement rings are a few of the very safe engagement rings around as the entire ring works to hold the diamond in position even tighter than prong settings. The shape and cut of the diamond are vitally important since tension cut betrothals rings show off the whole diamond. Round, princess, and emerald cut diamonds are popular choices for tension set rings.
Three-Stone Engagement Rings
Three stone engagement rings include a center diamond flanked by two side diamonds, which accentuate the center diamond's size as well as brilliance. The center stone is usually set higher to complement the side jewels and add depth to the ring. Round or princess cut diamonds are the most famous options for center stones. Most center stones are prong-set, basket- bezel or set -place, as these settings effectively distinguish the setting and the center diamond.
Sidestone Engagement Rings
Sidestone engagement ring settings provide the ideal complement to a center rock and typically contain a center diamond flanked by two or more smaller-sized side diamonds. Because side stones add brilliance as well as size to the center diamond, they make the general appearance of the engagement ring glowing and more impressive. When it comes to selecting a center diamond for an engagement ring with side stones, round brilliant or princess cut diamonds are generally selected, although most diamond structures can be utilized.
Channel Set Engagement Rings
Side diamonds that are embedded into the channel groove of the ring are featured by channel set engagement rings. The diamonds are secured by a thin strip of metal no prongs are used. The diamonds are flush with as a result and the ring, channel set rings are not as likely to snag on clothing and sturdier than other designs. Channel settings are available in gold and platinum, with various cuts and diamond shapes. When it comes to picking the proper channel stones for your channel ring, the princess cut is a popular selection, as its square edges ensure no differences between the rocks.
Pavé Engagement Rings
There is a pave engagement ring encrusted with diamonds that were very small all along the band to give the appearance of a solid diamond surface. Pave settings can either go around the full ring (complete pave) or quit halfway around it (half pave). Micro pave rings are even more delicate and intricate than regular pave settings. The individual rocks are so modest they appear to blend together and make extraordinary fire. Generally, princess cut diamonds or round brilliant are used as center stones in pave engagement rings. Most center stones are prong-set, basket- set or bezel -set.
Solitaire Engagement Rings
A solitaire ring setting comes with a single stone, commonly a diamond with a plain mounting (generally four or six prongs). Solitaires are among the most famous engagement ring settings. Their attractiveness is in timelessness, simplicity, and their elegance. Solitaire engagement rings come in a variety of designs as well as sizes. Some have narrower bands that compliment small fingers and have the effect of making a smaller diamond seem bigger. Others have thicker rings which allow for much more options in the way the diamond is set. Many solitaire rings have ring guards (or rings wrappings) which frame the center diamond, making it appear more notable.
Purchasing
Back in the 20th century, if a man has the means to pay for a ring he would secretly choose and buy an engagement ring.
Back in the twentieth century, if a man has the means to pay for a ring he would secretly choose and buy an engagement ring. He would then present the ring to his future bride during a marriage proposal. This is typical among Western grooms. In other countries wherein both the man and the woman don engagement rings, they can decide and buy the rings together.
In Canada and in the U.S. where only the women wore engagement rings as part of a tradition, women were also seen presenting engagement gifts to their partners from time to time.
Like all other pieces of jewelry, engagement rings come at various prices based on the type of materials used. It also depends on the design of the ring if it is set with gemstones, the worth of the gemstones as well as the seller. The ring will also depend on the price, quality and the type of gem used. Meanwhile, all diamonds are priced according to a standardized description so the prices will vary based on cut, clarity, weight, and color. But this system does not apply to gemstones such as emeralds, rubies, and sapphires.
The concept that a groom-to-be should invest a considerable percentage of his yearly income to buy a ring started from De Beers in the middle of the twentieth century in their marketing materials as an attempt to increase diamond sales. During the 1930s, they asserted that a man should set aside one month’s worth of income for an engagement ring. And then later on they had another interesting suggestion and that is to spend two months’ worth of income on a single engagement ring.
Four years ago, the average price of a single engagement ring in America was reported to be four thousand US dollars.
Perhaps the popularity of costly engagement rings can be traced back to its association to human sexuality as well as the bride-to-be’s marriage prospects. In America, before the Great Depression began any man who chooses to withdraw from an engagement can be sued and filed a case of breach of promise.
Monetary damages will be pressed on the man who decides to drop the wedding off. These damages would include expenses made for the preparation of the wedding and additional damages for the emotional distress caused as well as the loss of another marriage potential. Not only that, the damages can go as high up if the woman has engaged in a sexual relationship with her fiance.
At the start of 1935 the laws were revoked. But the financial and social cost of an engagement that has been broken was no less; since marriage was the sole option for the majority of women and her chances of marrying other men would be decreased since she has already committed sexual intercourse with another man. In a way, the engagement ring would serve as a financial assurance if in case the man does decide to cancel their marriage plans and withdraw from his proposal.
References
- Toliver, Wendy (1 March 2003). The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Wedding Etiquette. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. (1 May 2008). Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2013-11-06.
- Kunz, George F. (1917). Rings for the Finger, from the Earlieast Known Times Retrieved 2013-11-11.
- Educational Articles (2006-05-20) "Meaning of the Engagement Ring". Retrieved 2013-06-02.
- New York Times ( 2014-01-31) "With Engagement Rings, Love Meets Budget". Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- Norwalk, Conn. (1979-02-03) "Engagement Rings…Their Long and Bright History". Retrieved 2013-06-02.
- http://www.jamesallen.com/education/engagement-rings/. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
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