The
time-honored tradition of a man gifting his bride-to-be with an engagement ring
dates back to ancient times. Early engagement rings were far from head turners:
an unadorned iron hoop was given in early Roman times. Some centuries
later, the iron hoop was replaced by the more valuable, albeit simple, gold
band.
Although
diamonds were used in rings for several centuries, the diamond engagement
ring originates back to the 15th century,
which also coincides with the time that new techniques for cutting diamonds
were developed.
The prosperous Industrial
Revolution, combined with the newly-discovered diamond mines in Africa, made
diamonds more available to the general public. And conventional engagement rings as we know them today were common by the
end of the 19th century.
Image courtesy of Unique Celtic Wedding Rings
