subject: Discounted Engagement Rings - The Tradition Of The Diamond Engagement Ring [print this page] Most little girls grow up dreaming of the point in time that their knight in shining armor gets down on one knee and proposes. It's a romantic gesture that's topped off with the ideal accessory - the engagement ring. A lot of little girls fantasize that ideal diamond atop their ring finger, gleaming and bright. The engagement ring has a very old and fascinating history that started thousands of years back. The traditional diamond engagement ring that we know of today is actually a pretty current custom.
In many traditions in the Western world, an engagement ring is worn by a woman on the third finger (ring) of her left hand, signifying that she is engaged to be married. The ring is generally presented by a man upon a proposal of marriage, and worn by the woman right after she accepts his proposal. It signifies the agreement to marry, and is usually worn along with the wedding band (on the same finger) for the duration of the woman's life or the marriage, whichever ends first.
The tradition of the engagement ring can be tracked back as distant as Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The Ancient Romans held the belief that the Vena Amoris (Latin for "vein of love") was located in the ring finger of the left hand. It was believed that this vein ran directly from the finger to the heart. The circle of the engagement ring was also thought to represent the eternal connection of love, a romantic idea that's still largely believed even today.
The design and material of the engagement ring has evolved quite a bit with the years. Though in ancient times, an engagement band was fashioned out of hemp, rope, or even lead (in Ancient Rome) and generally didn't have gemstones. Today, we traditionally see engagement rings fashioned out of valuable metals such as platinum or gold, holding a single set stone, which is most generally a diamond.
The diamond engagement ring seems to become the most common and accepted piece of its kind due to its permanence, beauty, and expense. It's a reflection of the love felt between two people. That is probably why it's anticipated that a man plunk down tons of money for an engagement ring.
The diamond engagement ring (or an engagement ring that contains other valuable gems) is a representation of a promise of eternal love and devotion. The choices in rings are endless, and should be selected with care to reflect the woman's taste, style, and personality. After all, she will be wearing the ring for a really long time to come.
