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Engagement RingsAccording to legend, lore and even history, engagement rings have been in use for centuries, symbolizing something precious, the commitment to join together through marriage. While stories of engagement rings go back to early Roman times, and even as far back as ancient Egypt, the form most familiar today, the combining of precious metals and stones to make a meaningful memento and statement, is generally recognized to have had its formal start in the Medieval Era. Those early engagement rings, such as those used in the early Roman era, were often of iron and fairly plain in form. It's interesting to consider that in light of women's position in marriage and society, as well. Many marriages were arranged and, judging from the laws of the era, it was a quite business like transaction for many, akin to the transfer of property, which was, in essence, how the woman was viewed. That the engagement rings of those times did not typically appear to be particularly precious is not surprising. While marriage in the Medieval Era, particularly in the upper levels of society, still often had that arranged business transaction flavor about them, there was a shifting of status for women in Christianity and in culture in general, as some of the courtly love traditions reflect. It was during this era that engagement rings began to be associated with precious metals and gems. The first historical mention of diamond engagement rings being given comes from this era, beginning a tradition in engagement rings that eventually made its way from royalty and the very wealthy to the average, modern day person. Engagement rings have evolved through history including diamonds and other gems, right alongside the concept of marriage and of the role of women in both marriage and the world. How fitting it is that as those became richer and more fulfilling, so too did engagement rings become the precious and meaningful gifts that they are today.
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