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The_Engagement_Ring
| The Engagement Ring
When a man wanted to get married, it was tradition for him to
give his beloved's family something of great value as a sign of
his wish to marry her. If the woman accepted his gift, it
signified their pledge to marry and it was considered a legally
binding transaction. In ancient times, the betrothal gift was of
a more practical nature, usually livestock, fabrics, herbs and
spices and even land. The Greeks are credited with beginning the
tradition of the betrothal (or engagement) ring. Here, the
groom-to-be presented a ring to his intended as a promise of
marriage.
Early Roman engagement rings were simple bands with a carved
key. There are two theories surrounding this particular style.
The romantic version states that the key was to 'unlock' her
husband's heart. The more practical version was that the key
represented the wife's ownership of her husband's estate. When a
Roman woman married, she received half of her husband's wealth.
In 860 A.D., Pope Nicholas I ordained that an engagement ring
was a requirement as a statement of nuptial intent. He insisted
that they be made of gold to show financial sacrifice on the
part of the prospective husband.
In Renaissance Italy, silver became a popular metal for
engagement and wedding rings. These rings were often very ornate
and inlaid with Niello, a method of decorating metal objects
with engraving techniques. An alloy of silver, copper, lead and
sulfur was rubbed into an engraved pattern on silver or gold and
then fired. Darkened areas remained in the crevices after the
object was polished.
Elaborate engagement rings of rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and
other precious gems became commonplace among the wealthy. Many
rings would feature a group of stones to spell out a sentimental
word. For example, if one wanted to spell out LOVE on his ring,
he would use Lapis Lazuli, Opal, Verde Antique and Emerald. Some
husbands-to-be would have a ring fashioned featuring his and his
fiancée's birthstones. Since the color blue symbolized purity
and fidelity, Sapphire engagement rings were quite popular,
especially during the Victorian era.
The ancient Greeks believed the fire of the diamond reflected
the flame of love, while the Romans thought diamonds to be
splinters from falling stars that tipped the arrows of Eros, the
god of love. In the Middle Ages, these gems were looked upon as
charms that had the power to enhance the love between a husband
and a wife. However, diamonds were quite rare and only the
wealthy could afford them.
The tradition of giving a diamond engagement ring began in 1477
with the Archduke Maximillian of Austria, who presented his
betrothed, Mary of Burgundy, with a simple gold band with a
diamond. Since diamonds are the hardest, natural substance in
nature, it was considered an appropriate symbol of enduring
love. From that time forward, the royal tradition of giving a
diamond engagement ring began to be embraced by people around
the world.
In the 1939, a brilliant advertising campaign by the De Beers
Company, the world's largest miner and marketer of diamonds,
made the diamond THE engagement ring as the only best option to
gift to your fiancée.
About the author:
Tom Ttsatsos, write article and provide consultancy to The
American wedding
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