promise rings for couples have been used historically to represent more than just the love between a couple and their commitment to marry.
Wearing his and hers jewelry has evolved over the centuries to reflect the changing values and cultures. Engagement rings have served three main purposes in history.
Marriage as an indicator of status. Although today marriage is seen as mutually agreed upon between two people who are in love, this was not always true. Marriages in ancient Rome, and other cultures, were often arranged between families to elevate the status of a less fortunate family. The ring served as a sign of the legal agreement between families and indicated that the wife had become the property of her husband. The rings at the time were iron, and they had no ornaments. Some women would wear gold rings that had certain features or inscriptions to represent the wealth of their husbands. It is not surprising that the Romans were the first to introduce legal regulations regarding monogamy and dowries.
A reminder to stay faithful - In the Renaissance, puzzle rings were created as a means to determine if someone had been unfaithful. However, they were mostly worn by wives. These rings were said to have multiple pieces forming a single band. They interlocked in an intricate manner, so that if they were taken off the finger, it would fall apart. A woman would then not be able put it back on. It would then alert her husband that she was unfaithful.
Engagement rings and wedding bands that have been designed in the Victorian style are a sign of this time period. People of the Victorian era were known to be sentimental, and they took great care in designing rings that are beautiful, rather than just functional. Rings with elaborate decorations like hearts, flowers, and colored gemstones were not unusual. Prince Albert proposed to Queen Victoria using a ring that depicted a serpent head with a green emerald. The diamond rush of the mid-19th-century also made diamond rings more affordable for the middle class. The stones were long a favorite among high society but the trend gained popularity at this time. The designs of engagement rings have evolved and changed as styles and fashions have.
The History of Diamond couple necklaces
Engagement rings have been popular for many years, long after the wedding bands. The first engagement ring is believed to have been given by Archduke Maximilian in 1477 as a gift to Mary of Burgundy, his fiancée. The ring was made up of a series of diamonds in the shape "M."
Diamonds are the most popular stone for engagement rings.
Diamonds are durable and represent a couple’s love, commitment and eternal love.
Uniqueness – No two diamonds will ever be the same as each couple has their own unique story.
Even with the multi-faceted tradition and meaning, an increasing number couples choose wedding and engagement rings that have alternative stones at their center. Here are some celebrity picks:
Kate Middleton wears an engagement ring of 12 carats made from Ceylon sapphires.
Emma Stone is wearing a beige-gold and pearl ring
Katy Perry wears an engagement ring with a pink and diamond daisy.
Anna Paquin wearing a moonstone band
Halle Berry's rustic emerald and gold engagement ring
You can also choose a lab-created diamond alternative like Nexus Diamond (tm), which has the same look, feel, and wear of a real diamond at a fraction of its cost.
Start your Tradition with an Alternative to Nexus DiamondTM
The history and traditions surrounding engagement rings and wedding bands may make you think that there are rules for wearing an engagement ring. You can wear your engagement rings however you want, and design them in a manner that perfectly reflects your relationship with your partner.
Couplesets lab-created diamond stimulateants could be the ideal adornment to your engagement ring.
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