The history of engagement rings

For thousands of years, it has been a tradition in the western world that engagement rings should be presented to the woman when proposing marriage. Who create the engagement rings? How come the various gemstones appear on the engagement ring? In this article, we will introduce you to the history of engagement rings to look for the answer.
The ancient Greeks tended to give a betrothal ring before marriage, but the ring at that time is not a prerequisite of marriage, and can also carry the spirit of friendship. Still, the ancient Creeks are honored to have created the tradition of engagement ring.
It is the ancient Romans who first used engagement rings to show the proposing intention of the groom. It was not until medieval times that the engagement rings rose and became a tradition as we now know. In the 1215, Pope Innocent III established that there should be waiting time from engagement to marriage, thus creating the real period of engagement.
In the 14th to 15th century, the engagement rings as been known today became popular among royal and wealthy families. Precious gemstones including sapphires, rubies, emeralds and diamonds were used in the engagement rings to symbolize romantic love.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, large amount of diamonds were mined from Brazil and Africa and flooded the market. The price of diamond declined, and many people began to regard colored gems like sapphires, rubies and emeralds were more valuable than diamonds. Thus engagement rings with colored gemstones became more popular.
Later engagement rings in various designs showed on the jewelry market. For example, Victorian engagement rings featured on the yellow or rose gold, Edwardian engagement rings featured on platinum, and so on. But diamond engagement rings began to become a traditional engagement ring for people in some western country.
Nowadays engagement ring is a must for a Western style marriage. Different gemstones can appear on the rings to convey the special message of love and enhance the romantic love. Birthstone engagement rings and vintage engagement rings also become popular among young people.