DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RINGS - HISTORY

It's a fairly common understanding that the modern history of the diamond engagement ring began with the gift from Archduke Maximilian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy. Maximilian, who was later named Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I was not the first royalty to be anxious to gain Mary's hand as well as all the rich lands that went along with her as the heir of Charles the Bold of Burgundy. Her father received the first proposal on her behalf when she was five years old. Some of her suitors included Ferdinand II of Aragon, Charles de Valois, Duc de Berry, Charles VIII of France and Nicholas I--Duke of Lorraine.

Mary chose Maximilian and he seems to have been a love match. He commissioned a diamond engagement ring and presented it to his bride-to-be prior to their wedding in 1477. In this way, the rich lands owned by Mary came into the control of the Hapsburgs.

The diamond engagement ring tradition is popularly believed to have begun with this gift. So much was made of the ring that other royal couples picked up the idea and used it. Of course, not many couples other than royal ones were able to afford diamonds since they were not commonly available. In fact, there were periods in history when the only people allowed to wear diamonds, or own diamonds were royalty.

Prior to the time of the diamond engagement ring, a betrothal ring was often a copper band worn on the 4th finger of the left hand. That tradition comes from the Greeks who believed that there was a vein, called the love vein, which ran from the ring finger to the heart. Other betrothal ring traditions prior to that of the diamond engagement ring were for the man to wear a ring on the band of his hat until he chose his bride. He would then give the woman the ring.

By the time of Luis XVI a diamond engagement rings made of a cluster of small diamonds came into popularity and remain there for at least 150 years. A diamond engagement ring of the 17th and 18th centuries combined rubies signifying love and the diamond to signify eternity. This was known as the heart stone.

It was not until the massive advertising campaign financed by the De Beers Corporation in the mid 20th century that the diamond engagement ring became firmly entrenched in the minds of the U.S. as the visible demonstration of the proposal and acceptance of marriage.