With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, a whole host of marriage proposals should be in the pipeline right now. The highlight? Putting the engagement ring on your partner’s left ring finger. A romantic tradition that dates back hundreds of years.
The history of the engagement ring goes back several centuries, and its custom has evolved over time. A symbol of commitment to love, this stone-set ring is traditionally given by a man to his partner when he proposes, with his knee on the ground and emotion in his voice when he says “Will you marry me?
From iron rings to richly decorated rings
According to several sources, the custom dates back to the time of the ancient Egyptians. The circle of the ring represented eternity and was placed on the ring finger of the left hand, whose vein was directly connected to the heart. This tradition can also be traced back to the Romans in the 2nd century BC. The principle was similar: give the bride a ring to seal her love. As the Baume jewellers recount, the bride’s guardian would make a solemn promise on her behalf and, in exchange, her future husband would give her a ring as a token.
In those days, there was little frills or extravagance. Rings were made of iron or gold and devoid of gems. It was not until the Middle Ages that rings were adorned with stones by the wealthy elite. It is said that in 1477, Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy a ring set with diamonds forming an M shape. Diamonds became the symbol of fidelity, chosen for their purity and eternal duration.
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