A Historical Look at Engagement Rings

One thing that a lot of people put thought into finding is engagement rings. However this does not mean that they think at all about the reason that they are choosing this item. There is a rich history when it comes to this piece of jewelry that everyone should be aware of so they can better understand the reason for it.

Of course no one will argue that these are not one of the most meaningful choices when it comes to finding a piece of jewelry. Few people put as much time into any purchase as they do this one. There are so many different meanings behind this purchase which include one's commitment, fidelity, love, promise to honor, and promise of an eternal life together.

The fact remains that few understand why this is the choice of sentiment and why this is the thing that people choose to use as a statement of these feelings. Nearly every country around the world participates in this practice in one way or another and have been doing so for sometime. To truly understand the history one would need to look at different aspects from a variety of places around the world.

Today's wedding band was thought to have began in Egypt during ancient times where the circle was thought to be representative of a never ending love. Likewise it was a belief that the ring finger was special and contained a vein that had a direct connection to the heart. Therefore this finger was thought to be a representation of love.

In ancient Rome there was also a wedding band. The difference is that the people of Rome did not believe in love but instead they believed that the man would own his wife. This ring was given to show that the woman was owned by a man and therefore not available to other men.

There have been other types of rings, like those that would collapse after being removed that were popular in Asia and Arab nations. This meant if a woman was to cheat on her husband she would not be able to put the ring back on her finger. Europeans would give rings as a sign of their fidelity and love to their partner and their promise of a lifelong marriage.

The history of the United States shows a time when it was prohibited to have a ring and instead a thimble was given to the woman to show her love and loyalty. Today's engagement ring is most likely traceable to ancient Greece where these rings were given as a symbol of friendship and loyalty. Additionally later in Rome one would find that these were given to symbolize a key to the husband's heart.

The beautiful choices for engagement rings that are so popular today were originally meant solely for those who were part of royalty so they were not available to everyone. They were a symbol of affluence. So there is a rich history to this piece of jewelry and something that everyone should know more about.