Engagement Ring

No other jewellery item says love more powerfully than a diamond engagement ring. Rare, precious, and indestructible, these qualities earned the diamond its status as a symbol of enduring love, romance, and commitment. It was said that Cupid’s arrows were tipped with diamonds.

The Greeks believed that the fire in a diamond reflected the constant flame of love. The Romans suggested that diamonds were tears of the gods. For the Indians, they were good luck charms warding off illness, thieves, and forces of evil. To others, they were stones that would heal and bestow knowledge – talismans of power and purity.

Once reserved for royalty or the very rich, diamond rings are now an accessible luxury. Happy, pretty and loved are how diamond engagement rings make any women feel. And diamond engagement rings are proudly worn as potent symbols of commitment, devotion, celebration, wealth, and love. Nothing beats the look of a diamond engagement ring on your hand.

The First Diamond Engagement Ring

Many may not know this, but diamonds weren’t always used in jewelry. When they were first discovered thousands of years ago in India, they were used as decorations and as talismans to keep away evil spirits. Later they were believed to “cure” diseases. It was only about a thousand years ago that diamonds started being used in jewelry for the first time. Four hundred years later, the first man proposed with a diamond ring. This was Archduke Maximilian of Austria who asked Mary of Burgundy to be his wife. Thus began a custom of proposing with diamond rings, although it was mainly reserved for the upper class.

While this was the first documented case of a diamond engagement ring, it is by no means the first engagement ring. That tradition has roots that date back to ancient Egypt when reed rings were placed on one another’s ring finger to symbolize their betrothal. The ring finger was chosen because it was believed there was a vein in that finger that was connected directly to the heart, symbolizing love.

A Mark for Marriage

According to the GIA, it wasn’t until 850 that the engagement ring was given an official meaning, with Pope Nicholas I declaring that the engagement ring represented a man’s intent to marry with gold as the most popular material for betrothal rings at the time.1 According to the Cape Town Diamond Museum, the first time diamonds appeared on an engagement ring was in 1477 when Archduke Maximilian of Austria proposed to Mary of Burgundy.

The Rise of Diamonds

Even though the Archduke was the first to propose with a diamond ring, he was by no means a trendsetter. In fact, diamond engagement rings didn’t become popular until 1947 when De Beers, the British company that mined diamonds in South Africa, launched an advertising campaign. With the help of Hollywood stars and the slogan, “A diamond is forever,” diamond engagement rings skyrocketed in popularity.

Buy a Bridal Set or Engagement Ring in Canada

The advantage of buying an engagement ring and wedding ring set  in Canada, Toronto is that the styles will match perfectly and both purchases are made at once, alleviating the stress of purchasing a wedding ring while preparing for a wedding.

As an added bonus, you can expect to save 5-10% off the cost of the set by purchasing the rings together rather than buying them separately.