The History of the Engagement Ring

Return to Education/Articles Page

The History of the Engagement Ring

A Raymond Lee Jewelers writing for your reading or educational enjoyment.

Today, most of us understand the engagement process. Usually, a couple is engaged when the man presents the woman with an engagement ring, which will signify their pending marriage. But where did this tradition begin? How has it evolved over time, and is it performed differently in other parts of the world?

Rings were first used for marriages in ancient Rome, and the Western world did not start using rings to signify marriage or engagement until the thirteenth century. The Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy an engagement ring in 1477 - this was the first documented use of an engagement ring. Especially before the 20th century, it was not uncommon for different types of gifts to honor the engagement of a couple. For example, a sewing thimble was once given to the bride-to-be. Very traditional religious groups of the 19th century commonly used this to honor engagement as they shunned all other forms of jewelry. The engagement ring finally became popular in the Western world by the end of the 19th century. However, diamond rings were not used until the 1930s. Since then, it has grown to become an industry unto itself, and 80% of women in the United States now wear diamond engagement rings.

The engagement ring represents the agreement to a future wedding. While in the United States and the United Kingdom, the ring is worn on the left ring finger, Germans move the ring to the right hand when married. Other countries simply wear it on the right hand. Popular theories on the origin of the left ring finger point to an Egyptian myth that the left ring finger was the location of a vein that led to the heart. Others say it contains the "vein of love".

While the man typically purchases the engagement ring, today's couples might shop for the ring together, and some cultures even have couples that wear matching rings. In any case, the engagement ring stands for centuries as an enduring symbol of love.





Learn about our Engagement Ring financing options.