According to historical accounts and engagement rings, the offering of rings to an intended bride is a custom that goes all the way back to the time of the ancient Egyptian culture. It seems that approximately 5,000 years ago the idea of a circle, being without beginning or end, was first connected to the concept of undying love. As a result, these days it is common to consider diamond engagement rings as the perfect symbolism of eternal love, commitment and devotion .In later times, during the height of the Roman Empire, a young Roman man would offer a young lady a ring as his pledge to her and his declaration of his intent to wed her. When the young lady accepted such a ring, it was considered to be a legal and binding agreement and wearing such an engagement ring indicated that she was pledged in marriage and was not available to others who might want to court her.
In these olden times, the engagement rings were made out of the most easily available metal material, which was iron in most cases. Build on these long-held traditions, today’s rings used for proposing marriage are now items of fine jewelry and are usually forged from the precious metals of yellow gold, white gold, platinum or silver, and are often embellished with sparking diamonds .Diamond engagement rings are available in a huge assortment of styles, from plain, simple and classic to big, glitzy and trendy, and every style in between. With such an enormous selection available, it can be said that there is an engagement ring for every personality, taste and budget.
The most basic of rings for an engagement are simple bands of metal and could be sterling silver jewelry rings with no gemstones of any kind. Often these simple engagement rings also do double duty as wedding bands and this is quite acceptable for the couple who is short of money or who merely prefer to keep things modest and unpretentious. And, while simple and basic can be an elegant and completely acceptable choice, the fact is that most are somewhat more adorned and embellished. The most often seen combination is a gold jewelry ring that also is set with one diamond, known as a solitaire, or with a variety of cut diamonds. If there is more than one diamond, then often there is one larger stone with smaller gems encircling it, or there is an arrangement of small diamonds of the same size set into a channel.
In recent years, platinum has also become a popular choice. However, a diamond ring set in platinum will be quite a bit more expensive than those made of silver or gold, and this often makes platinum a choice that few are able to afford. While hopeful grooms can spend a lot of money on engagement rings in today’s market, they should also keep in mind that the sentiment behind the ring is actually much more valuable and important than what the ring is made of or how many diamonds it has. Over time, it is the love that exists between the couple that will forge a strong marriage.
