Japan Fashion Engagement Diamond Ring 82

Japan Engagement Diamond Ring.

By farzana Aamir. 

What is the history of the engagement ring?

I was sitting here thinking about wedding and engagement rings (one of those random thoughts that pop into my head from time to time). I already knew the history of a wedding ...show more

Best Answer

Bride to be 08/15/2009 answered 6 years ago

The earliest uses of symbolic rings are attributed to different peoples, including the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. Betrothal rings were meant to symbolize a woman’s connection to the man who would become her husband, though the arrangement was more of a business proposition than a romantic union. Romans used iron rings to symbolize strength and permanence, and the Greeks are credited with the initial idea to wear the ring on the fourth finger of the left hand, where the “vena amoris” or vein of love was supposed to connect to the heart.

During the ninth century, Pope Nicolas I endorsed the idea of engagement rings by making a gold ring a betrothal requirement to demonstrate the groom’s wealth and ability to care for a wife. In 1215, Pope Innocent III made a similar declaration though the rings could consist of different metals, including silver and iron, and the rings were meant to be worn during a longer engagement period. The better the ring, the the groom.