Why Diamonds Are Used for Engagement Rings

A diamond engagement ring - the ultimate gift, the physical symbol of the love two people share with each other, and the physical representation of an agreement to enter into the bonds of marriage. A diamond engagement ring is something many women often dream of receiving from a very young age. Have you ever wondered why the diamond was used as the traditional engagement ring stone? No, it's not actually because a diamond is the most precious of all gemstones, because, dollar wise, it is not actually the most expensive stone on the planet. So why the diamond?

Diamonds actually have a very long history of being used as jewelry or adornment. According to one website, the ancient Greeks believe that the diamond's inner fire was a reflection of the burning flame of everlasting love. This same website says that the Greeks called diamonds, 'teardrops of the gods." (retrieved December 30, 2006 from http://www.azcentral.com /style/articles/0314rings.html).

The best it can be determined, the Romans were the first to wear an engagement ring on the third finger of the left hand and it is also believed that the Romans may have been the first civilization to inscribe rings. There are a few theories as to why engagement and wedding rings are worn on the third finger, but the most popular one stems back to ancient Greece. It is said that the there is a vein from the heart that extends down to this finger, and therefore, this finger leads straight to the heart. Pretty romantic, isn't it?

In history, the diamond was not the original or traditional stone for an engagement ring. Emeralds and sapphires were commonly used, until the Europeans took the idea of an engagement ring and made it their own. Because diamonds are supposed to be the strongest and the hardest mineral known to man, the diamond easily became a symbol of an unbreakable bond between a man and woman, not to mention they are pretty and flashy too. Of course, a diamond engagement ring was only available at that time to the very wealthy, so diamond engagement rings soon became a symbol of status and wealth as well as a symbol of pending betrothal.

In the 17th and 18th century, engagement or betrothal rings were given as gifts upon the acceptance of a proposal of marriage. These rings usually had both rubies and diamonds. The rubies, red in color, signified love. The diamonds, clear in color and strong and dazzling, signified eternity. This is a very romantic notion that a marriage should be based on love and last forever.

Toward the end of the 19th century, when diamonds were discovered in both Brazil and Africa, the supply of diamonds began to exceed the demand, and thus the 'value' of a diamond fell. With it, rose the value of colored gemstones, such as sapphires and emeralds again.

DeBeers took the romantic notion that a diamond signified forever and thus came the well known tagline for DeBeers, "A Diamond Is Forever." Since a marriage should be forever, what better stone to represent a marriage then a forever diamond?

By the 20th century, diamonds came back into fashion and were once again considered the traditional stone for an engagement ring. As we move further into the 21st century, diamond engagement rings are generally accepted world wide in most developed countries as the expected gift a man gives a women when he asks for her hand in marriage.

Diamonds are here to stay, and many diamonds are passed down through family members as heirlooms. It is not uncommon for a man to offer his mother or grandmother or even a great grandmother's engagement ring as a conditional gift for a marriage proposal.

When the time comes for you to make the commitment to spend the rest of your life with the one you love, there is no better stone to choose than the eternal diamond - strong, brilliant, beautiful, full of light and radiance, long-lasting and virtually indestructible - all the things a perfect marriage should be.