The History of Engagement Rings

Clouded in mystery, the exact origin of engagement rings is unclear. Some more romantic people say that the circle symbolises the eternal union while others trace it to a part payment of the groom’s financial commitment to his future wife and her family! Whichever is correct, a handmade engagement ring is the perfect way to represent two people’s love and commitment to each other and has stood the test of time.

Perhaps the earliest suggested source of the engagement ring tradition was in ancient Egypt, where rings were worn on the 4th finger of the left hand, as this was where the ‘Vena Amoris’ or ‘Vein of Love’ was thought to run to the heart. However, the Christian tradition of wearing an engagement ring on that finger only dates from the 1549 prayer book and prior to that rings were worn on the 3rd finger of the right hand. Another reason for using the 4th finger is that the priest or groom would put the engagement ring on the first three fingers in turn when saying ‘the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost’, finishing on the fourth finger where it would then stay.

A great ring-wearing race, the Romans worn ‘betrothal’ rings made of iron (which signified strength and permanence) – these were called ‘Anulus Pronubus’ and were given in much the same way as modern engagement rings are now. As time went by these rings started to be made of gold and engravings or decoration (such as a lover’s knot or two clasped hands) were added. Some early rings also had a carved key with which a woman could unlock her lover’s heart.

In 860 Pope Nicolas I decreed that a ring was a requirement to signify betrothal or engagement and it was also stipulated that it should be a gold ring – perhaps this, again, was to do with the financial commitment being made by the groom.

By the Middle Ages, betrothal and wedding ceremonies had become combined so the idea of a seperate engagement ring began to mark the change in status of the financee and to emphasise the significance of the betrothal.

In 1477 Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave Mary of Burgandy a diamond engagement ring – diamonds at that stage being thought of as magic and created in the flames of love. This was picked up in medieval Venice where they equated the hardness of diamond with the idea of enduring love, but only for the very rich as diamonds were very rare. It wasn’t until the end of the 19th century when large amounts of diamonds were discovered in South Africa, that diamonds became commonly used in engagement rings. But even by this time in England other stones were often used – for example pearls, and nowadays all kinds of precious and semiprecious stones as well as coloured diamonds are customary. Using unusual and colourful stones in their engagement rings is something that the designers at Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery particularly enjoy.