The origins of wedding rings are fascinating. The tradition of exchanging rings dates back 3,000 years, but the first record of a diamond wedding ring was found in the will of a widow who died in 1417. Why are rings, especially diamond rings, the ultimate symbol of romance?
What did the first wedding rings look like? — Egyptian, Greek, and Roman wedding rings
The first to use a ring to represent eternity were the Egyptian pharaohs. Because the circle has no beginning or end, and is the shape of the sun and moon that the Egyptians worshiped. The Egyptians also believed that the open space in the middle of the ring represented a door to the unknown world. The Egyptian Ouroboros (oor-uh- boor -ros) ring depicts a snake swallowing its own tail, representing the eternal cycle of things. The Ouroboros is one of the oldest symbols in the world and means “tail swallower” in Greek.
This modern Ouroboros ring features a snake with sapphires in its eyes and diamonds in its tail. Courtesy: 1stDibs.
When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, the tradition of giving a lover a ring as a sign of loyalty spread to Greece. Many of these rings showed images of Eros or Cupid. When the Romans conquered Greece, they continued the tradition of rings and began using iron and copper rings in wedding ceremonies. Sometimes the iron rings were engraved with a key, symbolizing the wife’s control over household items. But by the second century B.C., the Romans had begun to use iron and copper rings in their wedding ceremonies.In the 18th century, most rings were made of gold.
This Ancient Roman Gold Key Ring Dates Back to the Fourth Centurycentury. The Greek inscription Πουλχρης (Poulchrīs) means “beauty ring” and was used to praise the recipient’s stunning beauty.
From ADThree, fourAt the beginning of the 16th century, gold rings became more luxurious and showed off the wealth of the giver. Fede rings were popular at that time. These rings were designed in the shape of two clasped right hands, representing friendship, partnership and marriage. Rings of this design were made of gold and often intaglioed with gemstones such as agate, carnelian, garnet or amethyst . Later, the Romans began to create personalized rings, engraving their own portraits on the rings.
Ancient Egyptians believed that there was a “vena amoris” (“love vein”) in the ring finger of the left hand that led directly to the heart, so they wore their rings on this finger. The Romans also adopted this idea and wore their wedding rings on the ring finger. Although anatomical evidence has proven this idea incorrect, the tradition of wearing rings on the ring finger continues to this day.
threeGold Fede ring from the 18th century Rome. Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0 1.0)
How did wedding rings evolve? — Wedding rings in the Middle Ages and Renaissance
Since the Middle Ages, people have started to inlay precious gemstones on wedding rings. In the Middle Ages, Europeans used rubies to represent passion, sapphires to represent heaven, and diamonds to represent steadfastness.
Late medieval diamond and ruby ring. Courtesy Leicestershire County Council (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Roman Fede rings and portrait rings were very popular in medieval Europe. Around the 17th century, Fede patterns began to be engraved on double rings (rings with two or three rings interlocking). During the engagement period, a couple each wore a ring. At the wedding ceremony, the groom put his ring on the bride’s finger, and the double wedding ring formed a whole. The rings are combined to present the shape of two right hands tightly clasped.
Around the 17th century, the Fede ring motif evolved into the Claddagh ring motif – hands holding a heart. Claddagh-pattern double band rings often had a third center band showing hands holding a gemstone. During the Renaissance and Elizabethan eras, the Poesy ring became popular. These rings had a love word engraved on the inside or outside of the band.
Puritans in colonial America considered jewelry frivolous and vulgar. Therefore, instead of giving their wives rings, Puritan husbands gave them thimbles. After the bride used the thimble to sew clothes and other fabrics for her new home, she would saw off the top of the thimble to make a ring.
This antique Claddagh wedding ring features a large rose-cut heart-shaped diamond set beneath a crown of diamonds and clasped by two enameled hands. The ring is engraved with the inscription “Dudley and Katherine united 26 March 1706.” Courtesy: Victoria and Albert Museum
When did women start wearing diamond wedding rings?
The oldest surviving diamond jewelry dates back to 300 BC. The first known diamond ring dates back to the late second century AD, found in Rome. Diamonds were uncut at the time, so their value was measured by their hardness rather than their brilliance. The earliest record of a diamond wedding ring dates back to the late 14th or early 15th century, in the will of an English widow. A poem documenting the wedding of two Italian celebrities in 1475 reads: “Two wills, two hearts, two passions, united in one diamond.”
The first famous diamond engagement ring was given by Archduke Maximillian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy in 1477. It is said that the ring spelled out Mary’s initials M with small flat diamonds , making it a fitting gift to the unmarried woman who was most qualified to become a future archduchess.
The two portraits, painted at different times, are of Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian I and his first wife Mary of Burgundy. Public Domain
Other famous diamond rings in history include the one given by the Duke of Alçenon to Queen Elizabeth I, and the one given by Thomas, Duke of Norfolk to Mary, Queen of Scots. Both rings were given to the women as part of proposals for marriage, but neither proposal was successful. Queen Elizabeth I’s subjects did not want to submit to a French ruler, and Mary, Queen of Scots was eventually executed by Elizabeth I.
Diamond engagement rings grew in popularity and opulence during the Victorian era, thanks to Queen Victoria’s love of diamond jewellery .
This cluster diamond ring features 1.20 carats of old-cut diamonds and dates from the late Victorian era.
When did engagement rings and wedding rings become two different rings?
In medieval England, getting married was very simple. The couple only had to give each other “present consent”. This consent was usually expressed through the giving and receiving of an object called a “wedding”, which was usually a ring. Therefore, the “wedding” was the ceremony of the man giving the woman a ring and the woman accepting the ring. This also became the eighthHowever, confusion about the legality of the wedding was widespread. Since the wedding did not require the presence of witnesses and clergy, one or both of the couple could later deny that the wedding had taken place.
This late medieval yellow gold ring features an uncut brown diamond crystal. Copyright GIA & Tino Hammid. Courtesy: Benjamin Zucker
Therefore, inIn the 12th century, the Christian Church declared marriage a sacrament that had to be celebrated in a church. Rings were part of the ceremony. Usually, a man was not allowed to put any type of ring on a woman unless he intended to marry her. Before that, rings did not always mean marriage, but were often a symbol of fidelity or an engagement. It was probably when the Church codified marriage that two different types of rings appeared: more personalized engagement rings and church-approved wedding rings.
When did men start wearing wedding rings?
Although the Christian church advocated exchanging wedding rings to ensure the fidelity of men, until the last century, wedding rings were mostly worn by women. It was not until World War II that double rings became popular. At that time, European and American soldiers wore wedding rings to commemorate their loved ones at home. The tradition continued during the Korean War. After that, male wedding rings also became popular among civilians.
How did the diamond engagement ring become a tradition?
Until the 1940s, diamonds were just one of many gemstones used in engagement rings. Diamonds became so popular then, thanks in large part to diamond giant De Beers, which controlled most of the world’s diamonds at the time. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, people began to stop buying diamonds. That’s when De Beers launched an epic marketing campaign.
De Beers had Hollywood actresses wear diamonds in movies, making diamonds a symbol of romance. At the same time, they hired Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali to draw advertising posters to convey the idea that diamonds are works of art. In 1947, De Beers launched the slogan “A diamond is forever.” In 1953, Marilyn Monroe’s phrase “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” became a household name.
Marilyn Monroe singing “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Courtesy of www.drmacro.com. Public Domain
By the 1950s and 1960s, diamond culture entered its heyday. Giving expensive diamonds was a way for men to show women that they were “worthy” and to demonstrate their ability to make money. After De Beers’ marketing promotion, the proportion of brides in the United States who received engagement diamond rings jumped from 10% in 1939 to 80% in 1990. After De Beers’ diamond promotion in the Chinese market, the proportion of brides who received engagement rings soared from almost zero in the 1990s to more than half in 2019.
What do wedding and engagement rings represent today?
Engagement and wedding rings have always been, and still are, symbols of commitment, love, and fidelity. In the past, wedding rings symbolized a promise or contract between a couple and their two families. The ring was also a proof, or even a deposit, that the man was “worth his word.”
The platinum portion of this diamond engagement ring features a radiant cut center stone. Courtesy: Ritani
In recent decades, wedding rings have evolved into objects that indicate both individual and couple relationships, as both men and women wear them. Now, wedding rings and engagement rings have become important wedding items, not only in Western countries, but in any country where couples want to show their love to the outside world and want more eye-catching clothing.
