Discounted Engagement Rings - The Tradition Of The Diamond Engagement Ring

Almost all little girls grow up dreaming of the point in time that their knight in shining armor gets down on one knee and proposes. It is a romantic gesture that is topped off with the ideal accessory - the engagement ring. A lot of little girls fantasize that ideal diamond atop their ring finger, gleaming and bright. The engagement ring has a very old and interesting history that started thousands of years back. The traditional diamond engagement ring that we know of today is really a fairly recent custom.

In many traditions in the Western world, an engagement ring is worn by a woman on the third finger (ring) of her left hand, showing that she is engaged to be married. The ring is usually presented by a man upon a proposal of marriage, and worn by the woman right after she accepts his proposal. It represents the promise to marry, and is generally worn along with the wedding band (on the same finger) for the entire length of the woman's life or the marriage, whichever ends first.

The tradition of the engagement ring could be tracked back as distant as Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The Ancient Romans held the belief that the Vena Amoris (Latin for "vein of love") was situated in the ring finger of the left hand. It was presumed that this vein ran directly from the finger to the heart. The circle of the engagement ring was also thought to represent the eternal bond of love, a romantic idea that's still largely believed even today.

The design and material of the engagement ring has evolved a lot with the years. Though in ancient times, an engagement band was fashioned out of hemp, rope, or even lead (in Ancient Rome) and usually didn't contain gemstones. Today, we traditionally see engagement rings fashioned out of precious metals for example platinum or gold, holding a single set stone, which is most commonly a diamond.

The diamond engagement ring appears to become the most typical and accepted piece of its type due to its permanence, beauty, and expense. It is a reflection of the love felt between two individuals. That is probably why it is anticipated that a man plunk down tons of cash for an engagement ring.

The diamond engagement ring (or an engagement ring containing other precious gems) is really a symbol of a promise of eternal love and devotion. The choices in rings are endless, and should be selected carefully to reflect the woman's taste, style, and personality. After all, she will be wearing the ring for a really long time to come.