The Engagement Ring - History & Lore

For as long as most people alive today can remember, the diamond engagement ring has been the traditional gift given by a man upon his proposal to the woman with which he wishes to spend the rest of his life in marriage. However, have you ever wondered where this tradition began and why? There are many stories about how the engagement ring got its start but the one you will read here seems to be the most trusted and the most often credited as the real beginning.

We all know the story of Columbus sailing the ocean blue in fourteen hundred ninety-two. Well, about fifteen years earlier (1477) in Austria it is recorded that Archduke Maximilian popped the question with the very first engagement ring. His would-be fiancée was Mary of Burgundy and history tells us that they were walking down the aisle in less than 24 hours. It seems his success spawned a tradition that has now lasted over 500 years.

Believe it or not, diamonds were not the traditional engagement ring. Only the aristocrats and very wealthy were in a position to afford the most sought after gem. More common was a simple ring with a message or poem of love inscribed inside. This ring has become known as the Posy ring.

During the 1700’s the heart became the ring of choice for young men hoping to catch the girl of their dreams (or the one the girl his family arranged for him to marry). Most often these rings featured a ruby, the gem of love. The Claddagh ring, the traditional Irish betrothal ring, features a heart and most likely came into being during this time.

The second half of the 19th Century brought great changes to the traditions of engagement rings. In 1870 South Africa’s diamond mines were discovered and instantly diamonds became more affordable and accessible to a much greater percentage of the population. The tradition of giving diamonds (set in gold or platinum) rings as “the” engagement ring was born!

TRIVIA: Why are the engagement ring and wedding band worn on the fourth finger of the left hand? Ancient Greeks believed that the fourth finger of the left hand contains a certain vein, the vena amoris, which leads directly to one’s heart.

Famous Engagement Rings:
Of course the ring given by the Archduke of Austria to Mary of Burgundy is arguably the most famous engagement ring, since it was the first. However, over the years there have been many engagement rings that have fascinated the public and thus become “famous”. Here is a listing of a few of the most famous:

• We all know the story of Henry VIII, King of England and star of the Showtime hit, The Tudors. What most of us don’t know is that Henry’s eldest daughter, Princess Mary, was the recipient of the world’s smallest “engagement ring”. It was not the diamond that was small. It was the ring itself. You see Princess Mary was only two years old when she received the proposal of then infant Dauphin of France. Dauphin, the son of King Francis I became the future husband of the young heir to the throne of England in 1518.
  
  
• Jumping ahead about 440 years or so, the most famous bride of 1953 was a young lady named Jacqueline Bouvier of Boston. Miss Bouvier became the fiancé of a young Senator from Massachusetts named John Fitzgerald Kennedy after accepting a stunning two carat engagement ring also set with emeralds. Of course this young couple went on to become America’s version of Camelot when Jack Kennedy was elected President of the United States in 1960 and Mrs. Kennedy became the most famous first lady in our nation’s two hundred year history.
  
  
• Another important wedding took place in the 1950’s when a very beautiful American actress became the Princess of Monaco. Prince Ranier proposed to Grace Kelly by presenting her a twelve carat emerald cut diamond. In fact, if you watch the 1956 movie, High Society you can see this outstanding ring. By the way, High Society was Grace Kelly’s final movie before taking on her very royal role of a lifetime in Monte Carlo.
  
  
• Another form of royalty also proposed with a very beautiful engagement ring. “The King”, Elvis Presley, proposed to his longtime bride Priscilla by presenting her with a 3.5 carat engagement ring surrounded by 21 additional diamonds. Viva Las Vegas may have been a reference to their famous wedding which was held at the Aladdin Hotel on The Strip.
  
  
• When famed British actor Richard Burton decided to propose to American beauty and famed actress Elizabeth Taylor, he decided to go all out. Originally Mr. Burton went with a 33.19 carat Asscher cut stone known as the Krupp Diamond. He gave this to Liz in 1968. The most famous diamond Ms. Taylor was to receive from her two time husband was the 69.42 carat “Cartier Diamond” which Mr. Burton paid $1,050,000. By the way, not only is the stone very large, it is a D-color Flawless gem! Quantity and quality………what more could a girl ask for!
  
  The 69.42 carat Taylor-Burton diamond was sold by Elizabeth Taylor in 1978 to build a hospital in Botswana. Robert Mouawad was the purchaser. Mr. Mouawad, an internationally famous jeweler and entrepreneur, is President of House of Mouawad.