An engagement ring is a ring that indicates that the person wearing it is engaged to get married, especially in Western culture. A ring is presented as an engagement gift by a couple to their future spouse when they apply for marriage or immediately after a marriage proposal is received. This is a formal agreement for a future marriage. In Western countries, engagement rings are worn mostly by women, and rings can feature diamonds or other gemstones. In some cultures, men and women wear matching rings, and engagement rings can also be used as wedding rings. In Anglo-Saxon countries, the ring is usually worn on the left hand ring finger, but the habit varies elsewhere throughout the world.
Neither the engagement nor the other rings are worn during the wedding ceremony, when the wedding ring is put by the groom on the bride's finger as part of the ceremony, and sometimes by the bride to the groom's finger. After marriage, engagement rings are usually reassembled, and are usually worn outside the wedding ring. Some brides have engagement rings and their marriages are permanently soldered together after the wedding.
Video Engagement ring
History
Ancient
Although ancient Egypt is sometimes credited for having found the engagement ring, and the ancient Greeks by adopting tradition, the history of engagement rings can only be traced back as far as ancient Rome.
In many countries, engagement rings are placed on the left hand ring finger. At one time it was believed that this finger contained a vein (an amorous vein) leading to the heart. This idea was popularized by Henry Swinburne in a treatise from the Spousals, or Matrimonial Contracts (1686). This story seems to have originated from the ancient Roman book Lotische Night Lot by Aulus Gellius quoting Apion's Aegyptiacorum, where the initial vein assumption was nervus (a word that can be translated either as "nerve" or "muscle").
The popular belief that engagement rings are part of the bride price that represents the purchase and ownership of the bride, has been questioned by contemporary scholarships.
In the 2nd century BC, the Roman bride was given two rings, one gold she wore in public, and one made of iron she wore at home while attending household chores. At one time the Romans wore a ring made of iron. In later years senators serving as ambassadors were given gold seal rings for official use while abroad. Then the privilege of wearing gold rings extended to other public officials, then to the knights, then to all the freeborns, and finally under Justinian, to liberate. For several centuries, it was a habit for Romans to wear metal rings at home, gold rings in public. During this period a girl or woman may receive two engagement rings, one of iron and one gold.
Medieval
The mid-seventh-century Visigoth Code obliged "that when the engagement ceremony has been performed,... and the ring will be given or received as a promise, although no one may commit to writing, the promise of, under no circumstances, is broken. "
In 860 AD, Pope Nicholas wrote to Boris I of Bulgaria to answer the question of the difference between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox practice. Pope Nicholas describes how in the Western church the man gave his engagement engagement ring. At the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215, which was inspired by Pope Innocent III, the marriage bann was instituted, banning secret marriages and requiring marriage to be publicly announced. Some jurists have seen this parallel to the engagement ring tradition described by Pope Nicholas I.
Renaissance
The first well-documented use of diamond rings was the involvement of Archduke Maximilian of Austria at the imperial court of Vienna in 1477, after his engagement to Mary of Burgundy. It then affects people from higher social classes and significant wealth to give diamond rings to their loved ones.
Reform
During the Protestant Reform the wedding ring replaces the engagement ring as the main ring associated with the wedding. In Catholic countries the transition ensues.
Enlightenment
During the Age of Enlightenment both gimmal rings and posie rings are very popular, although the latter is more often used as a sentiment expression than for formal engagement shows.
Victorian Era
In South Africa, diamonds were first discovered in 1866, although they were not identified until 1867. In 1872, output from diamond mines exceeded one million carats per year. As production increases, those who are less able to join in this movement. However, diamond engagement rings for a long time are seen as the domain of nobility and aristocracy, and the tradition is often favored by simple band involvement.
20th century
In the United States, the popularity of diamond engagement rings decreased after World War I, especially after the Great Depression.
In 1938, the De Beers diamond cartel started a marketing campaign that would have a major impact on the engagement ring. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the price of diamonds fell. At the same time, market research shows that engagement rings are no longer stylish with the younger generation. Before World War II, only 10% of American engagement rings contained diamonds. While the first phase of a marketing campaign consisted of market research, the advertising phase began in 1939. One of the first elements of this campaign was to educate the public about 4 Cs (cut, carats, color, and clarity). In 1947 the slogan "diamond is forever" was introduced. Ultimately, De Beers's campaign seeks to convince consumers that engagement rings are indispensable, and that diamonds are the only acceptable stone for engagement rings.
Maps Engagement ring
Buy
In the 20th century, if he can afford it, a typical Western man personally chooses and buys engagement rings, which he then presents to the desired bride when he proposes marriage. In countries where both partners wear engagement rings, suitable rings can be selected and purchased together. In the United States and Canada, where only women traditionally wear engagement rings, women also occasionally present their partners with engagement gifts.
Like all jewelry, the price for an engagement ring varies depending on the materials used: ring design, whether it includes gemstones, gemstone values, and sellers. The price of gemstones, if any, in the ring depends on the type and quality of gems. Diamonds have a standard description that assesses them according to their weight, color, clarity and rust pieces. Other gemstones, such as sapphires, rubies, emeralds, have different systems. Jewelry can be chosen to honor family traditions, use family heirlooms, have unusual styles, have socially responsible characteristics (eg, styles not related to blood diamond controversy or pollution caused by gold mining and cyanide processes), to adjust individual style preferences, or to manage costs. Synthetic stones and diamond substitutes such as cubic zirconia and moissanite are also popular choices that are socially responsible and reduce costs while maintaining the desired appearance.
The idea that a man should spend most of his annual income for engagement rings derived from De Beers' marketing materials in the mid-20th century in an effort to increase diamond sales. In the 1930s, they suggested that a man should spend the equivalent of a month's income on the engagement ring. In the 1980s, they suggested that he should spend two months on it. In 2012, the average cost of engagement rings in the US as reported by industry is US $ 4,000; in a 2015 scientific study, nearly a quarter of couples said they did not buy the ring, and another third spent less than US $ 2000. Less than 15% of couples spent $ 4,000 or more. In the UK, the estimated average cost of engagement rings ranges from £ 1200 to £ 2000. Scientific research shows that expensive engagement rings are associated with early divorce, perhaps because spending over US $ 2,000 on engagement rings is strongly associated with debt-related stress. Couples who spend less money on engagement rings and wedding ceremonies tend to have longer marriages and lower divorce risks.
One reason for the rising popularity of expensive engagement rings is its relationship to human sexuality and the prospect of female marriage. In the United States, until the Great Depression, a man who breaks a marriage engagement may be prosecuted for breach of appointment. Monetary damages include the actual costs incurred in preparing for marriage, plus damage to emotional distress and loss of other marriage prospects. The damage is greatly increased if the woman has sexual intercourse with her fiancé. Beginning in 1935, this law was revoked or restricted. However, the social and financial costs of broken engagement are no less: marriage is the only healthy financial option for most women, and if she is no longer a virgin, her prospects for a suitable future marriage are greatly reduced. The diamond engagement ring became a source of financial security for the woman.
The purchase of online engagement rings is growing, disrupting the market for diamonds by bringing greater transparency to industries that traditionally rely on opacity. Online diamond retailers and e-commerce platforms include Blue Nile, Brilliant Earth, and Costco.
Legal ownership
Tradition generally states that if the engagement fails because the man himself breaks the engagement, the woman is not obligated to return the ring. This reflects the role of the ring as a form of compensation for the reputation of a broken woman. By law, this condition may be subject to interrupted modified or strict rules. Under the first, the fiance may request the return of the ring unless he breaks the engagement. Under the latter, the fiancée is entitled to return unless his actions lead to a breakup of relationships, just like the traditional approach. However, no error rule is being developed in some jurisdictions, where the fiance is always entitled to the return of the ring. The ring only belongs to the woman when the wedding takes place. An unconditional reward approach is another possibility, where the ring is always treated as a gift, to be kept by the fiancee whether the relationship continues into marriage. The latest court ruling has determined that the date on which the ring was offered could determine the condition of the prize. For example. Valentine's Day and Christmas are widely recognized as gifts that provide vacations in the United States and some other countries. A ring offered in the form of a Christmas gift will likely remain the recipient's private property when a breakup occurs.
In most states in the United States, engagement rings are considered "conditional gifts" under the rules of property law. This is an exception to the general rule that gifts can not be revoked after they are properly provided. See, for example, the case of Meyer v. Mitnick, 626 NW2d 136 (Michigan, 2001), whose ruling found the following reason persuasively: "so-called 'modern trends' state that because engagement rings are inherent conditional rewards, once the engagement has been violated, the ring must be returned to the donor, so the question of who breaks the engagement and why, or who is 'guilty', is irrelevant, there is no problem in the case. "Although in certain countries, whether the judicial act can be preserved at all to require the return of the engagement ring is blocked by law, since many countries have laws that state that there are no civil actions to be retained for breach of the promise to marry.
One case in New South Wales, Australia ends in a man suing his ex-fiancee because he threw out the ring, after he said he could keep it even though his marriage plan failed. The Supreme Court of New South Wales declared that, regardless of what the man said, the ring remained a conditional gift (partly because his words that the ring could keep him reflect his desire to save the relationship) and he was ordered to pay him an A $ 15,250 charge.
In England and Wales, engagement ring gifts are considered to be an absolute gift for fiancee. This assumption can be denied however by proving that the ring is provided on condition (express or implied) that the ring must be returned if the marriage does not take place, for any reason. This was decided in the case of Jacobs v Davis (1917).
Styles
Engagement rings, like other types of jewelry, come in a variety of styles.
Gold (Available in Yellow Gold, White Gold and Rose Gold) and platinum are preferred for engagement rings, but common metal types such as titanium, silver, and stainless steels are also used for engagement rings. This allows the bride to use her personal style to the ring in a simple way.
In the United States, where engagement rings are worn by women, diamonds have been widely featured in engagement rings since the mid-20th century. The Solitaire Ring has one single diamond. The most common setting for engagement rings is the branch solitaire arrangement, popularized by Tiffany & amp; Co. in 1886 and the design of six claw arrangements for its branches were sold under the trademark "Tiffany setting". The cutting of a modern favorite for engagement rings is a brilliant piece, which gives the maximum amount of sparkle to the gem. Traditional engagement rings may have different branch and ribbon arrangements. The other main category is an engagement ring with a side stone. The rings with the larger diamond sets in the center and the smaller diamonds on the side fit under this category. The three stone diamond engagement ring, sometimes called the trinity ring or trilogy ring, is a ring with three matching diamonds arranged horizontally in succession with a larger stone placed in the middle. The three diamonds in the ring are usually said to represent the couple's past, present, and future, but others give a religious meaning to the arrangement.
A wedding set, or set of brides, including engagement rings and matching wedding rings and can be purchased as a set. In some cases, wedding rings look "incomplete"; only when the two parts, the engagement and the marriage, are strung together so that the rings appear intact. In other cases, a marriage set consists of two rings that match the style and are worn stacked, although one of the parts will look as appropriate as a separate ring. Although wedding rings are not worn until the wedding day, the two rings are usually sold together as a wedding set. After the wedding, the bride may choose to have two pieces welded together, to increase comfort and reduce the chances of losing one of the rings. A set of trio rings including a female engagement ring, a woman's wedding ring and a man's wedding ring. These sets often have matching rings and they are cheaper.
In the Nordic countries, engagement rings are worn by men and women. Traditionally they are a plain gold band, though the more ornate designs and other materials are increasingly popular. The engagement ring resembles a wedding ring sold in the United States, while a female wedding ring may resemble a US engagement ring.
In North America and England, it is usually worn on the left hand ring finger. A similar tradition is said to date to classical times, dating back from early use reportedly refers to the fourth finger of the left hand as containing an amorous vein or "love vein". This habit may have originated in the ancient Egyptian myth that the finger contains a vein leading directly to the heart, or perhaps just because the heart lies slightly to the left side of the body. In Germany the ring is worn on the left hand when engaged, but it moves to the right hand when married. In Poland and Turkey, engagement rings and wedding rings are traditionally worn in the right hand but modern practices vary widely.
For men
In some countries it is common for men and women to wear engagement rings. The rings are often in the form of a plain band of precious metals. Sometimes, the engagement ring eventually serves as the wedding ring for the man. In Brazil, for example, the groom and bridal couple usually wear a plain wedding bracelet on the right hand during their engagement. After the wedding, the band moved to the left hand. In Argentina, it is also known for the groom and bridal couple wearing a plain silver ribbon on the left hand when engaged. Then, after the wedding, the silver band is replaced with a wedding ring or moved to the right hand.
Traditionally, women in the British Isles can propose marriage with men during leap years. Women suggest it has become more common in recent years, to the point that some jewelry companies have begun producing male engagement rings. They resemble a typical ring of men, often with diamonds. In countries where both sexes traditionally wear engagement rings, the ring tends to be a clearer band, and there is no real difference between the design of male and female engagement rings.
See also
- Claddagh rings, traditional Irish rings, often given or worn as wedding rings
- The dearest ring, the ring with stone creates the acronym D E A R E S T
- Greeting the ring, the ring with the stone creates the acronym R E G A R D S
- Gimmal rings, fashionable multi-part engagement rings in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries
- Pre-engagement rings
- The riddle ring, sometimes called the "Turkish wedding ring"
- Tension ring, modern holder
- Branch settings, how to set the gem â ⬠<â â¬
- Wedding ring
References
External links
- Advertising diamond engagement ring, Loftis Brothers & amp; Co., Popular Mechanics , November 1909, p.Ã, 113
Source of the article : Wikipedia