What is all the fuss about diamond rings? Why does it need to be extra special and why do people go crazy for it? This post will discuss answers to all that and more. Here, we will uncover and explain the very things that diamond rings represent. After reading this, you’d know why weddings are deemed incomplete without it.
A Brief History
Diamonds were first found in India during the 4th century. The youngest diamond deposits on the planet formed 900 million years ago. If you have a diamond ring right now, you are holding something very old, ancient even. It took a long while though before it got the reputation that it has now.
The use of diamonds in engagement rings started with the Europeans. It was during the 15th century that Archduke Maximillian of Austria commissioned a jeweler to make the first-ever diamond engagement ring for Mary of Burgundy, his betrothed. This very act started a trend among European nobles and aristocrats. So much so that it reached everyone. So much so that five hundred years later, we’re still doing the thing.
5 Things that Diamond Wedding Rings Represent
1. The Circle
There is more to the circular shape of the ring than its logical functionality. It needs to be round because it’s the most practical way that it can be worn. But there is so much more to that. A circle signifies so much more in weddings because a circle is the only shape that clearly has no definite beginning and end. It goes round and round and it never ends. This is something that is so deeply embedded in the essence of weddings. It’s primarily the reason why people get married in the first place, to ensure that the two of them will never part. That there will never be an end. Hence, the circle.
2. The Placement
You will always know a diamond engagement ring when you see one because it is worn uniquely and differently. It is unlike any other ring because it has a designated space in the hand. It is always worn on the left hand’s ring finger. Once a woman has a ring there, everyone would know that she is spoken for. Everyone would know that someone already has her heart. This is done because ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the vein in this finger directly runs up to the heart. This has long been debunked by science but the traditional meaning and intention remain. We still put diamond engagement rings on the left finger because it simply symbolizes that the person who gave it and the love that you share with this person is the closest to your heart.
3. The Intention
Rings are given to mark an important life event and signify commitment. Diamonds are still the number one choice for engaged couples because what better way to express one’s love and commitment than by choosing the best possible stone available. It is a diamond. Giving an engagement ring is a grand gesture that deserves only the grandest possible symbolism. A diamond engagement ring is exactly just that. It is something that, like love, is not easily available. Diamonds, like love, demand attention. It is also not cheap at all and is not one that is easily replaceable.
4. Strength
Diamonds are perfect for engagement rings because they are extremely strong gems. In fact, it is the hardest stone in the gem world. It has a hardness of 10 and has a high tensile strength of 2.8 gigapascals. Such tensile strength makes it the sole material with the highest tensile strength on the planet.
Tensile strength is the capacity of a material to resist breaking down even if it is under severe tension or pressure. Such is the kind of strength that a diamond engagement ring signifies. It sends a message that the relationship between two people is very strong. That two people in love intend for their relationship to be ever strong. That it will withstand any kind of problem, pressure, conflict, or concern. That it will resist breakdown even in the toughest of times. This is something that a diamond engagement ring strongly signifies. This is something that all relationships aspire for. It is but natural then, that such a goal is symbolized by a stone that is just that. Mighty, strong, beautiful, and never give in to pressure.
5. Forever
Diamonds stand the test of time. This is why they are preferred gems for engagement rings; all lovers want a relationship that lasts forever. There is no such thing that can equal how a diamond can exist through time. This is something that all lovers want to emulate. Peridot can last for thousands of years while a diamond, get ready for this, can last for millions of years. This is why the diamond engagement ring that lovers have will long be present even after hundreds of lovers have gone. This kind of almost timeless existence is the kind of thing that lovers want to emulate. We all can’t live forever and love forever, but at least the very thing that symbolizes love can do so.
Bottom line
Giving an engagement ring is a commitment of a lifetime. This is why it is accompanied by the most sparkly, strongest, and most enduring gem of all. This is why lovers will always prefer diamond engagement rings.