History Behind Different Marriage Jewelry
Jewelry has been used since time immemorial to mark love between man and woman. Throughout history there has developed a lot of symbolism that is attached to the various types of wedding and marriage related jewelry that is still used today. Knowing the history behind the jewelry can help you to choose a ring that really means something to the two of you.
Wedding rings were used by the Romans to show that a woman was married, but they may have been used long before that too. They may have been made out of leather or plants, however, the Romans and Greeks began using metals, which were much longer lasting to mark the marriage of a woman to a man. It was not until around World War II that the tradition of men wearing wedding rings really began. The circle of the wedding ring symbolizes eternal love and it has traditionally been worn on the ring finger of the left hand as there is a vein called the 'vena amoris' that runs from there to the heart.
In the ninth century engagement rings began to become popular following a decree from Pope Nicolas I. He demanded that men should provide their betrothed with a ring of gold in order to show their financial capacity to look after their wives once they were married.
It was not until much later than gemstones started to be included with the engagement ring. In 1477 Mary of Burgundy sparked the tradition of including diamonds in engagement rings, but this was not to become commonplace until the 19th century when diamonds became more readily available.
Since the 19th century when there were more diamond deposits found around the world and they became more available, solitaire engagement rings have been top of the list of many women's list of dream rings. The diamond began as an inclusion in the engagement ring as a symbol of the purity of love and fidelity.
There is a lot of variety in the types of engagement rings that are chosen these days from big diamonds to modern designs and pink or champagne colored diamonds. The settings and cuts of the rings are also very different with princess cut engagement rings becoming very popular as a ring choice by men and women looking for their engagement ring.
Another type of jewelry that is commonly given as an anniversary gift these days is the eternity ring. This also has a long history stretching back 4000 years to the time of the ancient Egyptians. The eternity ring was originally a serpent with its tail curled around into its mouth and this was a symbol of eternal love. Nowadays it is more common to find an array of smaller stones that compliment the engagement and wedding rings.
