The Origins of the Diamond Engagement Ring - Cashmere, Wool and Silk directory

The diamond ring is a relatively recent innovation in the Western wedding tradition and is not deep rooted in the mists of time as many people might suspect!

The tradition of exchanging rings on betrothal and marriage dates back to ancient times with the Egyptians being the first recorded culture that performed this and passing the custom on to the Greeks, then the Romans, then the Europeans and eventually us in North America.

The raw materials used initially were fibers from reeds and papyrus which had the serious shortcoming of not lasting for long, about a year or so, and this led to other materials being used such as leather, ivory and wood (sometimes even stone).

Metallurgy eventually led to the development of metal based jewelry and silver and gold were popular for the nobility with less precious metals such as bronze and iron for poorer and artisan classes. In fact some people were not allowed to use precious metals at all in the construction of their rings because they were specifically reserved for the very rich or powerful and this was rigorously enforced when it came to using precious stones.

Initially, multiple gem settings using different stones was used, frequently using the birth stones of the bride and groom but again you had to be amongst the super rich and very powerful of the day in order to own these rings. In late medieval Europe the practice of exchanging a wedding ring decorated with a gem (not a diamond) started and in Victorian times became more widespread amongst the general population (Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were definite trend setters and established many of the modern western traditions we enjoy today including Christmas).

Into the 20th Century and two major events occurred which changed the course of society; World War One and World War Two!

After WWI though there was the boost in the number of marriages as troops came home, on the worldwide market there was a great depression given the numbers of men from other countries who perished in the slaughter. By the time WW2 came around, there was a severe diamond surplus which was exasperated by the reduced level of engagements and marriages in such an uncertain time.

In the post-war period, De Beers, the major diamond supplier in the world came up with what has come to be regarded as the most successful advertising campaign ever. It was called Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend!

This was the advertising slogan which launched a marketing campaign which changed our society and the wedding tradition of exchanging a diamond ring. The de Beers campaign also introduced the idea that the groom should spend around three months of his salary on buying an engagement ring though there is no basis for this anywhere in tradition or anything more than recent culture.

In short, the tradition of exchanging a diamond wedding ring is nothing more than a recent advertising induced trend which has been rapidly adopted and taken to heart by millions of couples. An increasing realization of the original customs has led many couples to consider many other alternatives to a diamond ring when it comes to exchanging vows or making a commitment which ought to last a lifetime.