Why are engagement rings important?

Let’s first take a look at the symbolism of the engagement ring or a ring in general. A ring is a circle which is never ending. This can be understood as a never ending symbol that can be displayed upon oneself.

The engagement ring is a symbol of foreverness, a life long commitment, and a promise to marry. But It can also be a symbol of ownership or symbol of belonging to someone.

Rings have been used to claim wives since the pre historic days. Not rings of diamonds and gold, but rings of grass tied around their partners to show they are spoken for. Later, ancient Egyptian bodies have been found with rings of gold or silver they adorned on their third finger, which was thought to have a vein directly attached to the heart.

Diamonds and gemstones have been used in rings for centuries but it is has been accredited to Archduke Maximillian who gave the first documented diamond engagement ring to Mary of Burgundy in 1477.

Have you heard “A Diamond is Forever?” That was started by the DeBeers company as a marketing campaign designed to stimulate diamond engagement ring buying. Their slogan implies that the diamond and the commitment is forever.

At that time they suggested a good amount of money to spend on an engagement ring is one months salary. Did you know, in the 1980’s they increased that amount to 2 months salary.

Although in the past engagement rings have been made from platinum, yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, or a combination of them, now a vast majority of rings are made in either platinum or white gold.

Some Popular Styles in 2017

Micro Pave
Micro pave is a style of setting that minimizes metal and shows off the diamond. Even with very small diamonds, with a good diamond setter and nice quality diamonds, you get beautiful shine and sparkle.

Antique Engraved and Filigreed
The attention to detail with beautiful carvings into the metal with the knife of a skilled artists brings back the look and feel of rings made in the early 1900’s. Filigree is 1the open work adorned with scrolls or other designs giving a more custom look.

Halo
The halo design, made popular in the early 2000’s, has a ring of diamonds around the center diamond. Halos are popular in round and cushion shapes but also seen in just about any shape.

Houston Diamond Outlet has over 700 rings in stock with many of the latest designs. When choosing and engagement ring it is best to find a place that has many different styles that you can try on. You may be surprised that the ring you have on your pintrest really doesn’t look that good on your finger.