In Western tradition, an engagement ring is a ring worn by a woman indicating her engagement to be married. Jewellery (also spelled jewelry, see spelling differences) is a personal Ornament, such as a necklace ring or bracelet made from Gemstones NOTICE TO WOULD-BE-ROMEOS*************** NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** In some countries, such as the United Kingdom, it is worn on the left-hand ring finger, while in other countries, such as Poland and Ukraine, it is customary for the ring to be worn on the right-hand. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The ring finger is the fourth digit of the human Hand, and the second most Ulnar Finger, located between the Middle finger and the Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. By modern convention in countries such as the United States, the ring is usually presented as a betrothal gift by a man to his prospective bride while or directly after she accepts his marriage proposal. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It represents a formal agreement to future marriage.
Similar traditions purportedly date to classical times, dating back from an early usage reportedly referring to the fourth finger of the left hand as containing the vena amoris or "vein of love". Vena amoris is a Latin name meaning literally "vein of love"
In the United States and Canada today, it is becoming more common, but still quite rare, that a woman will also buy an engagement or promise ring for her partner at the time of the engagement. A promise ring is a ring that is indicative of a serious Promise made to oneself or another
In Egypt, Brazil and many European countries, both the man and the woman usually wear engagement rings, most often in the form of matching plain bands of white, yellow, or rose gold. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld In these countries the man's engagement ring often also eventually serves as the wedding ring. A wedding ring or wedding band consists of a Metal ring, often set with diamonds or other precious stones Some men wear two rings, but this is rarer. The woman's wedding ring can sometimes have a precious stone. In northern Germany, the tradition of engagement rings is not often followed and is often viewed as an American import. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. In Spain, the woman sometimes buys an engagement wristwatch for the man after accepting a marriage proposal. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. A watch is a timepiece that is made to be worn on a person The term now usually refers to a wristwatch, which is worn on the wrist with a strap or Bracelet.
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History
The inception of the engagement ring itself can be tied to the Fourth Lateran Council presided over by Pope Innocent III in 1215. The Fourth Council of the Lateran was summoned by Pope Innocent III with his Papal bull of April 19, 1213. Pope Innocent III ( February 22, 1161 &ndash June 16, 1216) born Lotario de' Conti di Segni, was Pope from January [1] Innocent declared a longer waiting period between betrothal and marriage; plain rings of gold, silver or iron were used earliest. Gems were important and reassuring status symbols to the aristocracy. Laws were passed to preserve a visible division of social rank, ensuring only the privileged wore florid jewels. As time passed and laws relaxed, diamonds and other gems became available to the middle class.
At one time, engagement rings mounted sets of stones. One traditional sentimental pattern mounted six to celebrate the joining of two families: The birthstones of the bride's parents and the bride (on the left), and the birth stones of the groom and his parents (on the right). Early civilizations such as India and Babylon have attributed gemstones with magical properties The parents' stones were mounted with the mother to the left of the father. The bride and groom's birthstones would be adjacent in the center. Another similar pattern, for four stones, mounted the birthstone of the parents' marriages, and the birthstones of the bride and groom. These token rings often disassembled, to expose a channel in which a lock of the suitor's hair could be treasured.
A Victorian tradition was the Regards ring, in which the initials of the precious gems used spelled out the word "regards". Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities A Regards ring was a Victorian Engagement ring in which the initials of the Precious stones mounted on the band spelled out the word "regards" Another Victorian tradition was the Dearest Ring, which spelled the word "dearest" using the first letter of each jewel. A Dearest Ring is a Victorian style romantic ring with six different types of Gemstone, that is most commonly used as an unusual style of Engagement ring
The origin of our custom to use diamonds in rings, and more recently, in engagement rings, can be traced back to the Middle Ages and even the Romans. The Romans valued the diamond entirely on account of its supernatural powers. Pliny wrote that a diamond baffles poison, keeps off insanity and dispels vain fears. [2] The medieval Italians copied these beliefs and added some to it: they called it the "Pietra della Reconciliazone" because it maintained concord between husband and wife. On this account it was recommended as the stone to be set in wedding (or espousal) rings. Note: not on account of its beauty therefore, which was described by Isidore of Seville as a small stone devoid of beauty. Saint Isidore of Seville ( Spanish: es ''San Isidro'' or es ''San Isidoro de Sevilla'' Latin: latin ''Isidorus Hispalensis'' (c [2]
In more recent times a Parisian Oracle of mystic subjects, the Baron d'Orchamps, announced the diamond, if worn on the left (hand) warded off evil influences and attracted good fortune and since he had fashionable clients the word spread and the wearing of the diamond on the left hand became in itself a fashion. [3]
One of the first occurrences of the diamond engagement (or wedding) ring can be traced back to the marriage of Maximilian I (then Archduke of Austria) to Mary of Burgundy in 1477. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Mary, called Mary the Rich ( 13 February, 1457 &ndash [4] Other early examples of betrothal jewels incorporating diamonds include the Bridal Crown of Blanche (ca. 1370–80)[4] and the Heftlein brooch of Vienna (ca. 1430–40),[4] a pictorial piece depicting a wedding couple.
The diamond engagement ring did not become the standard it is considered today until after an extensive marketing campaign by De Beers in the middle of the 20th century, which came to include one of the most famous advertising slogans of the 20th century: “A Diamond is Forever”. De Beers and the various companies within the De Beers Family of Companies engage in exploration for diamonds, diamond mining diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacture
In the early 20th century, the United States jewellery industry attempted to start a trend of male engagement rings, going so far as to create a supposed "historical precedent" dating back to medieval times. The attempt failed, although the industry applied lessons learned from this venture in its more successful bid to encourage the use of male wedding rings. [5]
Price
The price for an engagement ring can vary considerably. Usually, they can be found within the range of a few hundred dollars to several hundred thousand dollars. Price varies by the material used, the value of the diamond, and retailer. A conventional buying price ranging from two to three months wages for a ring guideline originated from De Beers marketing materials in the early 20th century, in an effort to increase the sale of diamonds. De Beers and the various companies within the De Beers Family of Companies engage in exploration for diamonds, diamond mining diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacture [6][7]
When shopping for rings with one or more diamonds, the price can depend significantly on the carat weight, color, clarity and cut of the diamond, otherwise known as gemological characteristics of the diamond. The diamond is one of the most well-known and sought-after Gemstones Diamonds have been known to mankind and used as decorative items since ancient times some of the earliest
Selection
In some countries the tradition has been for the future groom to privately select and purchase a ring, to be presented to his desired bride when he proposes.
With more and more couples living together prior to marriage, however, it is becoming more common for a couple to select the engagement ring while purchasing a wedding band together. This eliminates the possibility of the woman not liking the engagement ring. In countries where both partners wear engagement rings, the matching rings tend to be purchased together.
Refusing the gift
Women traditionally refuse offers of marriage by refusing to take the offered engagement ring. In some states of the United States, engagement rings are considered "conditional gifts" under the legal rules of property. This is an exception to the general rule that gifts cannot be revoked once properly given. See, for example, the case of Meyer v. Mitnick, 625 N. W. 2d 136 (Michigan, 2001), whose ruling found the following reasoning persuasive: "the so-called 'modern trend' holds that because an engagement ring is an inherently conditional gift, once the engagement has been broken, the ring should be returned to the donor. Thus, the question of who broke the engagement and why, or who was 'at fault,' is irrelevant. This is the no-fault line of cases. "
One case in New South Wales, Australia ended in the man suing his former fiancée because she threw the ring in the trash after telling her she could keep it despite the marriage proposal failing. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Supreme Court of New South Wales held that despite what the man said, the ring remained a conditional gift (partly because his saying that she could keep it was partly due to his desire to salvage the relationship) and she was ordered to pay him its AUD$15,250 cost. [8]
Tradition generally holds that if the betrothal fails because the man himself breaks off the engagement, the woman is not obliged to return the ring. Legally, this condition can be subject to either a modified or a strict fault rule. Under the former, the fiancé can demand the return of the ring unless he breaks the engagement. Under the latter, the fiancé is entitled to the return unless his actions caused the breakup of the relationship, the same as the traditional approach. However, a no-fault rule is being advanced in some jurisdictions, under which the fiancé is always entitled to the return of the ring. The ring only becomes the property of the woman when marriage occurs. An unconditional gift approach is another possibility, wherein the ring is always treated as a gift, to be kept by the fiancée whether or not the relationship progresses to marriage. Recent court rulings have determined that the date in which the ring was offered can determine the condition of the gift. e. g. Valentine's Day and Christmas are nationally recognized as gift giving holidays. A ring offered in the form of a Christmas present will likely remain the personal property of the recipient in the event of a break up. [9]
In the United Kingdom, the gift of an engagement ring is presumed to be an absolute gift to the fiancée. This presumption may be rebutted however by proving that the ring was given on condition (express or implied) that it must be returned if the marriage did not take place, for whatever reason. This was decided in the case Jacobs v Davis [1917] 2 KB 532.
References
- ^ Catholic Encyclopedia, "Banns of Marriage". [1]
- ^ a b King, Rev. C. W. (1867). A Natural History of Precious Stones and Precious Metals. Cambridge Press. Page 47. URL:History of Diamond in King: Precious Stones and Metals
- ^ McCarthy, James Remington (1942). Fire in the Earth, the Story of the Diamond. NY, Harper and Brothers. Page 204. URL: McCarthy: History Diamond, Parisian Oracle
- ^ a b c Kunz PhD. DSc, George Frederick (1917). Rings for the Finger. Philadelphia, J. H. Lippincott Co. . Pages 234 and 193 and further URL: Kunz Rings; chapter: Engagement Rings
- ^ Howard, Vicki. "A 'Real Man's Ring': Gender and the Invention of Tradition. " Journal of Social History. Summer 2003 pp837-856.
- ^ The History of the Engagement Ring. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine
- ^ http://www.diamondtutorials.com/articles/diamonds.tutorials/33/Engagement_Ring_Budget.html = 2008-04-27
- ^ Engagement rings are men's property | NEWS.com.au
- ^ WHO GETS THE ENGAGEMENT RING WHEN THE WEDDING IS OFF. FindLaw (2001-10-23). FindLawcom is a free legal information Web portal owned by Thomson Reuters. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC -
See also
A Tiffany mount or Tiffany setting is a set of prongs (called a claw crown or coronet that hold a gemstone and attach it to a plain band ring A wedding ring or wedding band consists of a Metal ring, often set with diamonds or other precious stonesDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic