Antiquity & The History of Engagement Rings

Betrothal rings from antiquity are not a practical choice for everyday wear, but it is interesting to explore the roots of the modern engagement ring as having come from these much earlier customs and traditions. Conventions and practices with regard to betrothal rings were as varied as the countries and centuries in which they were presented. There were assorted notions as to which hand and/or which finger should bear the betrothal ring, whether to wear two rings or one and, with two, whether to wear them together or separately. The style and design of the ring including which gems, what shape, symbols, enhancements, and mechanisms were constantly changing much as they do today, sometimes due to technological innovations and sometimes as a result of changing fashions. Even the most basic question of when to present the ring, i.e. betrothal – upon asking for her hand or at the wedding or both evolved over the centuries and from region to region.

The English word engagement has its roots in the French word engager meaning to pledge. Use of the word in everyday English parlance began circa the seventeenth century and referred to battles or fighting. Engagement joined the wedding lexicon circa 1742 and was defined at that time as a betrothal or promise of marriage. Interestingly enough this was about the same time that the presentation of an engagement ring became customary among those who had the means to afford it. Prior to this time, there might be a separate betrothal and wedding ring but the styling and construction were quite different from the rings we see today.

Early betrothal rings not only symbolized love and marriage but originally represented an actual value in coin with the promise of more at the wedding. In some cases, the amount of money to be awarded was defined by law and could be presented in coin or in the form of a ring confirmed to have a value equivalent to the legally required coins. Other ring designs had functional uses and/or symbolic meaning for the future of the relationship. Rings designed as keys symbolically granting access to the household and all it contained, occasionally they were actually functional and physically allowed access to goods necessary to run a household. A seal or signet ring was more than a symbol, it granted the wearer to the authority to “sign” for goods and services using the seal.

One notable custom involves the question of which hand and even which finger a betrothal or wedding ring should be worn. This varied from culture to culture and generation to generation. The Greek Church stipulated that the right hand was to be used for betrothal and wedding rings and most European countries did the same from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries. The French favored the right hand until circa the fifteenth century and some Scandinavian countries continue that tradition today. Other cultures split the betrothal ring and wedding ring between the right and left hands.

Various fingers (and even knuckles) were designated for the special purpose of bearing this important symbol of love. Religious rituals placed the ring on the “third” finger (what we call the ring finger) because the religious presiders at marriage ceremonies would point to the fingers in order (index to ring) and say “In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost,” touching each finger in turn ending on the ring finger where they then placed the ring. Jewish betrothal rings were placed on the index finger and there is artistic support to indicate this was the custom throughout seventeenth-century Europe as well. Thumb rings were popular during the reign of George I in England, and the thumb has also been the custom in India. In addition, there was a widely held erroneous belief that a vein leading directly to the heart ran through the “fourth” finger (counting from the thumb) on the left hand and that therefore the betrothal ring should rest on that finger. We know now that blood flows through all our fingers and eventually returns to the heart making them all equally connected, but the tradition continues.

The French had a fondness for the gimmel ring and in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the gimmel graduated from a friendship ring to a full sponsalium annulus or “ring of affiance.” The name gimmel has its root in Latin – gemellus – meaning twin. Gimmel rings began to turn up all over Europe in various forms and designs. The most popular was the twin ring with clasped hands that could be unclasped by rotating the rings on the pivot point. Puzzle rings were seen as a type of gimmel ring, though they usually had five or more intertwined rings. Similar alliance rings consisted of a gem-set ring and a signet ring, worn separately by bride and groom respectively, that could be joined together at the marriage ceremony.

During the American colonial period a tradition of presenting “keeper rings” as betrothal rings, typically consisting of a hoop of small diamonds. Once the marriage took place and the wedding band was put on the finger, the keeper ring would be put back on the finger to act as a guard ring for the simpler, but more important wedding ring. Losing one’s wedding ring was considered bad luck and most wedding rings were never removed during a lifetime of marriage, so the keeper/guard ring had a very important function and may have been the precursor of the modern engagement ring.

As you can see the history of this important and symbolic jewelry gift is long and varied. Other jewelry items rise and ebb in popularity or become obsolete, but engagement rings are here to stay. No matter the choice of style, gems and materials, the important feature of an engagement ring is the outward representation of the love it symbolizes. Choosing the ring that “speaks” to the personal tastes and lifestyle of you and your fiancé, and represents the love you share, is a magical journey. Bon Voyage!