Engagement Ring Trends Around the World: Traditions & Modern Twists

In prehistoric times, man tied grass around his wife-to-be wrists and ankles to protect him from evil spirits. This resembles a recent African tradition of tying the bride and groom’s wrists together using grass strands.

The Romans first began using plain iron bands as engagement rings. They were typically worn on the fourth finger on the woman’s left hand because it was believed that a vein in this finger traveled directly to her heart. It was customary then for the men to give their bride-to-be gold rings to wear during the wedding and special occasions and another one made of iron for her to wear daily.

In ancient Egypt, however, rings made of costly metals were ordinarily used as currency for trade. A man who placed a ring upon his wife’s finger meant that he trusted her with his wealth. Similarly, in medieval times, the ring also served as a dowry or payment for a wife.

In the Middle East and Asia, sultans and sheiks gave puzzle rings to each of their brides. This was how they " tagged” their many wives and ensured their loyalty to their husbands.

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The first recorded incident of an engagement ring containing a diamond was in 1477. The Archduke Maximilian of Austria pledged his love and commitment to marry his beloved Mary of Burgundy with a gold ring decorated with diamonds making the shape of the lady’s initial, M. It was only two years later when another royal, Constanzo Sforza, gifted his bride, Camilla d’Aragona, a diamond ring on the day of their wedding. It was no surprise that only men from wealthy families and royalty could present diamond rings to their beloved as these stones were a precious and rare commodity and highly expensive.

In the 1700s, engagement rings called “posie rings” containing lines of poetry and messages of love carved on the inside of the ring were exchanged by lovers. These were initially silver bands replaced with gold ones during the wedding.

For the Hebrews, rings made of gold or silver were the norm, while in Northern Europe, gold, silver, and copper were the metals of choice. Only in the 1800s were gems and decorative stones incorporated into engagement rings in Europe. Rings with endearing words like Love, Eternity, and Forever spelled out with jewels became fashionable during the 1800s. But it wasn’t only precious stones and metals that the highly romantic and sentimental Victorians used to make their jewelry. They also used their beloved’s hair, gemstones, and precious metals. This romanticism regarding engagement was greatly influenced by Queen Victoria, who was madly in love with her husband then, an uncommon thing with arranged marriages among the royalty of this period.

During the latter part of this period, diamonds and precious gems were also discovered in a mine in Cape Colony, South Africa, effectively increasing the supply of the highly valued gem worldwide. Around 1886, Tiffany & Co. first released its Tiffany setting, a band with a diamond raised on a six-prong mount that maximized its brilliance and cut. Since then, engagement rings have adopted this design, which has become women’s preference worldwide.

The sale of diamonds declined in the 1930s during the lean economic times. De Beers, the sole diamond mining and manufacturing company operating the newly discovered mines in Africa at the time, launched an aggressive campaign to boost the sales of diamonds again. They launched the classic slogan, “A Diamond is Forever,” and immediately saw a boost in their sales. The connotation between marriage and a diamond being indestructible became deeply ingrained in the American psyche with the popularity of this new slogan. It is no surprise then that in most department stores, engagement rings soon became the best sellers in every jewelry line.

After the rise in popularity of diamond engagement rings, it became a tradition for a man to ask for his lady love’s hand in marriage with a ring.

The modern custom of proposing marriage to a woman with a diamond ring has become the standard practice in many countries and cultures worldwide. However, many countries still have unique marriage proposal traditions. Western practice has overtaken some of these practices, but some are still in practice today. Some are relatively new practices adapted from modern innovations and men's sheer creativity. Below are unique marriage proposals practiced by different cultures or regions worldwide.

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A new style of proposed marriage is rising in many modern Asian countries. This is known as the flash mob proposal, where a group of people collaborates with the future groom, who makes his proposal with a song, dance, or any other production that involves a big crowd.

In India and Pakistan, where arranged marriages are still practiced, the bridegroom and his entire family make the formal marriage proposal to the bride’s entire family. The couple is not involved in the engagement rites in some profoundly traditional families. In Pakistan, once the bride’s family accepts the proposed marriage, an engagement party ensues, where the future groom can propose to the future bride in person.

In China, traditional Chinese culture is still deeply ingrained in the marriage preparation rites. For them, weddings are a joint effort of two individuals and families. Therefore, even if a marriage proposal is initiated by the giving of an engagement ring, traditional practices like the woman introducing the man to her family, the man seeking the blessing from the woman’s family before the proposal, and the two families together acknowledging the engagement and casting their blessing of approval upon the couple are all part of the engagement tradition.

In Thailand, families still widely follow engagement and wedding traditions and customs. A ceremonial rite called “Thong Mun” marks a couple’s engagement. Here, the future groom presents a gift of gold to his prospective bride and her family. Dowry negotiations between the two families also follow this.

In Europe, the tradition of men proposing to women while on one knee, with a ring in hand, is still very much in practice. The engagement ring, however, is normally worn on the third finger of the woman’s left hand as opposed to the common practice in the USA of wearing it on the fourth finger instead.

In the UK and Ireland, a peculiar tradition that used to be common was when a woman initiated a marriage proposal to a man. This may only be done every leap year on the 29th of February, and it is seldom, if ever, practiced anymore.

A couple’s engagement must be formally announced among the British through a church bulletin called “the banns.” This served as notice to anyone who may oppose the couple’s marriage and to give a legal reason why the marriage must not occur.

In Germany and Sweden, both the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be wear engagement rings during the engagement period.

An old African tradition still exists in engagement rites in Ghana. During the proposal visit, the groom-to-be's mother and uncle knock on the door of the woman’s home. They propose marriage on behalf of the groom.

In some Kenyan tribes, a man intends to marry a woman by sending her beads. If the woman accepts the proposal, she keeps the beads. After that, her family presents her with an adornment to add to these beads to signify their acceptance of the engagement.

These are just among the many practices and traditions associated with engagement and marriage. Every culture has its own views on how a couple should proceed with their engagement. Even with modern styles and practices, celebrating the engagement of two people always brings families and communities together.