Jewelry has been used to woo and proclaim love for millennia. It forms an important part of the wedding vows and it acts as a symbol for people that you are married and off the market so to speak. There is a long history and a great deal of symbolism that is associated with the various types of jewelry that is given and worn throughout marriage.

Wedding rings have been used since before Roman times, when it is thought that they were made out of leather or plant fibers. In Roman times they were made of metal for the first time, since this was much longer lasting. The unbroken circle of the wedding band is meant to symbolize eternity and it is even thought that having a wedding band that is broken by filigree or stones could bring the marriage bad luck. The wedding ring has traditionally been worn on the ring finger of the left hand because this finger has a vein called the ‘vena amoris’, which leads to the heart.

Engagement rings are a more recent addition to the marriage tradition. This was started around the ninth century when Pope Nicolas I made it compulsory for a gold engagement ring to be given as a symbol of the future grooms’s capacity to look after the needs of his future wife.

It was not until much later than gemstones started to be included with the engagement ring. In 1477 Mary of Burgundy sparked the tradition of including diamonds in engagement rings, but this was not to become commonplace until the 19th century when diamonds became more readily available.

In the 19th century, when diamonds became more common, solitaire engagement rings began to become very popular. Since that time they have remained the number one most popular design of engagement rings. The diamond is considered to be a symbol of pure love and fidelity.

Today there are many different designs, settings and cuts that are used in engagement rings. There are still a number of traditional diamond rings that are given, but champagne and pink diamonds are also becoming more common. Other cuts such as princess cut engagement rings are also becoming popular.

Another type of jewelry that is commonly given as an anniversary gift these days is the eternity ring. This also has a long history stretching back 4000 years to the time of the ancient Egyptians. The eternity ring was originally a serpent with its tail curled around into its mouth and this was a symbol of eternal love. Nowadays it is more common to find an array of smaller stones that compliment the engagement and wedding rings.

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