The Making of the Engagement Ring
The making of my engagement ring.
Before we get to my ring, I would like to chat about why we are given an engagement ring in the first place.
There are many versions of the history of the engagement ring, dating way back to ancient Egypt along with stories of it originating from ancient Greece, which my brother inlaw-to-be would be thrilled about, as he thinks everything comes from Greece and everything was invented by the Greeks but my favourite version would have to be the good Ole’ US of A’s and goes a little like this…
America in the early 19th century in short engagement rings were given as a form of virginity insurance.
We as women were expected to be virgins on our wedding day.
If he liked it, he had to put a ring on it, to loosely coin a phrase from Beyonce, so what was happening after that ring was placed? Sexual relations would occur of course, lets face it, hubby-to-be wasn’t telling the town crier his wife-to-be had her cherry popped by yours truly.
He then decides there is greener pasture on the other side of them der hills and leaves his bride-to-be living life in society as “soiled goods”.
This was such a rampant problem that an actual law was passed called the "Breach of Promise to Marry" which empowered women to sue their rouges if their wedding was called off.
Hence why we keep the ring!!
The engagement ring was kept by the scorned woman as collateral.
Now back to my ring, I assure you I am no virgin, nor will I be suing my love if the marriage were not to go ahead, don't get me wrong I would make her life a living hell, however I wouldn't sue her.
Getting the diamonds just right - champagne diamonds of course, matching necklace.
We wanted to follow a certain tradition we had grown up with, our parents had grown up and so on.
Like most couples, of course we talked about getting married, one morning I woke looking and smelling mighty fine, my beloved turns and says “It’s time to go get that ring” romantic hey! Well let me assure you, I was on the blower within minutes to our jeweller Ina Barry making an appointment to chose all the bits and pieces.
We always knew which ring that would be, it was to be a GIANT version of my necklace given to me as a birthday pressie a few years prior by my love, so off we go to choose my magnificent South Sea pearl.
The next meeting was to match the diamonds to said magnificent pearl and confirm the band was the perfect fit, being a pearl the ring can not be resized without removing my pearl, unlike a diamond ring.
Almost there...when will the proposal happen????
After those decisions were made rest of the process was taken away from me, I would not know when it would be ready nor would I know when I was to receive my golden orb of delight….
The day I received my beautiful engagement ring.
The proposal to end all proposals happened, was one of the happiest days of my life, will blog about that on another lazy Saturday afternoon in the near future.