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History of Engagement Rings

Congratulations! You have found the love of your life. So what is the next step? Well, you must give her a ring and ask the big question, "will you marry me"?

Perhaps at this point, you are still questioning yourself, why have an engagement ring? While we can give you tons of whys, we would like you to know more about engagement rings and decide for yourself. Here's a little background of what they were back then and what they are now.

The act of gifting an engagement ring originated back in the Egyptian period. They believed that circles were a symbol of eternity, so wedded couples would wear one on their left fourth finger, which had a vein leading to the heart. Engagement rings before were made of braided reeds.

The first official and trustworthy report about engagement rings was recorded around 2600BC in ancient Rome. A little known fact is that engagement rings during that time weren't given to a woman as a symbol of love and affection; instead, they served as a symbol of ownership. I know that doesn't sound very romantic, luckily we were born long after that period.

Fast forward in 1447, an Australian named Archduke Maximilian, for the very first time, proposed to a girl named Mary with a diamond engagement ring in the shape of the letter M customized for her. This time a ring was given to let everyone know that he wanted them to be husband and wife. However, it took centuries after this event for engagement rings to be trendy all over the world.

In 1947, a mining company kick-started a craze for diamond engagement rings, which became quite popular. A similar marketing strategy occurred in the 21st century, where some marketers also produced engagement rings for men called "man-gagement" but unfortunately failed.

Nowadays, the tradition and style of engagement rings keep on evolving. While most brides still prefer sparkling diamond stones on their fingers, a lot also tried to experiment using different gemstones that give radiance and color to an already apparent beautiful piece. Engagement rings are now worn on the right finger and are usually stacked along with wedding rings for another layer of sophistication and style. In recent studies, about 70% of people worldwide spend around 1,000-4,000 USD on their engagement rings. Unlike before, if you are presented with an engagement ring, it will give you a cloud nine feeling that you are loved and precious enough for someone.

With such a history, IcaCarats continues to work hard to present you solely with gorgeous pieces intricately made from premium materials.

Types of Engagement Ring

Engagement rings are renowned glinting pieces that have high demand in the market worldwide. Typically, they are crafted from sterling silver, yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold settings. Craftsmen and artisans use various gemstones to create them, giving the customers more options and alternatives to meet their budget and style. To name a few, some of the most requested pieces are opal engagement rings, sapphire engagement rings, emerald engagement rings, moissanite engagement rings, black diamond engagement rings, and oval engagement rings.

Aside from the purity of the material and gemstones used, we also have to be particular about the different cuts used to finish the rings. Each cut gives a different look and feels to the wearer.

Engagement ring based on the Cut:

Round Brilliant Cut. This style is the most iconic with its cone shape rounded top containing 58 facets of classic uniform and symmetrical forms.
Princess-Cut. A square pattern piece with sharp angles that are better when placed on a diamond-encrusted band.
Emerald-Cut. This rectangular-shaped cut is ideal for a higher precision diamond. This cut creates reflections of light that make any gems extra sparkling.
Baguette-Cut. With the similarity to an emerald cut but is a bit slimmer, the elegance of any gem is accentuated when made prominent or placed together with smaller stones.
Marquise cut. This cut refers to any elongated gems with sharp ends that look particularly flattering on the hand.
Cushion cut. Another square cut but has rounded corners that give larger faces to have more gems embellishments. This cut is perfect for a vintage-inspired setting that is equally attractive to modern styles.

If you are still having difficulty, you may browse the IceCarats page with a massive selection of styles and materials used for a quality yet irresistible cheap engagement ring.

How to Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring

Along the way, it is confusing to decide which engagement ring is right for you or your special someone. Here are five reasonable tips to save you time, money, energy, and help you get through this confusing stage.

Know what you or your special someone likes.

High-quality pieces mean value and worth. These kinds of engagement rings will significantly cost you, so better be sure that you buy the ring that you and your special someone like the best. He/she would feel more appreciated and special knowing that you care about what he/she wants.

2. Choose comfort and quality over beauty.

It'll be satisfying to choose something you like but never neglect the power of a secure, comfy fit. Remember that you'll be wearing your engagement ring every day, and wearing something that causes irritability or discomfort might get you in trouble.

3. Buy From a Legitimate Jeweler.
There's a reason some businesses can keep up with the customers' fast-changing demand- they offer legitimacy! Legit Jewelers conform to the law by ensuring they provide quality products while maintaining a good reputation by ensuring excellent service and protection. Who wouldn't want after-purchase assistance after all?

4. Set a realistic budget.
Ditch the idea of the more expensive, the better. There are a lot of premium pieces available in the market that suit your budget and taste. Overspending on engagement rings might affect your finances; it might cost you money that should've been used to your wedding day itself.

5. Check the Return Policy.
Engagement rings can often cost a fortune. Since not all shops offer a return policy, it's a must to look for a shop that offers one. The return policy is an added security and protection to the customers making sure you get the most out of what you pay. If your chosen shop offers insurance, then the better it is.

These tips are simple yet very helpful in finding your very own Engagement Ring. You may also browse IceCarats' website to check all trendsetting pieces to fit your needs!

How to wear your Engagement Ring

Engagement is over, and it's now time to move forward to the next best thing, your wedding day. What are you to do with your engagement ring then?

The engagement ring is transferred onto the right hand before the wedding ceremony to give way to the wedding ring. After every wedding, , the engagement ring is then returned on the left on top of the new wedding band.

While it's easy to know when to wear an engagement ring, we'd like to give you a list of when not to wear one.

Working Out. It's nice to flaunt your engagement ring in the gym to start an excellent girly talk, but working out requires good circulation of blood throughout the body, wearing your ring would probably make that difficult. Also, some exercises need you to use some equipment that can ruin the shape of your ring.
Moisturizing. It is suitable for your skin but not for your ring. The chemicals used in moisturizers might reduce the brilliance of the stones on your ring.
Swimming. The ocean is too big and deep; losing your ring in such a place is probably next to impossible to be found. As for the pool, chlorine can damage the setting of your ring.
Cleaning and Showering. Sinks are a very popular spot on where to lose your precious ring. Soaps also make your fingers slippery, resulting in your ring falling in the drain and getting lost.
Cooking. Rings are bacteria carriers, and we all don't like our foods with such. Taking off your ring while preparing food would be hygienic.

Icecarats team can help you with new exciting ideas on how to style and sashay your engagement ring with different outfits!