The concept of an engagement started off as a purely religious ceremony during 1215 where it was pronounced that marriages were to be publicized in churches by the priests so that well-founded hindrances, if any, could be made known. The contemporary practice, predominantly western, of exchanging engagement rings is believed to have originated in 1477 when the then Roman Emperor, Maximilian I, gave Mary of Burgundy a diamond ring to consecrate their engagement - the first diamond engagement ring in history ever to be recorded.

There is yet another school of thought suggesting that the engagement ring goes back to the Egyptians. The early Egyptians wore the ring on the third finger of the left hand because they believed that a certain vein in that finger flowed directly to the heart.

Engagement rings from as distant as 4 AD resemble the Celtic Claddagh, which is a symbol of two hands holding a heart. Some others are of the opinion that rings speak of the burden of future bondage between a man and a woman. This apart, there was also a time when precious stones were mounted on gold and gifted as engagement rings. One customary pattern mounted six stones to commemorate the coming together of two families.

In modern American tradition too, an engagement ring is worn on the ring finger of the left hand of the woman to be married, indicating her engagement. It represents an official acceptance of the marriage proposal and a commitment to a future together. It is also not uncommon for a woman in America to buy the man an engagement ring.

The diamond engagement ring has universally come to be recognized as a symbol of love. The advertising industry, coupled with diamond corporations is solely responsible for this trend. In America, for example, young men have been brainwashed to believe that two months' salary and nothing less should be spent on a diamond engagement ring, or their love is worth nothing.

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