Generally an engagement ring is a symbol of building future together though it has got its own history.

Mary of Burgundy received a diamond ring from Archduke Maximilian of Austria in the year 1477. 24 hours later, the first engagement ring, was on the hand of a married woman and so begins the tradition of proposing marriage with a ring.

However, with continual historic discoveries being made, it seems that the symbolism of the engagement ring dates back even further than the 15th century; this story holds its title simply because of the incorporation of the diamond. The ancient Roman men gave rings to their lovers which they called betrothal (truth) rings, and they later began to inscribe or engrave the rings with their lover's name.

Symbolism played a large part int he establishment of this tradition. The Egyptians believed that they could connect their hearts to that of their loved ones by attaching their loved one's name or symbol to their ring fingers, since the vein in their ring fingers led directly to their hearts.

The Middle Ages started the tradition of having a diamond as a symbol for the union. A diamond is the hardest and strongest mineral on Earth. It has the ability to resist fire and steel. It is therefore perfectly symbolizes the unbreakable bond between a couple. However, the ability to express one's affection in such a grandiose style was limited to those with great wealth.

Jumping ahead to the 19th century, diamonds become more readily available to common folk. The markets become flooded with diamonds after the discovery of the Kimberley diamond region in South Africa. Instead of a rush of people buying diamond engagement rings, the trend switched to rings with birth stones which seemed to be more of a rarity and, thus, more desirable. The wealthy swapped their diamond engagement rings for rings of sapphire, emerald, and ruby with diamond accents, leaving diamonds for the general public to grab.

Hollywood's glamour influenced the 20th Century public into a renewed desire for diamonds. Marilyn Monroe's song "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" partly contributed to this comeback.

Historically, engagement rings have been made up of more than just diamonds. While diamond engagement rings have gone in and out of fashion, one thing that has not changed is that there will always be a strong demand for engagement rings with some kind of stone. Every young girl has dreams of being swept off her feet by a handsome prince. With a diamond engagement ring on her finger, she will feel like a real princess. Today, the diamond symbolizes wealth and fashion and the ring is a symbol of the relationship.