The word betrothal is derived from Anglo-Saxon “troweth” which means truth. Being betrothed signifies giving truth to the promise of love, fidelity and honor, and symbolized with an engagement ring. This ring is given by the man to the woman he made his pledge with and the woman in turn wears it to show everyone that she only loves one man.

Engagement rings or betrothal rings are worn on the left hand’s third finger. According to the past, a special vein – vena amoris (vein of love) is located on the third finger which directly connects to the heart. The circle of the rings denotes endlessness, oneness and perfection.

Nowadays, engagement rings come in various types from pear-shaped to cushion cut engagement rings. These rings are available not only with diamond stones but also in other fine stones.

Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald

Diamonds are beautiful, durable and valuable which symbolize love, devotion and also passion. It comes in different colors: colorless grades, bright yellow, red, and black even. Engagement rings with this stone are the popular choice of many with colorless grades stones signifying pure love, the most preferred color.

Red Ruby is another preferred stone in engagement rings. With red the color of romance, it represents power and confidence. Ruby is July’s birth stone and is deem good luck in Chinese culture thus ideal wedding gifts.

Blue Sapphire symbolizes loyalty, peace and youth. During medieval period, sapphire are said to be protection from harm and often worn around necks. This stone was similar to what Prince Charles gave to Princess Diana and recently like the one offered by Prince William to his fiancée, Ms. Kate Middleton.

Green emerald represents fertility and nature. It has the meaning “precious” and stone for those born in March. This stone was used to see the truth behind clouded emotions during the times of Ancient Egypt and Greece.

Round, Marquise, Heart and Pear Cut Engagement Rings

The most popular cut for diamonds and other stones is the round cut. From all the engagement rings sold, majority is with round cut diamonds about 75%. Being highly regarded by many couples has made it pricier compared to other cut styles. The round shape is a sign of honesty, faithfulness, and of course, the traditional romance for it is said that love has no beginning and no end just like a circle.

Marquise cut signifies opulence. It has a shape similar to oval but slimmer making the gem look bigger than the reality.

Heart cut, the original but beautiful and elegant cut for gems. The universal shaper women took for the symbol of romance.

Pear-shaped cut has a shape of both oval and marquise. Closely similar to a droplet with one end pointed and the other rounded. An engagement ring with this cut gives an illusion of slimmer hand when worn and the lady wearing it said to be a trendsetter.

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