The Gift of LOVE....
...the 16th Century
"Constancy and heaven are around
A plain iron hoop was the fore-runner of today's engagement ring. The old Roman tradition was to give a ring, a symbol of the the cycle of life and of eternity as a public pledge that the marriage contract between a man and a woman would be honoured. In Pliny's time (23-79AD) the ring was made of iron. Gold was introduced some time in the 2nd century AD. The Christians adopted the custom, and so the ring became an integral part of the marriage service.
It was not untill the 15th century that the symbolism of a ring - signifying eternity - was strengthen by the emblem of conjugal fidelity.... the diamond. The natural rough diamond showing the typical octahedral crystalline structure was first to become the glamorous symbol of the Royal Families. Yet legends of the diamond's mythical properties come down to through the ages. Hundreds of years before Christ, in India, where diamonds were discovered, the diamond was valued even more than for its magic than for its great beauty, and was thought to protect from snakes, fire, poison, illness, thieves ans all the combined forces of evil.
Each culture has prized the diamond for its unique properties. In India, the colour of the diamond was thought to reflect the caste of the wearer which was why pure white diamonds were the most precious. Rome valued it for its hardness and believed it capable of breaking iron. The practical Chinese treasured it as an engraving tool, while the superstitious Italians trusted it to protect against poison.
Uniquely able to resist both fire and steel, the diamond ( the name comes from 'adamas', Greek for unconquerable ) epitomises unyielding and invincible strength. What better emblem of life-long partnership?
From the soft lustre of rough diamonds in the Renaissance to the dazzling pyrotechnics of the 21st century polished sophistication, the diamond ring, like a charmed circle, is the man and woman.... the ultimate seal on the promises made at the marriage.
...the 16th Century
"Constancy and heaven are around
And in this the emblem's found"
A plain iron hoop was the fore-runner of today's engagement ring. The old Roman tradition was to give a ring, a symbol of the the cycle of life and of eternity as a public pledge that the marriage contract between a man and a woman would be honoured. In Pliny's time (23-79AD) the ring was made of iron. Gold was introduced some time in the 2nd century AD. The Christians adopted the custom, and so the ring became an integral part of the marriage service.
It was not untill the 15th century that the symbolism of a ring - signifying eternity - was strengthen by the emblem of conjugal fidelity.... the diamond. The natural rough diamond showing the typical octahedral crystalline structure was first to become the glamorous symbol of the Royal Families. Yet legends of the diamond's mythical properties come down to through the ages. Hundreds of years before Christ, in India, where diamonds were discovered, the diamond was valued even more than for its magic than for its great beauty, and was thought to protect from snakes, fire, poison, illness, thieves ans all the combined forces of evil.
Each culture has prized the diamond for its unique properties. In India, the colour of the diamond was thought to reflect the caste of the wearer which was why pure white diamonds were the most precious. Rome valued it for its hardness and believed it capable of breaking iron. The practical Chinese treasured it as an engraving tool, while the superstitious Italians trusted it to protect against poison.
Uniquely able to resist both fire and steel, the diamond ( the name comes from 'adamas', Greek for unconquerable ) epitomises unyielding and invincible strength. What better emblem of life-long partnership?
From the soft lustre of rough diamonds in the Renaissance to the dazzling pyrotechnics of the 21st century polished sophistication, the diamond ring, like a charmed circle, is the man and woman.... the ultimate seal on the promises made at the marriage.
posted by Shahul Hameed at 9:21 PM
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