* Mary of Burgundy starting the tradition
The tradition of giving a diamond engagement ring as a promise for marriage began in 1477 with Archduke Maximilian of Austria presenting a gold ring set with a diamond as a token of his love to Mary of Burgundy. During that era, diamonds were viewed as charms that could enhance the love of a husband for his wife. Even Cupid's arrows were said to be tipped with diamonds and thus an unequaled magical power.
Mary, called Mary the Rich (13 February 1457 – 27 March 1482), was the only child of Charles the Bold (Carlos el Terrible), Duke of Burgundy, and his wife Isabella of Bourbon. Her mother died in 1465, but Mary was on very good terms with her stepmother Margaret of York, whom Charles married in 1468.
Mary of Burgundy was born in Brussels, at the castle of Coudenberg. Her godfather was Louis the Dauphin, in exile in Burgundy at that time; he named her for his mother, Marie of Anjou. Reactions to the child were mixed: the baby's grandfather, Philip the Good, was unimpressed, and "chose not to attend the [Baptism] as it was only for a girl"; his wife, Isabella, was simply delighted at the birth of a granddaughter.
As the only child of Charles the Bold, Mary was heiress to a vast and wealthy domain and her hand was eagerly sought by a number of princes. The first proposal was received by her father when she was only five years old, to marry the future Ferdinand II of Aragon.
Though Mary had many suitors for her hand, she selected the Archduke Maximilian of Austria. The marriage took place at Ghent on 18 August 1477. By marrying Archduke Maximilian of Austria, son of the Archduke of Austria, she became Archduchess Mary of Austria.
Five years later, the 25-year-old Duchess met her death by a fall from her horse on 27 March 1482. She loved riding, and was falconing with Maximilian when her horse tripped, threw her, and then landed on top of her, breaking her back. She died several days later, having made a detailed will. She is buried in the Church of Our Lady in Bruges.
Three children had been the issue of her marriage. In 1493, Maximilian married secondly Bianca Maria Sforza but had no children by her.
* Significance and importance of diamonds
The root of the word diamond is "Adamas," the Greek word meaning unconquerable and indestructible.
Wearing a diamond ring on the fourth finger of the left hand dates far back to ancient Egypt, where it was believed that the vena amoris (the vein of love) ran from that finger directly to the heart.
Diamonds have been sought the world over, fought over, worshipped and used to cast love spells from the earliest of times. It actually wasn't until the discovery of diamond mines on the African continent in 1870 that diamonds became accessible to a wider public, increasing demand and influencing design.
For thousands of years, some form of magic was attributed to diamonds for Kings, Queens and their subjects. Diamonds stood for wealth, power, love, spiritual and magical powers. In battle, ancient Kings wore heavy leather breast plates studded with diamonds and other precious stones. The Greeks believed that diamonds were teardrops of the Gods and the fire in the diamond reflected the constant flame of love. Romans considered diamonds to be fragments of tumbling stars.
Diamonds were deemed to possess magical qualities of the Gods and hold powers far beyond the understanding of common men. Because of these beliefs, warriors on the battlefield avoided Kings and others who were fortunate enough to posses breast plates embedded with magical diamonds.
The smallest betrothal ring on record was given to two year old Princess Mary, daughter of Henry VIII. When she became engaged to the infant Dauphin of France, son of King Francis I, in 1518, a tiny gold ring, set with a valuable diamond, was fitted to her finger.
By the end of the 1700s, diamond wedding rings had become a common custom in Europe and were recognized as a symbol of eternity and love. It was then that the tradition of engraving the spouse’s name on the inside of the ring began, further making it a symbol of devotion in marriage.
The popularity of the diamond ring as a wedding ring has been fueled by highly successfully mass marketing campaigns by the diamond industry. The famous De Beers diamond company, originally started in the 1880s, gave birth to the advertising slogan, “A Diamond is Forever,” over 60 years ago. Their advertising campaign was one of the most successful in history, creating a mad rush of grooms-to-be to purchase the “must-have” diamond wedding ring.
