Engagements, Rings and Personalised Gifts for the Big Occasion
Those Italians are a romantic old bunch. They gave us Valentine. They gave us Rome. And, as it turns out, they gave us engagements too. Rumour has it the idea began with Pope Innocent III, in around 1215, at the Fourth Lateran Council. They decreed “. marriages are to be. announced publicly in the churches by the priests during a suitable and fixed time, so that if legitimate impediments exist, they may be made known.”
Fast forward 250-odd years and the practice of engagement rings began in about 1477. This time, though, we’ve actually got the Austrians to thank, when Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, gave Mary of Burgundy a diamond ring as an engagement gift. Everyone else then followed suit. As for why it’s then worn on the fourth finger, well that is down to the Italians. The Romans believed this finger was the beginning of the vena amoris – the vein of love – that leads straight to the heart.
Nowadays, a ring is still king of the engagement gifts and it’s a must if you’re thinking of popping the question. But don’t believe everything you hear. First of all, think about skipping the high street. The big-name jewellers predictably hike up the cost of a ring, sometimes by as much as 100%. Instead, head into the heart of your nearest jewellery district. In London, for example, Hatton Garden’s ‘wholesale’ prices could save you a packet. And secondly, don’t take any notice of the notion you have to spend two or three month’s wages on it. Eager to boost diamond sales, this was the work of the De Beers marketing team during the early 20th century. We just got suckered in.
Aside from rings, you will find other engagement gifts ideas. As a rule of thumb, these provide something light hearted to go with the business end that is the ring. A lot of people tend to go online for this, often to find something personalised. Popular options include gift experience days, pampering sessions for two, and original newspapers from the day of the first date. Others go for smaller gestures, like personalised diaries, calendars and mugs. But probably the trendiest choice is to personalise a bottle of red, white or ros? wine, or Champagne. Champers is an obvious pick, but whichever you go for, you’ll get to choose a label and then customise it with a name, or names, and a message.
Find the perfect engagement present at GoneDigging. Our fantastic range of personalised engagement gifts are just what is needed to add that extra sparkle to the occasion, such as a spoof newspaper announcing the engagement, a collection of romantic days out for any couple or even personalised poetry to help to capture exactly how you feel.
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