Engagement Ring
en·gage·ment ring | in-ˈgāj-mənt riŋ
noun
A ring given in betrothal
An engagement ring is a particular type of ring that indicates the person wearing it is has become engaged. There are a number of traditions dating back to antiquity, with links to both Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt. The first recorded examples of engagement rings, however, were in Ancient Rome, and the tradition has grown over time since then. In the modern western tradition, an engagement ring is given to indicate someone has accepted the offer of marriage and is worn on the ring finger of the left hand. Engagement rings are traditional crafted from precious metals with one or more gemstones embedded. Since the mid-20th century, diamonds have become one of the most commonly used precious gemstones in engagement rings, often banded with gold or platinum.