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The ancient Romans first placed
ring on
third finger. The "vena amoris," Latin for vein of love, was thought to be
vein that led from
third finger directly to
heart, a theory derived from
ancient Egyptians.
It wasn't until
15th century that diamonds first adorned
eternal circular band. History records
first diamond engagement ring in
15th century when Archduke Maximillian of Hamburg presented
ring to Mary of Burgandy. At that time, diamonds were scarce, traveling via
spice route from India to Europe, and diamond engagement rings were prohibitive to all but royalty and
very wealthy. It would be centuries until diamonds would be discovered in Brazil and Africa. DeBeers would not open its doors until 1888, and there was no Antwerp Diamond Exchange.
It was not until
industrial revolution that life took a quantum leap. Advances in transportation brought goods and services that were once
province of
rich and famous to
masses. Diamond mines opened in South Africa, and while diamonds were still precious, they were at least accessible.
It was in 1939 that a concerted effort to popularize
diamond engagement began in earnest with an advertising campaign in New York City. The sale of diamond engagement rings had been on
decline since 1919, decreasing by as much as 50%, due in part to
Great Depression. Harry Oppenheimer of De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd,
famed South African diamond mine, took action and with
help of N.W. Ayer & Son, a New York advertising agency, launched an all-out assault with an ad campaign. It was in 1947 that
slogan "A Diamond is Forever," was born and launched
most successful advertising campaign of
twentieth century, moving
diamond engagement ring from a luxury to THE most important element of a proper engagement. And little has changed since then.

M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for http://www.jewelry-4-u.net/engagement-rings.htm, http://www.jewelry-4-u.net/wedding-rings.htm, and http://www.jewelry-4-u.net/diamonds.htm. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.