Whether you want to show off, subtly broach the subject of rings, or pepper your proposal with some trivia, here are some things you don’t need to know about engagement rings—at all—but which you nonetheless might not mind knowing.
1) The average cost of an engagement ring in 2017 is $5,500. This could lead to interesting discussion about expectations…
2) The most popular engagement shape is brilliant cut, also known as diamond or round cut. An excellent entrée to learning whether your intended wants to buck the trend, or wants the most brilliant diamond cut available.
3) The word diamond comes from the Greek “adamant,” which means unyielding or steadfast.
14K White Gold Princess Cut Diamond Engagement Ring
4) The engagement ring is worn on the third finger of the left hand because it contains the vena amoris, or “vein of love,” which runs directly to the heart. Or so it’s said. Which makes you wonder why German, Russian, and Indian cultures put the engagement ring on the right hand.
5) It’s said that when Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy a a gold ring with a diamond in 1477, he started the engagement ring tradition. Best not to say you think this was a dumb thing for the Archduke to do.
Yellow Gold Marquise Diamond Engagement Ring
6) More engagements happen at Christmas than Valentine’s Day, so if you want to be original, avoid December, which also includes the third most popular engagement day: New Year’s.
7) The youngest non-synthetic diamond is 900 million years old. “Honey, I promise our love will last as long as this diamond.” And you thought these facts wouldn’t be useful.
Here’s another fact: you can save on diamond engagement rings by shopping at pawn shops in Loudoun, VA. Don’t bypass them when you shop for engagement rings or any jewelry in the DC area.
