With today's progressive stance on gender equality, it's hard to imagine a time when women were considered more-so property than a person. That is why diamond engagement rings were popularized. They represented a form of insurance for the women, if their fiancé ditched them before the wedding, the woman at least had the engagement ring as compensation. Also, because it was customary for the woman to keep the ring, it served as motivation for the man to stick around or he'd lose that particular investment.
Times were different back then. Premarital sex was a major taboo and a woman's virginity carried a premium value. All too often though, an engaged couple would do the deed before the "big day," an act that isn't uncommon today. If the couple's engagement didn't work out, the man walked free and clear, but the woman was considered "damaged goods." There was even a span of time that women could take legal action against a man that did this. It offset the possibility that the woman couldn't find another man that would want to marry, "damaged goods."
We have come a long way in a short time. I would hope that men and women alike now see diamond engagement rings a symbols of eternal love, and not an insurance policy.
Times were different back then. Premarital sex was a major taboo and a woman's virginity carried a premium value. All too often though, an engaged couple would do the deed before the "big day," an act that isn't uncommon today. If the couple's engagement didn't work out, the man walked free and clear, but the woman was considered "damaged goods." There was even a span of time that women could take legal action against a man that did this. It offset the possibility that the woman couldn't find another man that would want to marry, "damaged goods."
We have come a long way in a short time. I would hope that men and women alike now see diamond engagement rings a symbols of eternal love, and not an insurance policy.
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