The tradition of using a diamond ring to signify an engagement dates all the way back to 1477 when the Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy. After this proposal, the wealthy and those of higher social class began giving diamond engagement rings to their loved ones. The trend grew among all social classes with the discovery of diamond mines in South Africa in 1870.

According to Roman belief, the engagement ring and wedding bands are worn on the left ring finger because the vein in the left ring finger, the vena amoris, was said to be connected directly to the heart, which symbolizes love.

We will be updating this page with romantic, funny and surprising engagement stories. Share your story with us at info@donegaljewelers.com and be sure to check our Facebook page to find out when new stories are posted!

Catherine and Matt
Catherine had a long day at work and she couldn't wait to get home, take a shower, put on her PJs and watch TV. When she got home she went into the bathroom to take her shower and saw "I Love You Catherine" written on the bathroom mirror in her favorite lipstick shade. Annoyed that her boyfriend, Matt, used her favorite lipstick for this message she turned around to chastise him and found him kneeling on one knee in the living room, a ring box in his hand! Matt asked, "Catherine will you marry me?" "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, YES," Catherine replied! Her annoyance about the lipstick obviously overcome by her joy! And, as it turned out, it wasn't even Catherine's lipstick that Matt used! He knew better then to use his girlfriend's lipstick so he borrowed an old one from his mom - smart guy!

A Proposal In Our Store!
One of our awesome customers let us in on the fun! Andrew had a custom engagement ring made for his girlfriend, Julia, and he could not wait to give it to her. He knew that once he had the ring he would not be able to keep it a secret for long and he decided to propose as soon as the ring was ready to be picked up. He called our shop and asked us to put the ring in a box and place it in the case farthest from the door with a little note saying, "Julia, Will You Marry Me?" Andrew informed us that he would be coming in after work with Julia. He told us that she was under the impression that he was just picking up a repair. When they got to the store, Andrew casually made his way over to the case with the ring as Julia followed behind him. He pretended to be looking at the pieces in the case to get her interested in looking too. As soon as she began looking, he bent down pretending to tie his shoe and waited for her to see the ring! When she saw the note, she turned to Andrew, who was on one knee, and began to cry. Of course she said, "Yes!"