In ancient times, the Romans used stunning rings made of iron to mark an engagement. Later, they considered gold for making the rings. Diamonds, on the other hand, are relatively a fresh addition to the whole engagement ring traditions.     If you were wondering do engagement rings have to be diamond studded always, the answer to it would be that it depends on personal choice. It was Archduke Maximilian, who started the trend of using diamond rings for betrothal. Maximilian proposed to his better half, Mary of Burgundy, with a stunning diamond ring in the year 1477. Since then, almost every couple preferred to exchange diamond engagement rings as a symbol of their unconditional love and commitment towards each other. Actually, the main reason behind the immense popularity of engagement diamond rings is the phrase “diamonds are forever” by the giant diamond merchant, De Beers. In other words, it was their marketing strategy, which made diamonds so special. However, it will not be fair to put all the blame on them either, because the supreme qualities of diamonds, such as its rarity, durability, hardness, and brilliance also add to their demand and popularity.