It was in 1477 when Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy (pictured below), that the tradition of a diamond engagement ring was born. The tradition of wearing these rings on the third finger of a womans left hand dates back to the early Egyptian belief that the vena amoris (vein of love) ran directly from the heart to the top of this finger. During the reign of Elizibeth I, diamond rings were often called "scribbling rings" because it became fashionable to use them to engrave love messages on window panes.