Do you really need to put a ring on it?

Alice Mongkongllite for BuzzFeed Design

If you're thinking of getting married soon, you're probably thinking about your engagement ring.

Hey, even if you aren't getting married soon, you've probably thought about the ring. Who could blame you? Diamond rings are the norm nowadays.

Filckr: mastababa/Creative Commons / Via Flickr: mastababa

Here's the thing: Diamond rings are actually pretty arbitrary.

Are they hella beautiful? Sure. Are they a necessary token of your marriage-to-be? Not so much.

Flickr: Jdickert/Creative Commons / Via Flickr: jdickert

The tradition of diamond engagement rings is still relatively new.

They weren't even around (or popular!) before the 1930s. That's only 85 years (ish) of diamonds.

Flickr: Clotho98/Creative Commons / Via goo.gl

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