Engagement And Wedding Rings

The engagement and wedding rings represent both a symbol of long-lasting love and commitment and an important part of the wedding day. Therefore such jewelry must be made of high quality, enduring precious metal such as gold and platinum.

Wedding rings are usually simpler in design in comparison to engagement rings, which are more elaborate and unique. Although many people still prefer simple gold or platinum bands for wedding rings, some pieces can be embellished with diamonds or other precious stones, especially if they are bought in a set. While generally the custom is only for the woman to wear an engagement ring, both husband and wife will have wedding rings. Some traditions require both man and woman to wear engagement rings, but these are less common practices.



Traditionally, in many countries the man would go privately and select the engagement ring which he will present to his chosen bride when proposing, but in the most recent years, some couples have chosen to go together to select the engagement ring. There can be extensive variation in the price of an engagement ring, in accordance with the design, materials used and the gemstones it might include. Early in the 20th century, De Beers, a leading company in diamond mining and trading, marketed the idea that a man should spend 2 to 3 wages when purchasing a diamond engagement ring. Today, people spend according to their budget, the average price paid for a diamond ring in the US being around $2000. Although diamonds are the stone of choice for most men shopping for engagement rings, there are other less common alternative choices such as rubies, sapphiers, emeralds.

If the engagement ring indicates that a woman is about to get married, the wedding ring states that the wearer is married. The tradition of using wedding rings for both partners is relatively recent, following a marketing campaign which started at the end of the 19th century. In many cultures the best man or best woman are in charge with keeping the rings during the wedding ceremony until they have to produce them at the specified ceremonial moment. In some European traditions, the wedding ring and engagement ring are the same, the difference being made at the time of the wedding ceremony when it is engraved and the hand on which it is worn changes. In some parts of the world (Greece, Turkey) many women wear so-called puzzle-rings, which are made of more interlocking parts that must be properly arranged to form a single ring. These are also called Harem rings or Turkish wedding rings and were also used to ensure the wearer monogamy because of the difficulty of assembling them back after removal.



Although most religious ceremonies accept rings made of any material as a symbol for the marriage vows, the most commonly used material is yellow gold. Platinum is also widely used and most recently titanium has become very popular due to its durability and price. Whether its the warmth of gold or the durability of platinum, the engagement and wedding ring unending circle shape symbolizes endless love.