Wedding Rings – Through the Ages and for All Eternity

The exact origin of the wedding ring is uncertain and is rife with superstition and mythology. Papyruses dating back to the ancient Egyptian civilization depict wedding rings, and historians credit the land of the Pharaohs with originating this tradition. Engagement or betrothal rings were in use as far back as prehistoric times, but the wedding ring is a relatively new tradition, and unlike the engagement ring, is steeped in religious ritual.

In ancient times, accepting a wedding ring constituted a legally binding agreement between husband and wife. The wife became property of the husband, a holding of sorts. It also represented protection to the wife—a protection against challengers seizing her legal and rightful position in a power grab.

Early Egyptian wedding rings were simple circular bands, crudely crafted from indigenous materials such as hemp and reeds. The lifespan of the average wedding ring was approximately one year. It's a safe bet that the average marriage outlasted the average wedding band, since the eternal circle signified eternal love and devotion. The circle also represented the joining of two halves to create a whole. The hole in the center symbolized the gateway to the unknown—the future. Wedding bands of ivory, leather, and other sturdy materials were crafted by those who desired a more permanent token of eternity.

Metals replaced the earlier hemp and reed wedding bands. The early Romans moved to lead, while other civilizations chose brass and copper. Eventually, gold emerged as the metal of choice. In fact, early Irish couples insisted on gold, as any other material was thought to bring bad luck at best, and constitute an illegal marriage at worst. For couples unable to afford gold wedding bands, gold wedding rings were secured for the service and returned immediately afterward.

Early crude designs were adorned with semiprecious metals in an attempt to disguise the handiwork. The color of the stones also held significance. The red ruby signified the heart, the blue sapphire signified the skies and the heavens, and the rare diamond's indestructible nature signified the indestructible bond of marriage.

Fit played an equally important role in the realm of superstition surrounding the wedding ring. The fit had to be perfect. Too loose a fit would lead to a sloppy marriage, carelessness, and even cause the couple to grow apart. Too tight a fit would doom the couple to a suffocating, painful marriage.

In ancient times, wedding bands occupied the third finger on the left hand just as they do today. The significance of the third finger was the belief that the vein in the third finger, the "vena amoris," led directly to the heart. This was a thought propagated by the Egyptians and adopted as truth by the ancient Greeks and Romans, until later disproved.

Even after the discovery that there was no vena amoris, the custom of wearing the wedding band on the third finger survived. Early Christian marriages included a ritual that landed the wedding band on the third finger: As the priest recited, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost," he took the ring and touched the thumb, the first finger, and then the second finger. When he said, "Amen," he placed the ring on the third finger, sealing the marriage. The wedding band has occupied the third finger into the 21st century, except for a short period during the Elizabethan era, when whimsy decreed that the wedding ring reside on the thumb.

Double-ring ceremonies gained popularity during World War II as young soldiers shipped off to war. The token of the marriage contract took on new sentimentality during those troubling times, and that custom remains intact today. Ceremonies differ, vows are often unique, but the tradition of the wedding band has survived through the ages, and probably will—for all eternity.

Label: Wedding Ring

The elegant and sophisticated look of glittering, gleaming gold. There's nothing quite like it.

Some people never grow tired of the look of pure gold jewelry. Gold, being our most precious metal, is often a first choice among couples looking for that perfect gold wedding ring.

While yellow gold remains very popular with the wedding crowd. Many people prefer the brilliant hue of a white gold wedding ring.

White gold will look beautiful on you whether you're a man or a woman. You can find online a great selection of white gold diamond wedding rings and white gold wedding ring sets. Also, if you're looking for something a little fancier that can also become a piece of wonderful keepsake jewelry, white gold makes a very elegant engraved wedding ring that can be passed on to future generations.

The one thing you need to be aware of when buying a white gold wedding ring is that it will need periodic maintenance in order to keep it's luster.

To obtain it's much desired glittering white color, white gold is coated with another alloy called Rhodium (the natural color of white gold is really light gray). Rhodium will wear down after a while, so to maintain your ring's luster, you'll need to visit your local jeweler about every 12-18 months and have it re-plated with a new coating of Rhodium. The cost for this should be very reasonable.

Whether you're looking for a plain gold wedding band, or a wedding ring with sparkling diamonds, white gold is an excellent choice for those looking for something a little extra special.

Label: Wedding Ring, White Wedding Ring

Gay Wedding Ring: Symbol of Love and Equality

A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for many people, although for an increasing number of persons, it has become a several-in-a-lifetime event. In any case, it is still a very special ceremony that binds not only a man and a woman together; today, gay male couples and gay women couples also observe the ceremony to affirm their lifelong commitment to each other. In such ceremonies, the gay wedding ring takes center stage.

Same-sex marriage is still illegal in the majority of U.S. states and in countries all over the world, so what gay couples opt for is to participate in a "commitment ceremony," where the exchange of gay wedding rings also takes place. A gay wedding ring most often resembles the traditional gold or platinum wedding band. Of course, the couples are free to have the designs or the metal they wish for their gay wedding ring. Gay-related symbols are often engraved on the rings, and various textures and effects are available as well. Irish and Scottish rings, multicolored rings, woven rings – a wealth of options is available.

Homosexual and lesbian couples who have exchanged or are planning to exchange gay wedding rings in commitment or blessing ceremonies include Rosie and Kelly O'Donnell, and actress Sophie Ward and Rena Brannan. British musician Sir Elton John and David Furbish have also talked about getting married as soon as gays are legally allowed to join together in matrimony in Great Britain.

Jewelry designers such as Udi Behr are recognizing the need of "unconventional" couples to affirm their commitment to one another. Behr created a collection of gay wedding rings and gay engagement rings called "Love and Pride" in support of the gay rights movement. Behr, who is himself straight, is a popular designer among celebrities; famous people who buy his work include Sharon Stone and Britney Spears.

As with heterosexual couples, gay couples see their weddings bands as a tangible symbol of their love and commitment to one another. Notwithstanding governmental indifference to or disapproval of their needs and wishes, gay people will go on standing for what they believe is their right. The gay wedding ring, aside from its romantic connotations, has also become a symbol of the large part of homosexual culture in today's society.

Label: Buy Wedding Ring, Gay Wedding Ring

Your search for the perfect engagement ring, may be very difficult and time consuming due to the various designs, styles, settings and sizes. In addition, many women have a very specific idea of how their engagement ring will look.

These helpful steps will help you find your perfect engagement ring and save you time and research:

1. Budget The first thing you should do before beginning your research is determine your budget. This will help you eliminate the irrelevant rings and diamonds, and will start making your choice a little easier. Even if your budget is not as high as you would like it to be, know that you can always reset and add stones later on.

2. Personal taste If your engagement ring is a surprise, you should do some research. Try to observe her jewelry and notice if she likes white gold or yellow gold, big flashy jewelry or more delicate jewelry and etc. Asking her close friends for advice always helps- they usually know. If the engagement ring is not a surprise, or it?s an upgrade to a prior ring- we suggest making the decision with her.

3. Learning about diamonds Learning about the 4 C?s- Carat, Color, Clarity and Cut, is an easy way to learn basically everything you should know before purchasing diamonds. This will help you understand the cost and quality of diamonds.

4. The diamond Now that you have learned about the 4 C?s, it?s time to choose your diamonds. Diamonds come in many shapes and sizes. A very popular shape in diamonds is the round brilliant. We suggest looking online at loose diamonds for various shapes, sizes and prices.

5. Settings Now that you have chosen your diamond, you can choose a setting to mount the diamond on. Some of the most popular settings for engagement rings include the solitaire, the prong setting and the channel setting. These are available in white gold, yellow gold and platinum.

Good luck!

Label: Engagement Ring Advice

Now You're Engaged, How Do You Choose A Mens Wedding Ring?

So, you've just got engaged.

Whether you are a man or a woman you have an important decision to make (amongst the myriad of other decisions) about mens wedding rings. It's this. Will the man in your relationship wear one?

Maybe that's you, maybe not. But you both need to think about it.

You see it's only since the second world war that modern men have started to publicly display their marital status by the wearing of a man wedding ring.

Prior to that it was rare for a man to wear a ring when he married. Men were able to hide their marital status behind the tradition that required a woman to wear a wedding ring, but not a man.

However during the war many US soldiers chose to wear mens wedding rings as a public symbol of their marital status whilst away at war and that has started a tradition for the modern man. Now it's very common for a man to wear a mens wedding ring, perhaps the norm.

So, what decisions need to be made? Well the first is this. Will he wear one? That's probably the hardest decision in the process.

For a woman there's no decision. She's engaged, she wants the ring. For her she needs an engagement ring as well as a wedding ring, and an expensive engagement ring at that. But for a man it's not so straight forward.

So a very important part of the process is for both of you to talk about it. Do you both have strong feelings about the man wearing a man wedding ring, either one way or the other? Does the woman feel that if she is to publicly display her marital status then it's only fair that he do the same? Does he have any reservations about wearing a ring and if so what are they? You both need to talk over your feelings about the wearing of a man wedding ring. Establish the groundwork.

Once and if you have made a decision that he will wear a ring then that's just the start. It's perfectly possible to buy a his and hers matching wedding ring set. These are rings designed as matching sets for you both so that both your wedding rings go well together. So are you going to look for matching rings, or just buy him a ring and focus on hers separately?

Next you have to decide what type of ring. There's a whole world of designs for mens wedding rings out there. An enormous range of styles and materials. A man makes a statement about himself in selecting the ring he will wear for his wife, and she is a part of that statement if she is actively involved in the decision.

Think about his personality. Is he outgoing or shy? Is he outrageous or conservative? Is he flamboyant? Understated? When he buys clothes what does he select? Does he buy colourful flamboyant ties or ties which fit in with the style of the suit? Would he wear clothes which make him stand out from the crowd or does he prefer to meld in?

His men's wedding ring needs to fit his personality. All these characteristics, as well as many others, bear on your choice of ring. A man with a strong flamboyant personality would be much more likely to prefer a ring which stands out. Which sets him apart from the crowd, which says "look at me". On the other hand a man with a more conservative type of personality would probably prefer to say "I'm married but I'm not going to shout it from the rooftop" with his ring.

Similarly, think about his stature. Is he short or tall? Is he large or small? Does he have long slender fingers or short stubby fingers? These characteristics also bear on the style of ring selected.

So size up the man before making a decision on the style of ring for him.

One of the most common form of mens wedding ring is the simple band style. Often in gold or white gold, it is plain and unadorned. A simple statement of marital status and nothing else. But even amongst simple bands there are decisions to make. How wide? What colour? What type of material? New materials such as Titanium or Platinum have broadened the choices hugely. Mens black Titanium rings really catch the eye.

Or amongst the more traditional materials sterling silver men's wedding rings look stunning. Or brushed mens white gold wedding rings. The range of choices now is enormous.

And it's not necessary to decide on a single material. Mens two toned gold wedding rings, utilising white and yellow gold, are popular. Perhaps match the ring material with gemstones such as rubies or sapphires or even diamonds to create a stunning effect.

It's perfectly possible to get custom made rings or even design them yourself. The internet offers a big range of choices and also offers rings and other jewelry dramatically cheaper than your traditional bricks and mortar stores. Several online jewellers offer a design your own mens wedding ring service so that you can design a ring that's unique to you.

And if you want something really different why not consider celtic mens wedding bands?

The range of choices is endless, enough to satisfy even the most discriminating couple.

And remember that for a man this ring may be the only jewelry he will ever wear. The choice of man ring that you both make is a big one.

So, now you're engaged, spend a little time thinking about what you are going to do about a men's wedding ring. Start talking about it with your partner. The more time you spend on it the happier you will be with your final choice.

Label: Man Wedding Ring, Mens Wedding Ring

Traditionally, a wedding band was worn on the ring finger of the left hand because it was believed that the vein in that finger went straight to the heart. A wedding ring is a piece of jewelry which will be worn everyday of your life to signify your love and fidelity to your significant other. That being said, you want to ensure you choose the perfect ring, which can be difficult for someone who is inexperienced in this area. Luckily we can help you through the steps of finding the perfect wedding ring for the special person in your life.

The first thing to consider is the kind of metal you want for your wedding rings. Most wedding rings are found in yellow gold, white gold or platinum. These forms of metal vary in price and most likely this decision will be quite easy since most women already know what kind of ring they want.

The next step is choosing the stone for the ring. You will need to decide which kind of stone you want as well as the shape of the stone. Diamonds are still the most popular choice when it comes to stones for wedding rings however colored stones such as emeralds, rubies and sapphires are becoming more and more popular.

The last step is to find a reputable jeweler who you will be comfortable purchasing such an expensive piece of jewelry from. Perhaps it is best to use a jeweler who one of your friends or family members have already used and would recommend for you because of such great results.

If you are like most couples who are marrying, you will likely choose a diamond wedding ring. If you are doing so, you may want to keep the four C's in mind while doing so. The four C's are the diamond's color, cut, clarity and carat weight.

Label: Choose Wedding Ring, Wedding Ring

Once engaged, the first thing to look for is a wedding ring. The wearing of a man wedding ring is a relatively modern phenomenon, so is the use of different concepts like man gold ring, man diamond ring and man titanium rings.

Despite the popularity of modern jewelry, choicest man wedding rings can be easily found at your local jewelry store. Amongst these, man titanium ring has not still made into the conscious of the local jewelry merchant and are not easily available.

A faithful suggestion is to look around the online resource for a man wedding ring so that you can easily search for some of the best designs with most contemporary looks. There is a huge collection, where anybody can easily pick up his or her choice. There was a huge range of man diamond rings available with some of the best-designed man gold rings as well.

Therefore, if you want to find the ultimate in modern male jewelry, including men?s titanium rings, you can locate the store to enter the world of your choice. There were many couples who found their ideal contemporary design in man diamond rings and man gold rings. Moreover, there is also a new section devoted to man promise rings and bands.

The man wedding rings look great and particularly the new trend is with the man platinum ring, which can be shaped into a wide variety of styles. It can also be colored into a stunning range of colors, which can be mixed and matched.

More traditional, the man gold ring and the man diamond ring seems to be the all time favorite. Although gold can be altered to offer a small range of different colors, it is basically gold colored. Diamond and titanium man ring can be in a much wider range of choices. Titanium also offers a choice of finish, most commonly satin, matt or refined.

You can search for many different ring materials which suit to your personality and at the same time also reflect the character of an individual. Man titanium ring and man diamond ring are both becoming much more popular.

According to a study made, whilst man diamond wedding ring were not very popular with men as with women, but they have started to make some clear statements, which attract men who choose them.

Lastly, there are no set rules about choosing a man wedding ring. It depends upon the couple together to make a decision at the last.

Label: Man Wedding Ring, Wedding Ring for Man